2019-01-22-minutes-hr-study-session

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COMMISSIONERS’ MINUTES KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON BOCC CONFERENCE ROOM REGULAR MEETING HR STUDY SESSION questions from the Board. The Board extended the executive session at 10:35 AM for an additional five minutes. The Board exited executive session at 10:40 AM. No action taken. REQUEST CHAIR SIGNATURE ON UEBT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT (PROBATION UNION) HR Director Young requested Chair signature on a UEBT Participation Agreement which would move Probation Union staff from Teamsters Plan C to UEBT Plan A6. Director Young advised that she had already run the agreement through legal. Commissioner Wachsmith moved to approve Chair signature on the agreement. Commissioner Osiadacz seconded the motion. Motion was passed; 3:0 and the Participation Agreement was signed. REQUEST TO APPROVE WAGE ADJUSTEMENT/BUDGET AMENDMENT - HR HR Director Young presented a request to the Board to raise the HR Director’s salary to the midpoint of the wage scale. Budget and Finance Manager Pless was present to answer any questions from the Board. Director Young explained that the request is not performance based; it is an adjustment based on years of service with the County and time in department/position. She noted that it is common in County recruitment to bring on new or promoted employees at the midpoint of the wage scale based on experience, and to maintain an equitable system a current employee with the same experience should be given the same consideration. She also shared that there are other employees at the County with 20+ years of service who she would advocate also need to have their wages evaluated. Commissioner Osiadacz expressed some concern about making wage adjustments outside of the scheduled wage survey; however, Director Young stated that other adjustments were approved in the 2019 budget. Commissioner Wright stated that he is in favor of the wage adjustment. Commissioner Wachsmith requested more information regarding the impact of a wage adjustment for the 20+ year group and what funding sources might be available. Director Young will bring a report to the Board next week. REQUEST TO CONSIDER OPTIONS FOR A BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM FOR 2019 AND BEYOND Director Young presented two benefit administration system options to the Board for consideration. She explained that a benefit administration system would allow HR to enter employee benefit information in to one system, and that system would send information to the six different benefit carriers used by the County. Without a benefits administration system, HR would have to enter all benefit changes in to six different portals which would take a lot of staff time. The first option that Director Young presented to the Board was a system called EaseCentral. This system was utilized for the County’s 2019 open enrollment period. The annual cost for EaseCentral is $5,700. The second option presented by Director Young was a system called Hodges Mace. She explained that the system is more