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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-09-22-minutes-hr-study-sessionCOMMISSIONERS’ MINUTES KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON WEBEX REGULAR MEETING HR STUDY SESSION TUESDAY 10:00 AM 9/22/2020 Board members present: Brett Wachsmith, Cory Wright Others: Tristen Lamb, Chelsey Loeffers, Christopher Horner, Taylor Crouch, Lisa Young, Jeanne Killgore CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 10:00 AM. PUBLIC HEALTH STAFFING REQUESTS – 1. PROJECT SPECIALIST/HEALTH PROMOTION & 2. PROJECT SPECIALIST TO REGULAR CLASSIFICATION/DISEASE INVESTIGATOR Health Promotion Supervisor Loeffers requested approval to hire a one-year temporary Project Specialist to work primarily on air quality and to assist other grant-funded programs in the Public Health Department. Supervisor Loeffers explained that the position will be grant funded. Commissioners Wachsmith and Wright had no questions and approved the hire. Public Health Director Lamb presented a request to reclassify the COVID-19 Project Specialist to a permanent Disease Investigator position within the Public Health Department. She explained that the Public Health Department must respond to many communicable diseases and must continue to respond to COVID-19 for years to come. Director Lamb summarized that funding for the position has been coming from CARES, and there will continue to be some guaranteed funding through spring of 2022. She also explained that upon the retirement of the department’s full-time Public Health Nurse, they will be filling the vacancy with a part-time FTE. The Health Officer will also be reducing his FTE, creating further department savings. Commissioners Wachsmith and Wright expressed their approval of the reclassification. BOCC STAFFING – PUBLIC RELATIONS ADMINISTRATOR Human Resource Director Young provided a brief summary of the status of the Public Relations Administrator job posting. She explained that the Board is able to review applications at this time. Commissioner Wright requested that the position remain open until at least the end of the month. Commissioner Wachsmith agreed and will review applicants as time allows. OPEN ENROLLMENT – REQUEST TO APPROVE 2021 RATES Director Young requested Board approval of the 2021 benefit rates. She explained that the United Healthcare medical plan rates have increased 9.5%, but dental, vision, basic life and basic long term disability rates will remain the same in 2021. Regarding the medical rate increases, Director Young COMMISSIONERS’ MINUTES KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON WEBEX REGULAR MEETING HR STUDY SESSION informed the Board that rates are increasing 9-10% nationwide, so the County’s rate increase is not of major concern. Commissioners Wachsmith and Wright approved the 2021 benefit rates. Director Young will move forward with 2021 open enrollment using the approved benefit rates. SURVEY MONKEY RESULTS – POTENTIAL IMPACT OF SCHOOL/DAYCARE CLOSURES Director Young presented a summary of the 185 responses she received from a survey she sent to County staff to gather feedback about the potential impacts of school and daycare closures related to COVID-19. Of the survey takers who had children, ten respondents indicated that they would have no alternative but to take leave without pay if they needed to care for their child(ren) during their work day. Per the survey, 94% of employees felt supported through COVID-19. Director Young advised the Board that she received a suggestion to reissue the survey a month or two after the beginning of the school year to see if responses may change once parents gain some experience in the new schooling process. Commissioners Wachsmith and Wright expressed interest in reissuing the survey. Director Young will resend the survey to employees in approximately four weeks. COMPENSATION PROJECT (This agenda item was moved and discussed after the Executive Session agenda item.) Director Young summarized several compensation projects she has been working on for the Board. The first project involved positions and wages of support staff within the Commissioner’s Office. Director Young performed an internal comparison of positions and found that the Clerk of the Board position compared most closely to the Chief Administrator position. The Deputy Clerk II compared most closely to an Office Administrator, and the Deputy Clerk I compared closely to an Administrative Assistant or Permit Technician position. The Board will review the various options and discuss at a later date. The second project involved modifying the wage range for the Kittitas Valley Event Center (KVEC) Director. Director Young summarized that there aren’t many comps for the position and recommended bringing the KVEC Director wage range in line with the Airport Director range. She explained that both positions are responsible for managing a large facility and generating revenue from their respective facilities. Commissioners Wachsmith and Wright approved bringing the KVEC Director wage range in line with that of the Airport Director. Director Young will work with the Commissioner’s Office staff to draft a PAF, and Commissioner Wachsmith will discuss the wage adjustment with the KVEC Director. The last project discussed regarded moving non-union employees to a wage step system, similar to union wage scales. Director Young reached out to ten counties to learn more about their wage plans and found that seven utilize wage scales rather than ranges for their non-union staff. Director Young presented an 11-step scale system with employees generally moving up one step each year on their position anniversary date. She proposed other potential merit-based options like freezing an employee on the scale for poor performance, and rewarding exceptional performance with multi-step increases. Director Young also researched longevity pay for non-union employees and found that five out of the ten counties she contacted provided longevity pay to their long-term staff. Commissioners Wachsmith COMMISSIONERS’ MINUTES KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON WEBEX REGULAR MEETING HR STUDY SESSION and Wright will take time to digest the information presented and provide feedback and follow-up questions at a later date. EXECUTIVE SESSION - RCW 42.30.110 (1)(G) TO EVALUATE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF AN APPLICANT FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT OR TO REVIEW THE PERFORMANCE OF A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE. HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO RCW 42.30.140(4), DISCUSSION BY A GOVERNING BODY OF SALARIES, WAGES, AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT TO BE GENERALLY APPLIED WITHIN THE AGENCY SHALL OCCUR IN A MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND WHEN A GOVERNING BODY ELECTS TO TAKE FINAL ACTION HIRING, SETTING THE SALARY OF AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE OR CLASS OF EMPLOYEES, OR DISCHARGING OR DISCIPLINING AN EMPLOYEE, THAT ACTION SHALL BE TAKEN IN A MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. (This agenda item was moved and discussed before the Compensation Project agenda item.) The Board entered executive session at 10:22 AM to discuss the performance of a public employee with an anticipated length of ten minutes. Anticipated action: none. The Board exited executive session at 10:32 AM. No action taken. OTHER BUSINESS None. ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned at 10:55 AM. KITTITAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON Lisa Young, HR Director Brett Wachsmith, Chairman