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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdministration 12-14-05 t r ST. CROIX COUNTY NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING TO: Buck Malick, Chairman, St. Croix County Board Chair FROM: Art Jacobson, Chair, Administration Committee COMMITTEE TITLE: Administration Committee DATE: Wednesday December 14, 2005 TIME: 9:00 a.m. LOCATION: Government Center, Room 1281 CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA DATE OF NEXT MEETING: January 11, 2006 ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES: November 16, 2005 UNFINISHED BUSINESS: NEW BUSINESS: 1. Review Supervisors Per Diem 2. Review of Policy re: Department Head Vacancies 3. Discussion re: Spring Board of Supervisors Goal Setting/Retreat Session ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: ADJOURNMENT (Agenda not necessarily presented in this order) SUBMITTED BY: Art Jacobson DATE: November 29, 2005 COPIES TO: County Board Office County Clerk News Media/Notice Board Committee Members Chairman Malick Greg Timmerman and Lorin Sather *ADDITIONS /CHANGES /CORRECTIONS 11:31 AM 11/29/2005 �) 2 OFFICIAL MINUTES ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE DECEMBER 14, 2005 Meeting called to order by Chair Jacobson at 9:OOa.m. Members Present: Art Jacobson, Tom Caflisch, Jan Zoerb, Don Jordan and Cindy Leonard Others Present: Buck Malick, Chuck Whiting, Amy Geurkink Adoption of Agenda: Motion by Zoerb, 2 nd by Leonard to adopt the agenda. Carried unanimously. Date of Next Meeting: January 11, 2006. Adoption of Minutes: Motion by Caflisch, 2 nd by Zoerb to approve the November 16 minutes. Motion carried unanimously. Discussion regarding having a resolution to place re- zonings on the consent agenda, Zoerb will discuss with Corporation Counsel. Discussion regarding placing other items on the consent agenda. Any item can be pulled from the consent agenda, if things are known to be controversial then place it on the regular agenda. This issue will be placed on the agenda for the January Administration Committee meeting. Malick suggested using the County Board agenda as a template for other agendas. Malick commented the item "Unfinished Business" by itself should not be on any agenda. 1. Supervisors Per Diem. Discussion regarding page twenty of the bylaws concerning per diem compensation and possibly amending that section for better clarification. The bylaws are unclear, clean up the language in Section C. A new person coming in could interpret it differently. Malick stated any changes would be effective April 2008. State law indicates you cannot change the compensation after filing date has started for a term. Discussion regarding compensation for attending meetings during the course of a day and into the evening. Discussion regarding the hours involved in an evening meeting may be less but the commitment to be there may involve giving up more. Discussion concerning brief meetings that only last ten minutes. Jordan suggested in addition to changing the wording, provide an example grid in the handbook similar to that for mileage. It could solve the compensation dilemma if we had the same type of grid for meeting compensation. Whiting explained that the idea behind per diem compensation was to pay for county work by the day. Per diem means per day, not per meeting. Whiting suggested changing the per diem language to "per meeting ". Zoerb suggested a proposal for next meeting. Draft a grid based on unwritten assumptions. Perhaps look at other counties' by -laws, etc. Suggested replacement language: 1 1. For any and all meeting(s) in a day (8am -6pm) — $60 2. For any and all meetings starting after 6pm - $60 3. However, for any additional meetings on the same date starting after 6pm = $30 ($90 daily total). Have County Clerk, Cindy Campbell review the replacement language. Discussion that this issue be put on the agenda for the January Administration Committee meeting and also on the January County Board meeting agenda. Malick gave a brief report on new video taping services for meeting sessions. 2. Review of Policy re: Dept Head Vacancies: Malick reported the discussion of this issue stems from the retirement of Extension Agent, Mary Lestrud. Discussion regarding if there should be policies in place concerning county extension agents and agricultural agents. Are they considered department heads? Discussion regarding what signatures are on the contract and who has control over their job descriptions. Whiting reported various other counties view the extension agents as state employees that county dollars support. Discussion regarding amending the contract to include the county so the county can revisit the contract if state funding is cut. Discussed whether the Personnel Committee could develop a job description for the extension agent. Whiting stated that it has been an almost a contract relationship rather than an employee relationship. Jordan left the meeting at 10:30am. Discussion regarding how many people would be affected if one of those extension positions or departments would cease to exist. Do they do enough in terms of recouping costs? Discussion regarding if the state budget would put the county in a dilemma for these services. County pays for a substantial amount when it comes to the agent (40 %). Discussion of the review policy applying to extension agent positions and to look for ways to improve when a vacancy occurs. The guidelines are set elsewhere. When there is a vacancy — does the county want to pay 40% of the replacement costs? Discussion regarding the best time to make changes is when there is a vacancy. Who decides whether we need as much from the extension office positions? What are we paying for? Do we need it? The money is in the budget — do we proceed as in the past? Where is the priority? Discussed that the extension department brought forward a budget that was no greater than last year's budget. Finance reduced the budget because of the impending retirement. What about other department changes that Finance is not aware of? Finance finds a way to cut when they are made aware. When there is a vacancy by a department head, who should make a decision to revisit the position? Committees should be proactive about notification concerning retirements. Malick suggested offering to the County Board, a modification of the policy to include agriculture and extension agents as well as department heads for review when there is a vacancy for those positions. Discussion regarding expanding to all management levels throughout the county. Discussion regarding hiring freeze. Discussion regarding department head position reviews and one- level -below management reviews. 2 Brief break taken at 10:55am; reconvened at 11:06am Jacobson reminded the Committee that it needs to evaluate Veterans Service Director, Lorin Sather. This should be inserted on the agenda for the January meeting. Malick offered to draft language on the policy that extension agents be added to the policy of review whenever there is a vacancy. Motion by Caflisch 2 nd by Leonard to have Malick develop language to add extension agents to the position review policy. Carried unanimously. Discussion regarding reviewing "first - level' positions, (one -level below department heads) whenever there is a vacancy. Motion by Caflisch, 2 nd by Zoerb to have Malick draft language to include the review of "first level' position (one level below dept. heads) whenever there is a vacancy. Carried unanimously. 3. Spring Board of Supervisors Goal Setting/Retreat Session Malick commenced discussion regarding whether the Spring Session should be more goal setting orientated or more retreat orientated. Discussion that the first year after election should be more toward goal setting. Discussion regarding hiring someone to do the Spring Goal Setting Session. Is it necessary? Whiting indicated he would be reluctant to conduct the session because of his working relationship with the board. The Committee agreed it would be better from an outsider. Malick expressed his feeling that it is important for the chair and vice chair to get to know the new committee members. Discussion that it could take between $500 to $1,000 to get someone to do the spring session and prepare the report. Zoerb stated it should be someone who understands county government. Whiting will commence a search for candidates; with the focus being on trying to identify the goals. Discussion that the appointment of committee members should follow the session because you can define how people interact. Plus, a person will have a broader vision when they are not yet aware of what committees they will serve on. Discussion regarding having committees as well as department heads define goals and submit to the person doing the session. This would help define the topics for the goal setting session. Whiting will make calls with the focus on goal setting and will report back at the next Administration Committee meeting. Malick commenced discussion regarding the concept of combining this committee with another committee, stating the Administration Committee does not always have enough work to have a meeting. Could the Personnel Committee take care of what the Administration Committee does? Caflisch believes the Administration Committee needs to be left the way it is. Zoerb agrees with Caflisch. This committee needs to be a neutral group, one that can objectively look at things. Malick stated he is striving to have better interaction with the committees. Leonard feels if it was all one committee it could be lopsided. Discussion that Committees in this county definitely run the departments but not all Committees are equal. Zoerb questioned what other counties do. Malick reported that many other counties do not have as many committees. 3 Discussion on inserting this issue on next month's agenda. Have some solutions for next month. Do we need an Administration Committee? Who would be doing this work if there wasn't the Administration Committee? Zoerb brought up that she cannot figure out who is in charge of the facility and buildings. Malick reported it is the Finance committee. Discussion regarding planning for future use of the building, etc. Finance is reluctant to give up space unless there are compelling reasons to do so. Put on a future agenda and it will be discussed. Motion to adjourn by Caflisch, 2nd by Zoerb. Carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 11:47am. Cindy Leonard, Secretary Amy Geurkink, Recording Secretary 4