Admin Committee Minutes 2003 10-09-03 ' I
Page 1 of 13
UNITED CITY OF YORKVILLE APPROVED
ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING WITH
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9.2003 REVISIONS
7:00 P.M. 4 -18 -04
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mayor Art Prochaska
Alderwoman Rose Spears
Alderwoman Valerie Burd
Alderman Marty Munns
CITY MEMBERS PRESENT:
City Administrator Tony Graff (arrived at 6:55 p.m.)
Parks & Recreation Director, Laura Brown (left at 8:25 p.m.)
Finance Director Traci Pleckham
City Treasurer Bill Powell
Guests: See attached list.
This meeting was called to order at 6:45 p.m.
i t
PRESENTATION:
Susan Kinsman, Director of the Employee Assistance Program at Provena Health,
1325 North Highland Avenue, Aurora, Illinois 60506.
Ms. Kinsman, who has been with Provena Health for 18 years, stated that her background
is in psychiatric /pediatric nursing, behavioral health science and organizational
development. Their Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides services for 45
different companies, with main offices in Elgin and Aurora, and satellite offices from
Carpentersville to Yorkville. The EAP currently offered to the City of Yorkville covers a
variety of counseling services for gambling, drug and alcohol addiction, depression,
stress, legal, marital and family conflicts, and organizational development intervention
(i.e. behavioral/psychological assessments when conflicts arise between employees
and/or supervisors in the workplace). The three therapists in their program are licensed
and trained in psychotherapy. She stated that when conflicts are resolved, productivity
will improve, as well as the quality of service and quality of life of employees. Her goal
is to ultimately teach companies how to handle employee conflicts on their own.
She stated that EAP's core activity is to provide services for the well being of employers
and employees. This may require teaching anger management skills, assertiveness
communication skills and conflict resolution skills. They also provide supervisor consult
advice. Their viewpoint is that early intervention is the best method to avoid escalating
conflicts and poor employee performance. Every discussion is handled confidentially,
starting with the initial assessment of the employee to determine what factors may be
Y
Page 2 of 13
causing conflicts in the workplace and what issues outside of work may have an influence
as well. She does encourage employees to go through the proper chain of command
when issues arise with their immediate supervisor. She assists by job coaching and
helping to set boundaries.
Her fee for organizational development intervention would be separate from the standard
EAP services Provena offers. Her charge is $150 per hour for the diagnostics, which
requires designing a plan of intervention. Since confidentiality is very important, she
would require releases to be signed by both the managers and employees if she deems it
necessary to involve other individuals in order to resolve the conflict. She stated that she
defines what the boundaries are and the process that would be involved. She also
provides final evaluations with a report of her recommendations.
The Mayor stated that if organizational development intervention were to be done, Ms.
Kinsman's fees would need to be budgeted. Ms. Kinsman was unable to give an estimate
of her fees for her time to resolve a current issue that exists, without hearing the specifics
of the problem. The Mayor stated that he believes much of the problem is what he refers
to as "growing pains" as the City undergoes expansion and new construction, as well as
the heavy workload required of employees. In response to this, Ms. Kinsman stated that
just by recognizing these stressors and verbalizing it helps to bring to the surface the
underlying problem. She stated that by simply discussing coping skills, 'setting
boundaries and clarifying expectations could ultimately lead to a resolution of the
conflict. The Mayor suggested that he and Mr. Graff put together a synopsis to give to
Ms. Kinsman before budget time so that she can estimate the amount of time she would
need to meet with the managers and employees involved to be able to arrive at her final
recommendation.
OLD BUSINESS
Minutes for Approval/Correction:
Corrections for August 14, 2003 minutes were discussed. The Committee unanimously
agreed to approve these minutes with the changes noted.
Review Grand Reserve Impact Request for Parks & Recreation - Administrative
Assistant
Laura Brown, Parks and Recreation Director, stated that her department has identified the
need for an additional office support staff member through a six -week time study that
was recently conducted. The recreation supervisor is overwhelmed with having to
perform not only his job, but the function of an office assistant. He, along with the rest of
the staff are also filling in the time necessary to maintain the office's general hours of
operation. This is taking away from his responsibilities of implementing and supervising
recreational programs. Ms. Brown sites examples in her memo of projects assigned to her
staff but not able to be completed due to lack of clerical/receptionist support. Ms. Brown
believes that money is lost as they continue to pay the recreational supervisor his salary
to do clerical/receptionist work.
Page 3 of 13
Ms. Brown stated that the salary of the receptionist position she is proposing would come
from the impact dollars supported by MPI. This entry level position would require
handling all registrations, incoming calls, and computer work. Alderwoman Spears
agreed that this position needs to be created, and recommends that the Committee address
this as soon as possible. She further stated the need for job descriptions to differentiate
between an office assistant position, an administrative assistant and a receptionist.
Currently salary range for all three of these positions falls under general support staff.
Ms. Brown is also pro posing that, with the approval of an additional staff member, the
operating hours would increase to 51 hours a week. The office can then remain open
during lunch hours. (Currently, the office is closed during the lunch hour due to
insufficient staff coverage). She would also like the office to stay open until 5:00 p.m. on
the weekdays, with the exception of Wednesdays, when they stay open until 7:00 p.m.
Saturday's hours of operations could also be covered with this proposed additional staff
member.
With respect to Ms. Spears' inquiry of the procedure for hiring volunteers to work at the
Beecher Center, Ms. Brown's response was that the hiring procedures are the same as for
an employee, in that, the candidate must fill out an application and submit to,a
background check. She has a hiring procedures manual for hiring volunteers.
The Mayor stated that as more staff is hired, salary schedules will need to be ranked at
different levels to commensurate experience. The updated salary schedule will need to be
approved by the City Council. He also stated that with each cost of living increase, larger
gaps occur between the entry level pay and the high end of that salary range. Ms. Brown
stated that there should be "both a salary schedule and hiring ranee for a specified
position to allow for a controlled hiring range." And within that salary schedule, if a
candidate has the additional education in their related field, the offer could be increased
by a percentage. The Mayor and Alderwoman Spears both agreed that this is ultimately
what needs to be set up. Ms. Brown further recommends that anyone who was offered a
position at a range higher than what is specified, that offer would have to be approved by
the Council, with explanation presented by that department head.
The Committee reviewed the current Salary Schedule. Mr. Graff stated that the cost for
this receptionist position, paid out of the impact dollars would be between $15,000-
$16,000 for a period of six months at an hourly rate of $10 per hour. Thereafter, the cost
will be maintained from the revenues that come from new growth, according to Ms.
Pleckham.
The Mayor stated that after the new year, after the MPI development has been reassessed,
additional tax dollars will be coming in. After inquiry by Ms. Spears if the money has
been deposited by MPI, Mr. Graff stated that he just received documentation from
LaSalle Bank that the closing did in fact occur, of which a $250,000 administration fee is
now due the City, as previously agreed. He expects that money to be wired within 10
days. The City agreed to wait for MPI to establish a loan for the entire project before the
I
I
I
i
Page 4 of 13
municipal building fee of $396,000 is paid. This would have been due at closing, as well.
The deadline given by the City to obtain the loan was October 10, 2003 for which they
did in fact already meet. Mr. Graff stated that they are still awaiting the balance of
$760,000. Dan Kramer is currently reviewing the financial documents, including their
letter of credit.
Mrs. Spears asked for a copy of a job description for the receptionist position Ms. Brown
is seeking. The Committee recommends that this be placed on C.O. W.'s Agenda for
October 21, 2003.
Review of Grant Status Spreadsheet
The Committee reviewed the Grant Status Report. Administrator Graff stated that the
Police Department did download their grant information which is reflected on this sheet,
as was requested previously in an Administration Committee meeting. The Committee
decided now that the minor revisions have been done to this Report, this will be reviewed
on a quarterly basis. Administrator Graff stated that the next quarterly report will be due
in November 2003.
Review Planning Coordinator's Fees Spreadsheet - Update
Ana Kurtzman has prepared monthly summaries for August and September's planning
coordinator's fees. This will be reviewed again at the next Administration Committee
meeting.
Review Revised Internship Manual
After input at a department staff meeting, Chief Harold Martin has prepared a guideline
for the Yorkville Police Department Internship Program which lists duties, work hours,
requirements, selection process and to whom the intern is to report during their
assignment as an intern. Information can be added as the Committee deems necessary.
Administrator Graff stated that this will be incorporated into the Employee Manual
currently being reviewed by the attorney for finalization. As previously proposed by
Alderwoman Burd, the language regarding interns being assigned to marketing programs
for the Economic Development Commission should be taken out, since there is no one at
the City with a marketing background to oversee this intern's project. Administrator
Graff stated that there is some coordination that is done between EDC and the City, when
information (such as demographic studies) is needed. He sites an example of a map that
Bart Olsen helped to update with the assistance of the EDC. Ms. Brown stated that
department heads oversee intern's projects, many of whom attend Chamber meetings to
get a feel for what projects they are working on. This benefits the City because often
EDC and the City would be working on similar projects and/or activities. The Mayor
stated that there are many meetings outside of the City that department heads attend to
keep them abreast of happenings throughout the Kendall County region.
The Committee recommends that this issue be taken to the next Committee of the Whole.
Review Water Billing Accounts Due Report - Update
Mrs. Spears acknowledged the amount of work that has been done on this, with this
Page 5 of 13
Report now reduced to only 1 -1/2 pages. As reflected on this report, most of the
problems are meters that are stuck. This will continue to be reviewed every month.
Water Billing/Accounting Software - Update
As per Ms. Pleckham's memo, the City's accounting system is processing currently
without any problems. She indicated that MSI has been very responsible and supportive
through the conversion and training process. MSI has provided over 30 additional
training hours at no cost to the City, with a savings of $3,000. She also indicated in her
memo that the follow -up training was been very useful to staff. MSI agreed to waive
$2,200 in fees in relation to the Utility Billing Conversion and Project Management fees.
Currently, they are in the process of upgrading to MSI's latest version of 3.0. This
upgrade is a clean -up of the prior release and will rid some minor prior release "bugs ".
Ms. Pleckham has been utilizing and is pleased with the assistance received from MSI's
customer support 800 number.
Ms. Pleckham's summary is that she believes that staff is well - trained and intends to
access this customer support number for any future issues that may arise.
Upon Ms. Spears' inquiry regarding cross - training, Ms. hleckham stated that this will
eventually take place once individuals are comfortable with the new software they are
using. She reports that the Police Department is not yet connected to the City's server.
The Engineering Department and Building and Zoning does not currently utilize the new
software, although, as Mr. Graff pointed out, with the hiring of a new permit clerk, it will
be necessary to record and track permits and fees, as is still being done on the old
software. Ms. Pleckham is expecting demonstrations from different software companies
to determine what software best fits this application. Mr. Graff ultimately would like to
see computer - generated reports and inspections for the Engineering Department. The
only cost the City would assume would be for storing the saved inspection files. Mr.
Graff expects to have the transition to the new software completed in 4 to 6 weeks.
Web Site Status/Training - Update
As per his memo, Anton Graff reports that the web site is operating. An overview of
Department Heads was completed the previous month. Training was completed for the
Clerk's office, with the expectation that Liz D'Anna will keep the Clerk's information
current on the web site. This will include maintaining current Agendas and approved
minutes on the site. Key people and department heads will be responsible for the regular
updating of the website. Department heads have the option of emailing the updates
directly to Andy Clements for website maintenance. These updates are copied to Mr.
Graff to allow him to oversee this process. He reported to the Committee that there are
still problems with a "pdf' download that is "corrupt ". This file needs to be recreated.
The new picture of the water tower will also be added to the City's web site.
From a marketing standpoint, Ms. Burd suggested to Mr. Graff to only allow key people
to download on the website to maintain accuracy and consistency with the information
Page 6 of 13
supplied and keep the website looking professional. The Mayor stated that he found
some inaccuracies in the site that he has already reported to Andy Clements. Mrs.
Spears suggested updating key staff members' job description, since it reads like a job
posting. Mr. Graff stated that the information was supplied to Andy Clements directly
from the posting. He stated that the goal was to just enter the initial information, with the
option later of updating different sections as needed.
Mr. Graffs memo further indicates that IDNR will provide the Glen Palmer Dam Power
Point presentation as a website link. Andy Clements will be making the arrangements to
implement this.
Weblinx will continue to provide unlimited web site updates, monthly visits, performance
reports and ongoing technical support.
Review Revised Project Financial Tracking Worksheet - Update
Mr. Graff stated that this Worksheet is still under review, as they are waiting for the new
software to be fully running. Ms. Spears stated that a previous suggestion made by Mr.
Powell was to have this report reflect the total dollar amounts. Mr. Graff agreed that this
needs to be done, and it was decided to have totals broken down on the worksheet by line
item, which is reflected as separate developments. It was unanimously agreed to have this
item return for review next month.
Discuss City Vehicle Policy
The current City vehicle policy, which was originally adopted in 2000 was reviewed by
the Committee and the following corrections were unanimously agreed upon:
* Under Scope in item I, the first sentence was shortened to read, "To describe the
policies and procedures pertaining to
vehicle use." The use of the word "Directors" in that same paragraph will be deleted;
* Under Policy, the last sentence under paragraph A will be deleted;
* Under Criteria, city employee will be replaced with department head under paragraph
B;
* Under Procedures Index by Department, paragraph B, Administration, item 3 will be
revised to read, "Any vehicle assigned to an employee only during business hours will
comply with all general procedures. Any emergency, short -term exceptions must be
approved by the Mayor. It was also decided to add item "c." to this paragraph which will
read as follows: "Any long -term vehicle use or exception to the defined uses will be
require approval by the City Council."
The balance of this Policy will be reviewed by individual Department Heads and will be
brought back to this Committee for another review. Mr. Graff stated that he would
review it for applicability to current conditions and will present to the Committee any
questions that were raised by the Department Heads with respect to the current vehicle
policy.
Ms. Spears' expressed a concern that the policy does not indicate a requirement that City
Page 7 of 13
Employees show proof of his or her own insurance coverage, irregardless of the fact that
they are covered by insurance under the City when using a city vehicle, under the
standard Illinois insured umbrella policy. Both the Mayor and Administrator Graff
agreed that proof of insurance be required and written to be included in this policy.
Upon Ms. Spears' inquiry, service records of each vehicle are kept in the glove box, and
formalized by Eric Muse. Mileage Forms and Vehicle Trip Forms are also being
maintained.
Recruiting Meeting Transcribers - Update
As per memo from City Clerk, Jackie Milschewski, dated October 7, 2003, a new minute
taker has been recruited to take minutes. Gail -Marie Denton began taking minutes in
September and will cover both the Administration and C.O.W. meetings. Currently, Ms.
Milschewski indicated in her memo that she has enough minutes takers to cover all
meetings.
Status of Interviewing, Hiring Part -time Receptionist
Mr. Graff stated that the advertisement for this position was placed in the Kendall County
Record and has reviewed the applications that have come in. Over the following two
weeks, he is preparing to interview ten applicants who will also be tested for typing speed
and accuracy. Mr. Graff will advise in a memo when the candidate has been selected.
Hire Part -time Secretary for City Council
Ms. Spears indicated the reasons for the need for a part time secretary who would
ultimately report and receive directions from City Council members. One reason is that
many documents have been passed for approval without a final summation of an
outcome. In response to this, Administrator Graff stated that Liz D'Anna has been
working on a spreadsheet for the past three months to be able to track all documents or
projects that have been prepared for packets. Ms. D'Anna's ultimate goal is to proofread
all documents for accuracy and completeness. Ms. Spears stated there is a great need to
have someone track and correct documents before they are approved. An example sited
by Alderwoman Burd involved directions given to Ana. Kurtzman to amend an ordinance
that were never followed before it was presented for public hearing. Since she was
unable to attend the Economic Development Meeting due to her own job comittments,
she was unable to stop this from being approved (without the corrections as directed by
Council). Mr. Graff addressed Ms. Burd's concerns by asking Ana Kurtzman to give a
report of her notes from previous meetings and drafts of this ordinance to determine how
this was missed. Ms. Spears stated that the amount of paperwork that needs to be
reviewed by council members is overwhelming. Mr. Graff agreed and stated, he, too,
would like to have the packets in a timely fashion to be able to review and provide his
own input. The fact that this proposed position requires reporting to multiple committee
members is of great concern to the Mayor. He stated that as more clerical jobs will be
filled, as is expected next year, many of Ms. Spears and Mrs. Burd's burdens would be
alleviated. It was Ms. Spears' recommendation that this be moved to the next C.O.W.
meeting for further discussion, which is scheduled for October 21, 2003.
Page 8 of 13
Status of Employee Daily Task Log
Mr. Graff indicated that the log sheet has been completed for the employees to use,
however, until the remodeling is completed, he believes the data collection would be
flawed because of the disruption within the workplace. It is Mr. Graff s opinion that
additional employees are needed in the area of office supervision and clerical help, and
also to provide adequate relief for lunch breaks, time off for training, scheduled days off
and emergency /sick leave. Further, he recommends setting up a work session between
the office staff and two members of the committee to review concerns and
recommendations regarding office operations.
Recently, Ms. Brown completed her time study analysis that she will be presenting to the
Committee. The Mayor stated that Ms. Brown's concerns were that the analysis shows
those things that ARE getting done, but still not showing WHAT IS STILL NOT BEING
DONE.
Mr. Graff expects to be able to report on this again in two weeks.
Labor Attorney's Recommendation Concerning Employee Suggestion Box
After meeting with the labor attorney at the Illinois Municipal League Conference, Ms.
Spears reported to the Committee his recommendation not to use an employee
suggestion box. It was the labor attorney's opinion, that by having an employee
suggestion box, it would allow them to bypass the proper chain of command. He had
concerns that if these suggestions or comments were anonymous, this would lead to a
myriad of problems, such as employees using this as a "complaint" box. He had concerns
also with who would in fact be responsible for reviewing and determing the proper
actions for the suggestions placed in the box. Further, he indicated to both Ms. Spears
and the Mayor that since alderpersons do not have the responsibility of supervising staff,
they should not be responsible for handling the complaints employees may put in the box.
It was the attorney's suggestion that employees who have complaints, put it in writing,
and copy it to the Mayor or the aldermanic group. A facilitator then would coordinate a
goal setting session with the department heads and the council to address employees'
concerns and supervisors who are not meeting their goals. It was decided by the Mayor
and the Committee to make the announcement that a goal setting session will be set up
and will await feedback and availability of those who will be attending.
Alderwoman Burd stated that the attorney also recommended that all eight members of
the City Council should be allowed to sit in during the review process of the City
Administrator, as it is his belief that the Adminstrator should be reviewed by more than
just the Mayor. It was recommended by the Mayor that a draft be prepared for review by
the Committee to contain this language. Alderwoman Spears agreed to have Attorney
Kelly Kramer draft this as an outline to be presented again at the next Administration
Committee.
Organizational Chart
Mr. Graff stated that Liz D'Anna has been working on an organizational chart, but it had
Page 9 of 13
never been approved.
a. Request for a Work
Session Regarding Staffing
Mr. Graff stated that one employee suggested a lunch work session to review ideas on
how to improve office procedures. It is his goal to have Agendas reviewed 1 -2 weeks
before the scheduled City Council meeting. He has advised the same to the attorney's
office, in hopes that they will forward documents that they have reviewed in a timely
fashion. Both Jackie Milschewski and Liz D'Anna encouraged the setting up of a
discussion with two members of the Committee to review concerns, procedures, job
functions and staffing needs. Both would be willing to coordinate this meeting. It was
recommended that prior to the meeting they prepare an outline of what will be discussed.
Mr. Graff strongly encouraged the members who are interested in participating, to give
either Jackie Milschewski or Liz D'Anna a call.
Employee Manual (briefly discussed by Committee, but was not placed on the
Agenda)
Ms. Spears handed out a copy of a letter from the labor attorney, Edward Bergmann of
Seyfarth & Shaw to Administrator Graff which covers the FLSA compliance survey he
conducted at the City. In this letter, he offers his recommendations with respect to the
following issues: Exempt Status of Employees, payment of stipends and overtime pay
for those employees performing dual capacities and specific procedures involving the
Police, Public Works and Parks and Recreation Departments, employee's due process
with respect to termination procedures and employee compensation.
i
In an attempt to expedite this process, the Mayor recommended that he, Mr. Graff and
Ms. Spears meet first to review this letter to be able to assess which suggestions made by
the attorney that may conflict with their current procedures. The Mayor is looking to put
this back on the Agenda in December, since the Employee Manual contains essential
language necessary to obtain future grants and insurance quotes. Alderwoman Burd
questioned the verbiage in the Employee Manual that, "every discharge shall be approved
the Mayor." Her concern is that the City Council is not stated as being included in the
process of approving discharges. She points out several references to this verbiage.
Also, she pointed the need to remove any references in the Employee Manual to searches
of employees' personal belongings.
NEW BUSINESS
Review Employee's Current Vacation/Sick/Comp Analysis Spreadsheet
This spreadsheet was prepared last year by Traci Pleckham. This spreadsheet normally is
done at end of audit, as it is required for the audit Alderman Munns questioned if there is
a limit as to the amount of accrual of sick and vacation hours. Administrator Graff s
response was that the total allowable sick hours are 960, with 8 hours monthly accrual,
' for a total of 12 sick days a year. Mr. Munns is concerned that 12 sick days is just too
many, and the payout of these when not used can pose as a potential financial drain to the
Page 10 of 13
City. In response to that, Administrator Graff indicated this serves as an incentive for
employees not to call in sick, when the "reward" is a 50% payout at the end of the year.
He suggested that if a change to this policy were to take place, it would only effect the
newly hired employee, with a "new benefit package" offered. Alderwoman Spears
suggested addressing the current insurance premiums paid, of which the Employee
Manual specifically states, that it is, "subject to change." As the City grows,
Administrator Graff suggested the need to cap the insurance benefit amount. Before next
budget, he stated he would bring to the Council a current list of benefits offered by the
City for review, as well as other competitive benefit plans currently available.
Review all Issued and Pending Change Orders for Renovation of City Hall/Police
Building
With respect to the renovation of City Hall and the Police Building, the Mayor stated that
he would not be signing the following Change Orders (which are currently on hold) and
gave his explanations as described below:
Change Order No. 5 - Data/Phone Stubs: The beams in the basement that require phone
chases were already there and were obviously not included in the design process. He
does not believe this constitutes a change order on the part of the Architect, rather, it was
their oversight.
Change Order No. 10 - Vinyl Siding: The Mayor is refuting the cost of $1,780 for 10
feet of siding which was required to replace that area of siding that was removed.
Change Order No. 16 - Furnish and Install Counter Top: The Mayor made the
decision to eliminate this due to the cost. He requested that a work station be placed in
this area, as it will be considerably cheaper to install.
Change Order No. 21- Parking Lot Conduit: The Mayor stated that he does not
believe that the City should be responsible for paying this, as the people responsible for
the electrical work were not given permission to do the lighting in the parking lot. This
issue is in the current discussion phase to be determined at a later date.
The Mayor stated that two credits will be given: One for the rubber treads not needed for
the stairwell, and the other was for the purchase of additional quarry tile for the lower
level which was also not needed. The credits will not be given to the end of the project.
Administrator Graff indicated credit would also be given for the proposal of the half wall
that was to be placed, but later found to not to be functional for the purpose of privacy.
Color selection and installation of ceiling fans were also discussed.
Policy Regarding Disposing of City Property
There was no action on this issue at the time of this meeting.
Review Procedures for Approving Invoices
Traci Pleckham provided a copy of the purchase order policy for review, which is a
Page 11 of 13
current City policy. The approval process for invoices is the responsibility of the
Department Head who reviews, approves and codes them to the corresponding budget
line item. The accounting clerk then prepares the bill list and records the expenditure to
the current budget. Further, the Mayor stated that it is the policy that the Council sets the
parameters for purchases by the department heads. It was decided that no action would
be taken with changing the policy currently in place.
Handicapped Access to City Public Buildings
According to the Mayor, automatic doors can be dangerous due to the force required to
operate them. Also, with the fact that the doors face to the west, the wind has a tendency
to blow the doors open, which also presents a danger. The Mayor stated that he intends
to bring in a prototype doorbell on loan to him from his brother which he wants Mr.
Dettmer to look at. This can be set up to ring in the Chambers and the Clerk's Office. He
did point out that this will require a change in the door's structure. This would only serve
as a short -term fix to the problem.
Alderwoman Spears expressed the diffulty with opening the front doors. Administrator
Graff stated that several options will be explored with Bill Dettmer who will be assessing
all buildings for handicap accessibility. Mr. Dettmer will be providing a report as to what
systems would work with our current building design, as well as which is more cost
effective. A memo will be provided by Mr. Dettmer under Mr. Graff s direction. This
will be reviewed at the next Administration Committee meeting.
Establish Procedures for Council's Review of Detail Board Report
The new software is called the Detail Board Report. It was recommended by Traci
Pleckham to have this uploaded onto spreadsheet format. Ms. Spears stated that once this
has been formatted, each line item will need to be reviewed.
She stated that the same schedule of payment will be kept.
Administrator Graff indicated that some bills have been set up through contracts
requiring automatic payments. Mr. Graff expressed a concern with the time required to
get the report approved by the Council may delay certain automatic. payments, thus
incurring late fees. He suggested that Attorney Dan Kramer draft a policy allowing the
Treasurer authority to pay those bills (such as utilities, phone bills) prior to approval of
the bill list. This would then be reflected on the Detail Board Report as "paid ". It was
agreed by the Council that a policy would be drafted for this purpose.
Funding for Library Building Expansion Project
Administrator Graff stated that BCA recommended a company that does work with
library referendums and funding options. The City's current financial advisor, Kevin
McKenna is aware of this company, (the Ehlers Company) and believes they have an
excellent reputation for working with libraries. Mr. Graff is currently working on setting
up a presentation by them with the library board members present. The library board
approved $8,500 to get a financial plan developed. They will be looking for the City for
more funding. Mr. Graff told the library board that prior to the revised budget, they
should present a list to the Administration Committee for review. Administrator Graff
Page 12 of 13
stated that there was a definite need to identify future revenue streams for funding this
project, including researching available land cash. Alderwoman Burd inquired if there
was a possibility of utilizing the Beecher Center for joint use with the library. The
Mayor's response was that it was not received well by the library board. Administrator
Graff suggested having the Architects look into the possibility of expanded the Beecher
Center. This could be budgeted as "Building Expansion Capital Fee ". The Mayor agreed
to look in the budget for available funds for this purpose. Administrator Graff stated that
if a referendum was sought by the library board, there is a definite deadline, he believes,
of either March or April of 2004. This will placed on the Agenda for Committee of the
Whole for further discussion.
Checking Account for Clerk's Office to Record Documents
As per Jackie MilschewskVs memo to the Administration Committee, dated October 6,
2003, she is requesting a checking account to be opened with a balance of $1,000.00 for
the purpose of covering the costs for recording documents, which had been previously
handled by Attorney Kramer's office. Administrator Graff stated that this amount could
in fact be budgeted and is fully recapturable from the developers at a later date. The
amount that will be placed in the account will need to be determined after Administrator
Graff researches the previous years' expenditures for recording documents. Clerk
Milschewski further recommends in her memo to have at least two signatures on file for
this account, either Deputy Clerk D'Anna, herself or Administrator Graff. Attorney
Kelly Kramer will draft a resolution outlining this new procedure.
Tuition Reimbursement
The Committee discussed concerns with an Engineering Technician who is requesting
tuition reimbursement for a Bachelor of Business Administration degree they are
pursuing, when, they consider, this not to be directly related to his current position. The
cost to the City would be over $30,000, according to Alderman Munns. The Mayor
asked the Council to consider the need for a candidate with a Business Administration
background that could be utilized in another capacity (as in another department) as they
City continues to grow. He reminded the Council that the City should continue to
encourage employees to achieve higher goals through continuing education, as this
ultimately improves the City's work force. Administrator Graff states reasons why there
is a need in the Engineering Department for a person who possess more management
skills, with respect to tracking projects, scheduling meetings and dealing with
consultants. This is currently being done by himself.
After much discussion, it was determined by the Committee that a policy needs to be put
together to reflect, what they would consider, "acceptable fields of studies" for employees
wishing to pursue higher education. Administrator Graff suggested a Department Head
meeting for input, and ultimately to set guidelines for tuition reimbursement, i.e.:
required length of service with the City, both before and after the degree is obtained, and
aptitude and qualifications for that field of study.
It was decided at this time, that this Engineering Technician's request for tuition
_reimbursement will be denied. They recommended that Administrator Graff relay to Mr.
Page 13 of 13
Wywrot that this is not meant to discourage this technician's goal of obtaining a college
degree. They further recommended that as he gets further along in his studies, he can
return to the Council and request reimbursement of educational expenses if they deem it
to fit with the City's guidelines.
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
Treasurer Powell received approval from the Mayor to fund the cost for him to attend a 4-
day seminar (including lodging) for classes in public finance, public funds investment,
treasurer's state laws, ethics and regulations as well as a public relations.
Treasurer Powell stated that he has reviewed the Investment Policy and has made minor
changes to it. He distributed to the attendees of this meeting a packet containing the
revisions made to the Investment Policy. He explains that the Fund Balance Policy is
similiar to an IRA account. This is used when all expected funds have been depleted,
and used only as an emergency reserve. A contingency fund, he stated, is considered a
"rolling checking account ".
The Mayor reminded the Committee that it is tax levy time, and expects information to be
given to the Council at their next meeting, November 13, 2003, in order for voting to take
place by December before it goes to hearing.
The Mayor also requested that the Committee begin thinking of technical skills and
educational requirements for a future proposed human resource director. Traci Pleckham
has a sample job posting for a human resource director that she can distribute to the
Committee members. The Mayor further stated that they need also to be aware that
additional staffmg in many departments will need to be budgeted for next year.
This meeting adjourned at 10:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Gail -Marie Denton
i
i
I
i
I
qo
.46p
PLEASE SIGN IN
MEETING:
DATE: q
I
NAME STREET RESS CITY
�) erc,4e, N erj kk EAP a� 1
I'� v�sr�a -�► 13 z 5 r\l • V� t^ I a,�d A J z �'ar�
A V.1
1�
. 1
I�
1