Minutes: Finance and Labor Relations: August 2011

City of Evansville
Finance & Labor Relations Committee

Regular Meeting
Thursday, August 4, 2011, 6:30 pm
City Hall, 31 S. Madison St., Evansville, Wisconsin

MINUTES

I. Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 pm by Chair Mason Braunschweig. Present: Alderpersons Mason Braunschweig, Todd Culbertson, and Jim Brooks. Also present: Mayor Sandy Decker, Finance Director Lisa Novinska, City Administrator Dan Wietecha, and EMS Director Mary Beaver.

II. Approve Agenda. Culbertson made a motion, seconded by Brooks, to approve the agenda. Motion approved unanimously.

III. Minutes of July 7 and July 25, 2011. Brooks made a motion, seconded by Culbertson, to waive the reading of and to approve the minutes as presented. Motion approved unanimously.

IV. Citizen Appearances. None.

V. Water & Light Bills. Culbertson made a motion, seconded by Brooks, to accept the Water & Light bills in the amount of $708,403.03. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

VI. City Bills. Culbertson made a motion, seconded by Brooks, to accept the City bills in the amount of $193,404.92. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

VII. Unfinished Business:
a. Teamsters 695 Grievance. Wietecha said the arbitration hearing was August 3 and briefs are due September 9.

b. Donations & Fundraising Policy. Wietecha noted the policy would likely include procedures for grants following discussion at the Committee of the Whole.

c. Employee Handbook. Wietecha noted that the policy would be updated over the next couple months.

VIII. New Business:
a. Non-represented Employee Contracts. Brooks made a motion, seconded by Culbertson, to recommend to Common Council approval of Employment Contracts for non-represented employees. Wietecha gave an overview of the recommended changes: a temporary supplement equal to 5.8% of salary through the end of the year (this is within budget), removing language referring to just cause standards in anticipation of the upcoming grievance procedure and other likely changes in the employee handbook, formal determination of the EMS Director as protective occupation, and these contracts superseding prior contracts. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

b. Insurance Deductibles. Culbertson made a motion, seconded by Brooks to recommend to Common Council approval of an increase in insurance deductibles. FLR discussed balancing the cost and exposure with several options for raising the deductible on the city’s property insurance. Culbertson made a motion, seconded by Braunschweig, to amend the motion to increase the deductible to $2500. Amendment passed unanimously. Motion, as amended, passed unanimously on a roll call vote.

c. 2012 Budget. Lori Allen of the Chamber of Commerce presented the Chamber’s request for $20,000 in the budget for economic development activities.

d. 2012 Finance Department Budget. Novinska discussed her recommendations for the Finance Department budget. A new ballot machine is anticipated in the 2014 capital budget. FLR commented that it was not convinced that 15 hours per week of the Customer Service Clerk should be allocated to Police clerical help, noting that there is plenty of work to do at City Hall. Election expenses should be increased with 2012 being presidential election year as well as the likelihood of state recall elections. FLR commented on its concern that the proposed budget would have Department Heads going three years without a raise and having greater retirement and health insurance contirbutions than union employees.

e. Accounting and Billing Software. Culbertson made a motion, seconded by Brooks, to recommend to Common Council approval of Resolution 2011-13, Authorizing Borrowing from WPPI Energy. Novinska noted that this covers the $34,000 loan portion over and above the grant portion. The loan is over ten years at zero percent. Motion approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

IX. Adjournment. Culbertson made a motion, seconded by Brooks, to adjourn the meeting. Motion approved unanimously at 7:20 pm.