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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-11-1996 Meeting I I I ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE ROOM - March 11, 1996 3:00 P. M. PRESENT: Hons. Larry E. Sconyers, Mayor; Beard, Chairman; Bridges, Vice-Chairman; H. Brigham and Powell, members; Jim Wall, Interim Attorney; Charles Dillard, Interim Urban Services Administrator; Linda Beazley, Interim Suburban Services Administrator; John Etheridge, Human Resources Director; Moses McCauley and Gayle Scott of the Human Resources Department; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission-Council and Nancy Morawski, Deputy Clerk of Commission-Council. Also Present: sylvia Cooper and Wayne Partridge of the Augusta Chronicle and George Eskola of WJBF Television. Communication from the Human Resources Director regarding the CONCERN: Employee Assistance Program Contract. This document is attached and returned to me. Since it is a contract, I have provided a copy to Jim Wall for his review, was read. Mr. Etheridge: We do have some changes to make in the wording of the actual contract. As an employer who provides a substance abuse program, you are required to have an employee assistance program to go along with that. Mr. Bridges: Is this something that is bid out? Mr. Etheridge: We did not bid this out; it is a continuation from our previous program. There are a limited number of agencies who offer these services. Mr. Bridges: I move that we accept this with the stipulation that next year we attempt to bid this out. Mr. Powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Human Resources Director requesting approval of the Policy and Procedure Manual, was read. Mr. Chairman: I haven't had time to go through this and I would like to see us take it up at the next meeting. Mr. Powell: I move we receive this as information and bring it up at the next meeting. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Human approval of the retirement of Mr. License & Inspection Department. Resources Director requesting Harold E. Lents from the He is under the Richmond County 1977 Pension Plan and meets all requirements for normal retirement. I ask that his retirement be made effective March 1, 1996, was read. I Mr. Bridges: I move it be approved. Mr. powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Human Resources Director requesting approval of the specific total number of authorized positions in both the urban and suburban departments. Further, these total numbers include any and all new authorized positions from the 1996 Budget. Because only a portion of the this original policy request was actually approved, I have not communicated this information to any department, was read. Mr. Etheridge: This sheet shows the authorized positions in both urban and suburban departments, including part time and temporary people, and these are the ones budgeted and approved. After a short discussion, Mr. Powell: I move that we receive this as information and bring it back up at the next meeting. Mr. Brigham: Second. I Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Human Resources Director requesting to use Hilb, Rogal & Hamilton (HRH) as our Workers' Compensation Third Party Administrator. By using HRH as our TPA, all newly hired employees will be placed on the suburban payroll with suburban benefits. It is further recommended that in doing this, all newly hired employees be placed on the urban salary matrix to avoid creating further salary disparities, was read. Mr. Bridges: I make a motion we approve this as stated. Mr. Powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Human Resources Director recommending that we establish priorities in our hiring practices during the consolidation of departments process. All public safety positions are priority. However, from a Human Resources standpoint, we need to prioritize our hiring, based first on the department we are currently working to consolidate. Then we hire, if vacancies exist, in other departments strictly on an as I needed basis to prevent a surplus of employees. Until we actually are in the process of consolidating a department, we cannot determine if all jobs are needed. In fact, we could get I I I into the process of consolidating a department and discover that not all positions are needed in the consolidated department. Those departments not affected by consolidation may fill positions that are authorized, as they become vacant. Finally, I would request that only five jobs per week be advertised to avoid an overload of work on my staff, who currently have a tremendous amount of work, due to the consolidation process. Advertising five positions per week is manageable, was read. Mr. Chairman: We may need to not specify five jobs and maybe have some other wording. Mr. Etheridge: We could say a reasonable amount of jobs per week be advertised. Ms. Beazley: We may have emergency positions to fill at certain times. Mr. Etheridge: That would be fine. Mr. Bridges: I move it be approved. Mr. Powell: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Human Resources Director recommending (due to limited space available and to enable the Human Resources Department to be more efficient) that we continue posting vacant positions as we currently do, but send all applicants to the Georgia Department of Labor to complete their applications. This practice is commonly used throughout the private sector in Richmond county. Accepting applications in this manner will also allow applicants to apply Monday through Friday, instead of the current Tuesday and Thursday only. I truly believe that our applicants would like this procedure better and it would enable my Human Resources Clerk to be more efficient on the days that she normally would be involved with applicants. Other than the Georgia Department of Labor accepting our applications, our employment process would remain the same. We will not lose any control over our applicants in any way. With the growth of the total number of applicants we will have, this method will enable us to better serve our applicants and be more efficient in the department, was read. Mr. Powell: I move that it be approved with all applications being forwarded to the department heads or administrator. Mr. Bridges: Second. Motion adopted unanimously. The Committee next considered the matter of the Summer Youth Employment Program as to whether the program will exist in 1996, how many youth will be hired and when the program will begin and end. I Mr. Powell: This was a program where eight youths from each district were hired to work during the summer months. Mr. Bridges: How much did it cost? Mr. Etheridge: About $48,000. Ms. Beazley: Walter Hornsby worked on this program. He recruited the students, scheduled them and assigned them to the various departments. Mr. Chairman: The City had a similar program also. Mr. Powell: I move that we appoint Mr. Walter Hornsby to head up this program and to bring back a set of guidelines for us to go by. Mr. Brigham: Second. Motion adopted. Communication from the Human Resources Director stating both I current health insurance programs cost $7.5 million to administer and pay claims per year. With this amount of money being spent, consideration should be given to obtaining assistance in an overall evaluation of the two existing plans, recommendations to develop a more cost effective consolidated plan and recom- mendations as to better manage the new plan once it is put together. Included in this overall evaluation of our benefit package will be health, life and dental insurance. Also, the retirement plans would be reviewed by this individual. Due to all the changes in managed care, I recommend we consider retaining the services of an outside professional benefit consultant to assist Augusta-Richmond County in achieving the optimum cost effective benefit package, was read. Mr. Etheridge: I'm bringing this today as information. Mr. Brigham: I move we receive this as information. Mr. Etheridge: I want to be able to consider coming back with a recommendation at one point in time as to what we should do. Mr. Powell: Mr. Etheridge to concerning this. I make a substitute motion that we authorize go ahead and bring back a recommendation Mr. Bridges: Second. I I I I Motion adopted unanimously. Communication from the Human Resources Director recommending approval to revise Health Central contract. Also, recommend that payroll deduction be made for employees who participate with the following reimbursement schedule to be provided quarterly: Reimbursement Schedule 1 - 7 visits per month = 25% 8 - 11 visits per month = 50% 12 - 14 visits per month = 75% 15+ visits per month = 100% A copy of this contract has been provided to Jim Wall for his review, was read. Mr. Etheridge: This program allows employees to attend Health Central and work out. Last year we spent about $4,000. The City had the same type program but with no reimbursement. Mr. Bridges: I have a problem with the appearance of the taxpayers paying for a health club membership. I make a motion that we reject the reimbursement schedule. Mr. Powell: I'll second the motion. Motion adopted unanimously. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission-Council NWM