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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-29-1999 Meeting I PUBLIC SAFETY COlvllvllTTEE COtvIMITTEE ROOM - November 29, 1999 1:~P.M. PRESENT: F. Handy, Chairman, B. Kuhlke, W. Mays, S. Shepard, members, J. Brigham, R. Colclough, Commissioners, R. Oliver, Administrator, J. Wall, Attorney, R. Few, Fire Chief, C. Rushton, IT Director, R. Leverett, RCCI Director, G. Sams, Purchasing Director, D. Dlugolenski, EMA Director, B. Byrd-Pelaez, EEO, L. Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ALSO PRESENT: S. Cooper, Augusta Chronicle, S. Eidson, Metro Spirit, G. Eskola, Channel 6. A request to approve for the Fire Department to purchase twelve (12) portahle radios with chargers, system software and necessary accessories from Motorola at a cost of $35,584.22 Mr. Shepard: So move. Mr. Kuhlke: Second. Motion carried unanimously. I A request to approve proposed changes to GIS Section ofInformation Technology Policies and Procedures. Mr. Oliver: We ask that this item be deleted. Mr. Shepard: So move to delete. Mr. Kuhlke: Second. Motion carried unanimously. Discussion of pay raises in the Fire Department. (Issue No.2 in Grand Jury Report) (Requested hy Commissioner Shepard). Mr. Shepard: This is something that I asked for and had put on the agenda. I would like the Chief to indicate ifhe has had the oppommity to speak in any other forum and I would like him to respond to his conclusion in reference to the pay raise issue from the last grand jury that says "as it stands now that it appears that performance pay raises are based on favoritism and proximity to the department head rather than actual work performance. I Chief Few: Pay raises were based on training and all positions were evaluated on the same scale. In our training program it has gotten so that now nobody wants to go to the next level because of the commitment to learning. AliI asked in my department was that anyone who wanted a pay increase would need to be crossed train. Mr. Oliver: The Chief did have some corrections to make before he got here. All the firefighters and drivers were paid the exact same dollar amount. That was a system that was previously in place, because there is no incentive to do a good job. All employees that had been here a year were given a cost of living raise. The policy that we have says that if an employee is promoted they get the greater of fifteen percent of the bottom of the range that they are moving to and that's essentially the policy and we try to remain consistent. I Ms. Pelaez: In reviewing the Fire Chiefs pay per-performance evaluations his evaluations were given out for the most part in accordance with their rating. Over the past three years we have talked about how some of the salaries were not at a rate where they should be. When we implemented the pay per-performance system what you have to realize is it's not only tied to your performance but if there are disparities in your salary you can use that money to address those disparities and every year he has tried to equalize the salaries in different rankings. He did not do anything different this year than he did last year. The salaries were given within the guidelines that he was given therefore, it was approved by the EEO office. Mr. Kuhlke: I was under the impression that we had a one and a half percent cost ofliving increase for everybody and one and a half percent that went into the pot. My question is this is, if the Chief is having to use the one and a half percent as a reward for performance and not as a salary increase. Because if you do it as a salary increase it appears to me that you work yourself into a box where you have to almost on an annual basis to keep that salary up have to award that same amount to that person. I Mr. Oliver: Once they get it they will continue to get it from henceforth, so it does not become an annual thing. Mr. Kuhlke: I move we accept this as information. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion carried unanimously. A motion to approve an increase in the capacity agreement between Augusta Richmond County and the Georgia Department of Corrections from one hundred seventy-five (175) state prisoners to two hundred (200). Mr. Leverett: The reason for this increase is we normally hold twenty-five county misdemeanors that are assigned to two details that go out to the Board of Education. Recently, we can no longer receive county misdemeanors from the county j ail that are eligible for work detail for the Board of Education. So consequently, we're having to I cancel our contract with the BOE, effective January 15,2000. The increase in the state I prisoners will be to fill those two details and to maintain a minimum of eight prisoners on the other details. It is my understanding that the county misdemeanors, the reason for the non availability of them is because now when they go through State Court they are assigned probation to DMS, so consequently they no longer have available at the County jail that meet the Board of Education requirements. So we in turn will increase the state prisoners which will be state felons in order to fill the two details and to maintain a minimum of eight. With the two details coming from the Board of Education, one will be going to Trees and Landscape and one will be going to Public Works. Mr. Oliver: We have provided for this in the budget. As a practical matter we will come out a little bit ahead because of the subsidy we get from the State. Let me tell you the down side risk of this, but we can change this agreement every June 30, is the fact that if our jail becomes over crowded before we have had places to send them, however that cooperative spirit has not been there. But I would note that there are additional beds at RCCI should the need arise. We do not see it at this particular point and we think this makes good business sense, we'll be able to utilize the labor, plus we'll be able to enhance our revenue. Mr. Leverett: There will not be an increase in the budget because of this. It cost the same to house a state prisoner and it does to house a county prisoner and with the $20 per day the revenue will amount to $182,000 per year. Mr. Kuhlke: So move '1 .. Mr. Shepard: Second. wIotion carried unanimously. Approval of purchase of service subcontracts between ARC and Charter Augusta Behavioral Health Systems, Leon Murray, Terry Geiger, Crama Franklin. Mr. Kuhlke: So move Mr. Shepard: Second. Mr. Oliver: It should be billed not to exceed $14,500 and I would like that to say not to exceed $14,500 this is a direct reimbursement. Mr. Kuhlke: So to accept the amendment. Mr. Shepard: Second. Motion carried unanimously. I With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission PUBLIC SAFETY AGENDA COMMITTEE ROOM - November 29, 1999 3:30 P. M. 1. Approve for the Fire Department to purchase twelve (12) portable radios with chargers, system software and necessary accessories from Motorola at a cost of $35,584.22. 2. Approve proposed changes to GIS Section ofInformation Technology Policies and Procedures. 3. Discussion of pay raises in the Fire Department. (Issue No.2 in Grand Jury Report) (Requested by Commissioner Shepard) 4. Motion to approve an increase in the capacity agreement between Augusta Richmond County and the Georgia Department of Corrections from one hundred seventy-five (175) state prisoners to two hundred (200). 5. Approval of purchase of service subcontracts between ARC and Charter Augusta Behavioral Health Systems, Leon Murray, Terry Geiger, Crama Franklin. I I