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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 04-05-1993 SpecialMINUTES STUDY SESSION APRIL 5, 1993 A special meeting study session of the Plymouth City Council was called to order by Mayor Bergman at 5:05 p.m. in the Council Conference Room of the City Center, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., on April 5, 1993. PRESENT: Mayor Bergman, Councilmembers Edson and Tierney ABSENT: Councilmembers Helliwell and Vasiliou STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Johnson. Public Works Director Moore, Finance Director Hahn, Property Management Coordinator Tabery, Personnel Coordinator Sobania, and City Clerk Rauenhorst City Manager Johnson stated the purpose of the study session is to discuss the proposed City Center expansion and the City vacation policy. City Center Expansion He presented the staff report on eight alternatives with respect to the proposed expansion, and discussed the size, initial cost, and percentage of need met for each. He recommended Option 5 (expand city center, finish only upper level, renovate all spaces) or Option 6 expand city center, finish both levels, renovate existing offices) as the best alternatives. These options range in estimated cost from $2,743,000 to $3,168,000. The Council discussed the eight alternatives and advantages/disadvantages of each. Mayor Bergman asked why there was an estimated $80,000 cost associated with Option 1 (use existing lower level space plus space in new public safety building). Manager Johnson stated the cost of preparing space (separating it from the security area of the building) in the new public safety building for a department to temporarily move in is about $8,000. Administration is the likely department to move to public safety if this option is selected. Public Works Director Moore estimated that an absolute minimum cost of $20,000 to 30,000 would be needed if a department moved to the vacated public safety space in the lower level of the city center even on a temporary basis. This amount would be needed due to telephone and computer changes, door changes, repairing carpet, rearranging office partitions, and service counter reconstruction. Property Management Coordinator Tabery stated that in addition other various types of demolition would be required. Study Session April 5, 1993 Page 2 Mayor Bergman suggested that this issue be delayed for a decision until after January 1, 1994, since five Council positions will be on the November ballot and a seven - member Council will take office in January. He would favor using the existing space with minimal alterations until a decision is made. Also, the reserve fund balances are currently reduced due to the construction of the public works and public safety buildings. Councilmember Edson stated these funds will continue to replenish. Manager Johnson provided a chart showing the current and estimated future balances of the various funds proposed to be used for this construction. The chart showed the estimated balance each year of each fund assuming that the city center expansion is pursued and funded as proposed. Councilmember Edson stated the Council also needs to be concerned with the state legislature criticizing local reserves, particularly if they are not earmarked. Mayor Bergman stated it is important that residents support the city center expansion project. He believes it may be more widely supported if the project is voted for by a recently elected seven -member Council. Councilmember Edson stated he also is in favor of deferring action until after January 1. He favors Option 5 because the majority of the project would be completed at one time, but it eliminates the public's concern that the number of employees will grow to fill the finished space because only the upper level would be finished during the initial construction. Councilmember Tierney stated that she does not support delaying the decision if the reason is only political; however, there could be legitimate reasons to defer action. She stated concerns that the current Council could start the project and a new Council could change or discontinue it. The Council requested that staff prepare alternate resolutions for consideration at an upcoming regular Council meeting. Vacation Policy Manager Johnson described the current vacation policy for city employees. An overtime exempt employee may retain a maximum of two times his/her annual accrual rate of vacation. An overtime eligible employee may accrue up to one and one-half tunes his/her annual accrual rate of vacation. The accrual rate starts at two weeks per year for a new employee, and the maximum is four weeks per year accrual for an employee with over fifteen years of employment with the City. It is permissible under the personnel policy to Study Session April 5, 1993 Page 3 accrue a larger number of maximum hours with the approval of the City Manager. There are currently six employees who exceed their maximum accrual balance. He presented a table which illustrated the vacation accrual maximums allowed by a number of other cities. The City of Plymouth is at the upper end of accrual allowances. One reason which might be cited for the higher maximum levels is the much more stringent sick leave policy of the City. Since it would take an employee approximately twelve years of never being sick to accrue sufficient sick leave hours to cover the time from the onslaught of an illness to the time at which they would be eligible for the long- term disability insurance coverage, it is prudent for an employee to accrue some vacation to cover that type of occurrence. Manager Johnson asked the Council to provide direction on whether the policy should be amended to reduce the allowable maximum accruals. He suggested the maximum accrual could be reduced from the current maximum of 320 to 240 hours. If this were done, an additional seven employees would be placed over the maximum. Manager Johnson suggested that these employees be notified that they must have reduced those maximums by the end of 1993 or lose that additional vacation. Councilmember Edson believed the 320 maximum is excessive in the market, and stated he would support a 240 maximum with a waiver only in a hardship case. He cited illness and staff shortages as legitimate types of hardship, and he noted that many businesses only allow an employee to carry vacation over for one year. Manager Johnson also introduced the annual leave concept. He stated such a plan is in effect in Shoreview and Fridley, and would require negotiation with the bargaining units, as well as a meeting with the non-union represented employees to explain the features of the plan. Under the proposed plan, sick leave, vacation, emergency/funeral leave, and injury -on -duty leave would be replaced with a universal and personal leave concept. It would not replace holidays, military leave, jury duty leave, workers compensation, or any other paid leave. Annual leave would combine the accrual rate of vacation and sick leave, and the maximum total accumulation of annual leave for any employee at the end of each year would be 30 days (240 hours). Upon separation from employment, an employee would be paid one day's salary for each day of accrued unused leave. The maximum would be 240 hours for all employees. Manager Johnson described the short-term and long-term disability insurance which the City would provide to employees under the proposed plan. He stated the current sick leave plan is one of the most frequently criticized aspects of employment at the City. Personnel Coordinator Sobania described the current sick leave plan. She stated the rate of accrual is so slow as to virtually ensure than anyone who is seriously ill, even after many years of employment, will be unable to cover their entire illness with accumulated Study Session April 5, 1993 Page 4 days of leave. Also, there is a great incentive to come to work sick so as to accrue as many days as possible through the doubling at the end of the year. The Council supported the concept of an annual leave plan. The meeting was adjourned at 6:15 p.m. GCiLov Lua-Gus Cit Clerk