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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993 EOCC Minutes'r:..__.._..., ..,.....__._. MINUTES ' 93 16 19P ] 10 33 CITY OF LANSING ELECTED OFFICERS COMPENSATION COMMISSION MONDAY, MARCH 1,1993 - 5:30 P.M. NINTH FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM CITY HALL The meeting was called to order at approximately 5:32 p.m., by Chairperson Service. MEMBERS PRESENT: Louanne Service, Chair Todd A. Derby Elliot B. Glicksman Harold Hailey Margie McNutt John F. Powers MEMBERS ABSENT: Dr. Frederick A. Hogan GUESTS/STAFF: James Crawford, Mayor Alvan P. Knot, City Attorney Doug Rubley, Interim Finance Director Harold Leeman, Citizen Lloyd Teets, Citizen Francesca Knot, Recording Secretary APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Member Powers moved approval of the February 24, 1993 minutes, as printed. The motion was supported and carried 6-0. 2 INTERVIEW OF THE MAYOR: Interview of the Mayor: • Thanked the members for serving. • He stressed -the fact that he was quite new at this position. • Recommended the members review the office and make a decision based on the facts and not on the political environment relative to the appropriate compensation. • When a decision is made regarding changes or increases, the policy makers may decide not to accept that recommendation because of political and/or budgetary considerations. Actions such as this does not diminish the importance of the work of the Commission. • Spoke regarding his work schedule. He has been working many, many hours in a week and is not sure whether this is normal or not, due to the reorganization of City government. • He is content with the salary. • He chose to give up the leasing of an automobile. This was his personal choice and a future Mayor may or may not carry on with this decision. • The car was given up to set an example, make some budget cuts, and begin by starting at the top. The second reason was symbolic. He wanted to be perceived as a community person and that is the reason he chose to give up the cadillac and purchase an oldsmobile with his personal funds. • City Councilmembers are far more deserving of a raise than the Mayor or Clerk. I think the two full time positions are well compensated. Based on the hours he put in as a Councilmember, that Council is the most underpaid form of government. Printed on Recycled Paper 3 Member Hailey asked Mayor Crawford regarding the future salaries of employees. The Mayor responded that contracts were settled: Firefighters - 3.3%; Fraternal Order of Police will be in the same range. He felt that in this same range is where other employees salaries would be going. It is anticipated, within a short while, the Mayor will be the top paid official in the City. The Mayor provided the Commission with information regarding the salaries of the previous Finance Director was $85,000 and the Public Service Director's salary was $85,000. These positions are now posted. The Finance Director was posted for the low 70's and the Public Service Director will be posted in the low 70's. The two positions had additional supervisory functions in addition to being long time employees and the salaries were elevated. Executive staff increases are tied to the Teamsters at the present time. Per Mayor Crawford, that tie bar will be broken. A system will be set up that an amount equal to that percentage will be appropriated to the Administration and the Administration would indicate - give out the salaries based partly on what happened in other unions and partly on merit. It will no longer be automatic. This plan will be put together in the next couple of weeks. The Mayor was of the opinion that the City Clerk we have now is a "working City Clerk." One as we had in the past (i.e. Ms. Fulton and Ms. Bauman). Ms. Slade is not just a politician holding an office. Prior to this time, we had a City Clerk who was a Clerk in a "symbolic" sense, and he had the Deputy doing all of the work. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW FROM THE FINANCE DIRECTOR: Mr. Rubley provided the Commission with several comparable documents in addition to the packet of material distributed on February 24. Mr. Rubley spoke to the issue of positions which are currently vacant and are being temporarily filled on an interim basis. The salaries of many of these positions, when posted, will be lowered per the direction of the Mayor. The largest concerns at the present time are Health Care Costs and revenues vs expenses. Printed on Recycled Paper 0 Mr. Rubley reviewed The General Fund Statement of Revenues and Expenditures with the Commission. Federal Revenue Sharing has been discontinued. Growth is beginning to occur in the income tax area. LEGAL CLARIFICATION FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY: Chairperson Service started the discussion with Mr. Knot by asking whether the Commission had the power and/or the authority to make recommendations that City Council could either accept in its entirety, accept or reject portions of it, or reject it in its entirety. She then asked for clarification per the mandates of the City Charter. Mr. Knot informed the Commission that the previous City Attorney ruled that the Commission could prepare its recommendation as one entire package or could split the recommendations into several packages, which City Council could then approve all or approve one or several of the recommendations. Mr. Knot recommended that it was the Commission's desire to have City Council approve or reject the Commission's recommendation in total, then the recommendation should be submitted as one entire package. The change was made during the time when the elected officials felt that two of the position salaries should be increased but the other positions should be left alone. In order to achieve this goal, the Commission structured their recommendation into several packages for Council action. The City Council can not dictate to the Commission how to structure their recommendations. NEXT MEETING AGENDA: Chair requested that an agenda item be added: "Approval of the the Agenda", for future meetings. Discussion of materials submitted on February 24: Financial materials Letter from Mr. Leeman Interviews of Councilmembers and City Clerk will be scheduled for the March 15 and March 22 meeting. Member McNutt asked for an excused absence from the March 8 meeting as she will be out of town due to her job responsibilities. Printed on Recycled Paper 5 OTHER: Chairperson Service thanked Mr. Powers for his many years of service as Chair of the Commission. MEETING SCHEDULE CHANGE: Discussion. Meetings of March 8, 15 and 22 will be held on Mondays at 5:30 p.m., in the City Council Conference Room, Tenth Floor of City Hall. Member Glicksman exited the meeting - 6:15 p.m. PUBLIC COMMENT: Mr. Leeman asked the Commission to review his letter. Discussion followed. Chairperson Service will draft a response to Mr Leeman's letter for review at the next meeting. Mr. Teets informed the Commission that he was a candidate for City Clerk and that he was quite happy with the current salary. If the Commission makes a decision to raise the salary of the City Clerk position, and he is elected, he will donate the difference in salary to charity. He was of the opinion that Councilmembers salaries were too low for the number of hours required to do the job. He recommended that Councilmembers receive a raise. ADTOURN: There being no other business, the Commission approved the motion by Member Derby to adjourn. Time: 7:00 p.m. Prepared by Francesca Knot Recording Secretary Senior Legislative Assistant Lansing City Council Approved by the Commission. Printed on Recycled Paper SIGNED LOUANNE SERVICE, CHAIRPERSON Printed on Recycled Paper RECC. "'I"S1'1 "n'' MINUTES 3Y: 3 AM 10 qTY OF LANSING EL C ED OFFICERS COMPENSATION COMMISSION MONDAY, MARCH 8,1993 - 5:30 P.M. TENTH FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM MEMBERS PRESENT: Louanne Service, Chair Todd A. Derby John F. Powers MEMBERS ABSENT: Dr. Frederick A. Hogan Elliot B. Glicksman Harold Hailey, Excused Margie McNutt, Excused GUESTS/STAFF: Francesca Knot, Recording Secretary This meeting was an informational meeting (5:40 - 6:00 p.m.) due to the fact that a quorum was not present. General discussion ensued relative to the materials distributed on February 24 and regarding the upcoming scheduled interviews of the elected officials. Prepared by Francesca Knot Recording Secretary Senior Legislative Assistant Lansing City Council 2 Approved by the Commission. S I G N E D C�4' L-6UANNE SERVICE, CHAIRPERSON Printed on Recycled Paper