City of Waterloo Personnel Relations Committee met Jan. 16.
Here is the minutes as provided by the Committee:
1) Meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM
2) There were no petitions by citizens on non-agenda items.
3) Minutes from the October 5, 2016, Joint Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting were approved at the November 3, 2016, Finance Committee Meeting.
4) A draft of the “Sick Leave and Vacation Policy for Non-Union Employees of the City of Waterloo” was distributed to attendees. The draft policy, if implemented, would be applicable to non-management employees hired after September 1, 2016 (currently 2 management employees). The document includes guidance on amount of sick leave earned, control on sick leave usage, disposition of sick leave on retirement/ death, vacation time earned, carryover of vacation across an employee’s anniversary date, cash payout of limited excess vacation carryover in excess of 160 hours, and disposition of unused vacation after retirement/separation.
5) The Mayor, Alderman and staff discussed the proposed sick leave provisions. Discussions included the impact/cost of proposed IMRF credit for sick leave in excess of 60 days at retirement, the differences between IMRF and FOP retirement plans, comparison to procedures in collective bargaining agreements, and availability/process for short/long term disability retirements through the applicable retirement system.
6) Attendees discussed the proposed vacation policies contained in the draft document. There was significant discussion of the benefits and impacts of limiting vacation carryover to 160 hours at employees’ anniversaries, the amount of excess vacation time (80 hours) eligible for cash payout, and the concept of vacation hours beyond 240 carryover hours (160 carryover to following year + 80 hours eligible for cash buyout) being lost. The proposed policy would allow better budget forecasting, eliminate the potential for large payouts at retirement/separation, and encourage employees/management to schedule/utilize leave annually for relaxation/ rejuvenation.
7) Following review of the proposed sick leave/vacation policy, there was discussion of how the policy could be implemented – through ordinance or through establishment of a personnel policy for employees. It was determined an ordinance was not required; however, Mayor Smith requested a motion and committee vote be taken to document the action. A motion was made by Alderman Heller and seconded by Alderman Darter to implement the new policy. A roll call vote followed:
Heller: Yes Darter: Yes Hopkins: Yes Trantham: Yes
8) During the comment portion of the agenda, Mayor Smith raised the issue of adding a Human Resources (HR) specialist to the city staff. Ms. Kennedy listed over 10 possible programs a HR specialist could manage. Attendees supported the concept and recommended the position be a fulltime rather than part-time. There was also discussion of the possibility of working with a third party to assist with development of a city-specific personnel policy manual. Finally, there was discussion of the appropriate experience level to target for a HR specialist – consensus was that a mid-level, experienced hire would benefit the city as opposed to an entry level hire.
9) At 6:40 PM, with no further business before the committee, a motion was made by Alderman Darter to adjourn. Alderman Heller seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.
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