HomeMy WebLinkAbout20142924.tiff • RECEIVED
This meeting is recorded for accuracy. SEP 1 6 2014
WELD COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
Minutes
WELD COUNTY COUNCIL
August 18, 2014
The Weld County Council met in regular session in full conformity with the Weld County
Home Rule Charter, Monday, August 18, 2014, at the Weld County Administration
Building, Greeley, CO.
ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order by Councilwoman Marge Klein
and on roll call the following members were present, constituting a quorum of members
thereof:
r Councilwoman Marge Klein in
Councilman Brett Abernathy
Councilman Don Mueller
Councilman Bernard C. Kinnick
Councilman Jeffrey Hare
Also present: Weld County Human Resources Director, Patti Russell, Sheri ff John
Cooke, and Sarah Mundt, Council Secretary.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Councilman Abernathy made a motion to approve the
August 18, 2014 agenda. The motion was seconded by Councilman Hare and the
- motion carried.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: July 21, 2014 Minutes. The motion was made to
approve the minutes by Councilman Abernathy and the motion was seconded by
Councilman Mueller and the motion carried.
REVIEW PROGRAM: Patti Russell, Human Resources
Director of HR, Patti Russell invited Staci Datteri-Frey, Employee Health & Productivity
Specialist, and Sarah Porter, Training Coordinator, from her Department to
present. Human Resources is responsible for hiring, recruiting applicants, which also
includes: filtering, interviewing, testing applicants. HR is also responsible for new hire
orientations, legal issues, unemployment, workers comp, safety, FMLA, ADA, policies
and procedures, training, benefits, and Health and Wellness. They assist managers in
employee relations, employee performance, discipline, and terminations. The County
has an Employee Wellness Clinic available to its employees and it has proven to save
the County in dollars by providing primary care and urgent care type needs, it's as
option as the first place of treatment for Workers Comp care. The clinic provides most
of the Occupational Testing for departments that have it as a requirement for
employment as well as lab screenings/testing and Immunizations are done through the
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2014-2924
Weld County Council
August 18,2014
Minutes
Clinic which saves the County also. The Clinic has 1 physician's assistant, 1 part time
nurse practitioner position, and 3 medical assistants with a supervising physician who
reports 4-8 hours a week to oversee referrals and harder cases. As of July 2014, The
County has 1536 employees and added two new departments, Communications and
Information Technology.
Sarah Porter: Sarah has been in the Training Coordinator position for a year. She
works to discover training needs and develop or bring in training for Weld County
employees. The program has provided training for over 1000 employees. The Weld
County Training Catalog was introduced to show the available courses. An addition will
be coming called Workplace Respect that will be a mandatory course for all County
employees to attend in the future.
Staci Datteri-Frey: The Employee Wellness Program has been around for 20 years, but
it has evolved over the years. After the past 6 years, many of the positive results that
Patti shared are a result of the program. The Wellness Program is for everyone, but
there is a monetary incentive for those on the Health Care Insurance that is done
through premium reductions. Friday, September 26, is the programs Signature event,
the Weld County Commissioners Cup 5K which many County employees will participate
in. The Wellness program works with the Clinic to develop target programs that will
benefit the overall Health and Wellness of Weld County Employees. There has been a
beginning of collaborative work between other Departments and the Wellness Program
to help boost specific health needs within those Departments.
Councilman Hare asked about analysis of Benefits for employees, specifically, Elected
Officials. Patti stated that there has been analysis completed by Mountain States
Employer Council, as well as a group of 10 Colorado counties and Weld County is
competitive and similar to the others, but they have not done an analysis on just Elected
Officials. Generally, benefits are about equal with the other counties.
PUBLIC COMMENT: Sheriff Cooke: The Sheriff has more responsibility than a
City Chief of Police. A City Chief is solely responsible for matters within his city limits.
The County Sheriff is charged with duties such as Chief Law Enforcement, Chief Fire
Ward, Chief Fire Marshall, in charge of Search and Rescue, Civil matters, Jail, and
Weapons Permitting for the entire County. Weld County Sheriffs office is responsible
for $35 million budget, 354 employees and 1000 inmates. Sheriff Cook introduced a
handout with comparisons between department heads and other law officials in the
County and from similar outside agencies that listed the Top Out Salaries. Sheriff
Cooke pointed out that Pitkin County is also a Home Rule County and they pay their
Elected Officials more than the State legislature recommends. He pointed out that
some elected officials have not had a pay raise in 12-14 years and the legislature will
not run a salary bill so addressing this salary stall may not happen. If you follow the
legislature, there will probably not be a pay raise for the next 4-8 years. Elected
Officials get left out of cost of living increases often. Sheriff Cooke stated that the easy
road is to follow the State legislature recommendations. Sheriff Cooke stated that there
Weld County Council
August 18,2014
Minutes
has been a request to HR and the Commissioners to change the top out rate because
turnover rate is high. Other counties top out sooner so the Sheriffs office loses
employees to those counties. Turnover rate is also high because of the Jail and
Inmates and the intensity and nature of the job, but many don't leave the Sheriffs
department, they move over to patrol side. Turnover is actually lower than the national
average in the Sheriffs Department. Sheriffs positions are based on Class of County
and Weld County is Class 1, making $111,100/yr (based on the State Legislature
recommendations).
OLD BUSINESS: None at this time
NEW BUSINESS:
• Discussion on Elected Officials' Salaries for upcoming salary setting at the
September Council Meeting
Councilman Kinnick believes that all the Elected Officials' salaries are too low,
especially the Sheriff. Councilman Mueller believes the whole system has an
equity problem, based on comparison of non-elected positions salaries. He
thinks the Assessor is not paid for the job he does and his professional
qualifications adequately. Councilman Mueller believes that the salaries can be
made equitable by making the positions Appointed by proposing a bill to the
People for vote, that way the person and qualifications can be considered in the
process. Councilman Mueller believes the system is flawed because of the
inaction of the Legislature and because of the inexperience of the applicant.
Councilman Abernathy believes that the people running for the positions are
willing and wanting to face the challenges of the offices, including the salary, but
not as the primary factor for running, although it is an enticement to attract
experienced applicants. If we move the elected positions to appointed positions,
is that not taking the choice away from the Constituents within the County to say
we are going to pick these people to control these aspects of their County?
Councilman Kinnick believes that the salaries do not have to stay the same. The
Council can change them. Can the salaries be stair-stepped or does it have to
be consistent for all 2 or 4 years for each position? The salaries can be stair-
stepped over the 2 or 4 years. Councilman Abernathy discussed a percentage
increase per anum over the years that can be addressed over many salary
setting functions. Councilman Hare pointed out that the salaries need to be an
incentive to attract qualified candidates to run for office, a salary comparable to
the private sector. Councilman Kinnick proposed the Sheriff salary for 2015/2016
be set for $130,000 and 2017/2018 be set for $140,000 and County
Commissioners for 2017/2018 be set for$97,000. Does the Council set a higher
Commissioner salary and allow for differing salaries between the staggering
Commissioner seats? The Charter states that a salary setting may be delayed
for consistent pay. Can the Council change the salary set in Resolution 192?
The County Attorney will be asked. Councilman Abernathy proposes using a
percentage based increase over the years as opposed to a set salary or set stair
stack salary. Councilman Mueller proposed writing and presenting their
Weld County Council
August 18,2014
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suggestions to present at the next meeting. Marge will set up a meeting with
Bruce Barker to address the questions asked during this session.
• Coordinator Reports— none at this time
• Upcoming Meetings/Invitations— none at this time
• Proposed Budget- Councilman Abernathy moved to approve the Budget.
Councilman Hare believes that there is more that the Council can be doing based
on the Charter and the Reports to the People clause.The Council can be an
internal audit role. Councilman Abernathy wants to know if the Accounting
Department can provide information about an internal audit. The Commissioners
set and approve the budget, but who audits the day to day expenditures?
Director of Finance and the Controller keep track of the dollars. Councilman
Hare is concerned that there is no internal audit system built in within the County.
The compliance and procedural functions within the County and may be at risk of
not being addressed. Councilman Hare proposed tabling the budget for a month.
Councilman Mueller asks how involved does the Council want to be and how
involved should the Council be? Councilman Hare read the Charter and it allows
the Council to bring in an auditor, whether permanent or temporary. Councilman
Abernathy withdrew his motion to approve the budget. Council Secretary will
email Don about the meeting date, time, and location to discuss Budgets before
Budget Setting. Council members have asked, do we act or react? How do we
audit? How in depth would an audit be? Councilman Mueller suggested that the
Council should invite the County Controller, Barb Connolly, to present on the
internal safeguards that may or do exist in the county to prevent corruption. The
Commissioners are the Deciding Body for all things that happen in the County.
The Council is the Oversight Body. Do we have the duty to go and look into
hearsay issues and question the actions of the County Departments and be
proactive in addressing complaints and potential issues? Councilman Kinnick
noted that of all the presentations, every one of them has said everything is great
in each prospective department. How does the Council know that is true? If the
Budget must be approved before the next Regular Meeting and Special Meeting
will be called to revisit the issue.
• Report to the People: Meeting Planner for the January Meeting was Don
Mueller, November schedule- Change name to Deon, not Dean. Councilman
Kinnick motioned to approve the Report to the People with the changes.
Councilman Mueller seconded and the motion passed.
• Pay Bills: Councilman Abernathy made a motion to pay the bills and the motion
was seconded by Councilman Hare and the motion carried.
• Mileage
o Councilwoman Klein $106.38
o Councilman Mueller $5.94
o Councilman Abernathy $48.60
o Councilman Kinnick $35.10
o Councilman Hare $6.48
Councilman Hare has agreed to ask the Controller to join his presenter in October.
• Weld County Council
August 18,2014
Minutes
Steve Moreno is our next meeting speaker and Councilman Abernathy will be the
coordinator for the September 22, 2014 meeting at the Ault Fire Station.
ADJOURNMENT: By acclamation, the meeting was adjourned at 8:28 p.m.
Councll President
August 18, 2014 Marge Klein
Council Secret Sarah Mundt
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