12-10-12 Personnel & Finance Committee

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PERSONNEL & FINANCE COMMITTEE DECEMBER 10,2012 Committee Members Present: Karen White, Gavin Ferlic Other Council Present: Tim Scott, Oliver Davis, Derek Dieter, Dr. Fred Ferlic Others Present: John Murphy, Mark Neal, John Burke,Aladean DeRose, Kathy Cekanski-Farrand, Erin Blasko Agenda: Bill No. 67-12—Budget Transfers; Bill No. 68-12—Appropriations—Various Departments; Bill No. 66-12—MLK Holiday Karen White, Chairperson, Personnel & Finance Committee called the meeting to order noting the lack of a quorum,Nonetheless the three items on the agenda would be given a public hearing and necessarily sent to full Council without recommendation. City Controller Mark Neal,presented the first agenda item, Bill No. 67-12. He characterized this bill as a typical year-end housekeeping bill wherein accounts for departments are adjusted to balance accounts before year's end. He explained briefly that budget estimates made a year prior do not always play out as anticipated. Oliver Davis asked if there were any real surprises. Mark cited the unexpected increase in solid waste tipping fees which were covered by falling natural gas prices. The next item Bill No. 68-12 was a request for additional appropriations for a budget which had an unanticipated shortfall. Mark Neal noted the shortfall was not the result of poor estimating,but rather the result of heaving to cover a state mandated change in the way PERF dollars are set-aside. Another unanticipated expense was the$730 thousand cost for EMS self-contained breathing apparatus. He did point out that nearly$400 thousand would be reimbursed to the fund. The last item was Bill No. 66-12 which designated the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as an official City holiday. This would take the place of the current"floating" holiday keeping the number of city holidays at ten (10), while designed to be revenue neutral some expense would be absorbed due to the fact that the Teamster contract already in place for 2013 would result in that workforce getting an 11th holiday for 2013 only. A "fairness" issue to other employees was raised by Dr. Fred Ferlic, Derek Dieter and Tim Scott,but Mark Neal, City Controller, said the cost for an 11th day across the board in 2013 was cost prohibitive. No one from the public spoke. There being no further business to come before the committee at this time, Chairperson White adjourned the meeting at 4:36 p.m. Respectfully Submit Karen L. White, Chairperson Personnel &Finance Committee