HomeMy WebLinkAboutPersonnel Committee - Minutes - 11/5/2020Minutes of the
Bayfield County Personnel Committee Meeting
4:00 PM, November 5, 2020
Meeting was Held Remotely through Microsoft Teams and in person at the Bayfield
County Board Room, Washburn, WI
Members Present: Dennis Pocernich, Tom Snilsberg, Fred Strand, Marty Milanowski, Brett
Rondeau
Others Present: Mark Abeles-Allison County Administrator, Kristine Kavajecz-Human
Resources Director, Martin Skaj, Dalton Collins, Luke Kleczka, Scott Stephenson, Jennifer
Brown,,
Meeting called to order at 3:00pm by Chairman Rondeau
Public Comment:
Dalton Collins, Bayfield County Highway Department
Luke Kleczka, Jail Lieutenant, reviewed information that was shared with committee members
via email earlier this week. Appreciate that the committee is considering a reclassification of the
Jailer position. A reclassification will be positive for the employees and county.
Gwen Goodrich, Jail Corporal: Shared the comments of Kleczka. Appreciate the committee’s
consideration of wage adjustment for Jailers. One of her roles is scheduling. Overtime not
authorized until after 86 hours, asking that this be reconsidered.
Martin Skaj, Highway Department Patrolman: Pigeon Lake is taking up a lot of the costs of the
Highway Department budget. Feels that someone is sitting on their hands to make decisions on a
resolution to that situation.
Jennifer Brown, Jailer: Suggested that jail staff be considered for hazard pay and gave examples
of higher risk scenarios.
Motion Milanowski, Snilsberg to approve minutes of the October 1, 2020 Personnel Committee
meeting. Motion Carried (5-0)
Motion Pocernich, Milanowski to enter into closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes:
a. §19.85(1)(c,e) to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance
evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has
jurisdiction or exercises responsibility: and deliberating or negotiating the purchase of
public property, vesting of public funds or conducting other specified business whenever
competitive or bargain reasons require a closed session.
i. Approve Closed Session Minutes of October 1, 2020
ii. Discuss strategy with regard to union negotiations.
iii. Union Negotiations with Teamsters (4:15)
iv. Union Negotiations with WPPA (5:00pm)
v. Grievance Update
vi. Discussion and Possible Action on Employee Performance.
Motion carried. Entered closed session at 3:10pm
Motion Milanowski, Snilsberg to return to open session. Motion Carried. Returned to open
session at 4:00pm
Discussion and Possible Action Regarding combining two part-time Criminal Justice
positions into one full-time position.
Motion Pocernich, Milanowski to combine two part-time Criminal Justice positions into one full-
time position. Motion Carried (5-0)
Discussion and Possible Action on county wage schedule indexing in 2021: 2021 budget
contains funds for up to a 1% adjustment. Suggestion was to wait until after negotiations to take
action on this item.
Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Hazard Pay: This topic impacts many
departments and it would be very difficult to differentiate. This topic has been withdrawn for
action.
Discussion and Possible Action regarding health department temporary assistance/hours
increase: Due to the number of cases, the ability to do contact tracing has been impacted. A
number of temporary employees have been hired to assist with these efforts.
Motion Pocernich, Milanowski to authorize the County Administrator to hire temporary staff in
the Health Department as necessary to react to the COVID pandemic. Motion Carried (5-0)
4:15pm Zak Radzak joined the meeting remotely. Teamsters are permitted to negotiate base
wages only. Maximum CPI-U increase for January 1, 2021 is 1.56%. Teamster Health
Insurance premium increase for 2021 is anticipated at 2.98%. Collins reiterated the request for
1.56% max CPI-U increase. He reported that neighboring towns and counties are reporting
anywhere from 0-3% increases.
County offered to honor the request for a 1.56% wage schedule adjustment for Teamsters to be
effective January 1, 2021.
Abeles-Allison reported that the County plans to implement a Shop Foreman position with a 50
cent per hour differential for that position. County plans to also discontinue the Working
Foreman position in Iron River. Radzak stated that they are in agreement with that
recommendation.
Motion Milanowski, Snilsberg to recommend to the full County Board, approval of a 1.56%
wage increase for Teamsters to be effective January 1, 2021, creation of Assistant Shop Foreman
position with 50 cent per hour differential and discontinuation of the Working Foreman position
in Iron River . Motion Carried (5-0).
The committee took a brief break at 4:25pm.
Discussion and possible action regarding Jailer Wages: Jail staff joined the meeting for this
discussion. It was explained that a market analysis of this position could be conducted by
Carlson-Dettman, the company that conducted the wage schedule analysis and that data could be
received prior to the December meeting.
Motion Strand, Pocernich to postpone this discussion to December to allow for an analysis to be
conducted by Carlson-Dettmann, to be effective on January 1, 2021. Motion Carried (5-0)
Comment from Christiansen that the classification of the Jailers should be evaluated to ensure
the proper classification when comparing other positions in the county at that same grade level.
Support from the committee is to do a classification analysis of 3-4 positions per year.
Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Emergency Leave Policy:
Recommendation was to modify the policy to require that requests be made for periods of no
more than 30 days (20 work days) at a time and that donations not exceed 3 months of
emergency leave.
Motion Pocernich, Snilsberg to modify the Emergency Leave Policy to read that requests may be
made for periods of no more than 30 days (20 work days) at a time and that donations not
exceed 3 months of emergency leave. Motion Carried (5-0)
Motion Pocernich, Milanowski to enter into closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes:
b. §19.85(1)(c,e) to consider employment, promotion, compensation or performance
evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has
jurisdiction or exercises responsibility: and deliberating or negotiating the purchase
of public property, vesting of public funds or conducting other specified business
whenever competitive or bargain reasons require a closed session.
i. Union Negotiations with WPPA (5:00pm)
Motion Carried. (5-0) Entered closed session at 5:00pm.
Motion Snilsberg, Milanowski to return to open session. Motion Carried (5-0) Returned to open
session at 6:08pm
Reports
a) Human Resources Report
b) Personnel Financial Report for the month of October 2020: Currently at about
$140,000 over this time last year in the General Fund. Highway up about $107,000
over this time last year.
c) Emergency Management Announcement: Jan Victorson will be retiring in March
2021. Plan is to advertise this position as a stand-alone office.
d) COVID Workplace Updates:
Northern Lights has had a major outbreak related to the nursing home. A third death in
Bayfield County occurred today.
Motion Milanowski, Strand to return to closed session. Motion Carried. Returned to closed
session at 6:15pm
Motion Strand, Snilsberg to return to open session. Motion Carried. Returned to open session at
6:25pm.
Motion Strand, Milanowski to recommend to the Full County Board that they authorize a 1.56%
wage schedule adjustment effective January 1, 2021. Motion Carried (5-0)
Meeting adjourned at 6:30pm.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Kristine Kavajecz