EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Special Meeting

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Administrative Center – Room 3220

4:00 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Steve Doyle, George Hammes, Vicki Burke, Charles Spiker, Ralph Geary, Roger Plesha, Don Meyer, Jim Ehrsam, Tara Johnson (arr @4:04) 

MEMBERS EXCUSED:  None        

MEMBERS ABSENT:  None 

STAFF & GUESTS:  Steve O’Malley, Gary Ingvalson, Marion Naegle, Bob Taunt, J. Terry Hanson, Ray Ebert, Sharon Hampson, Reid Magney, Cheryl Stephen

CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

Board Chair Steve Doyle called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. 

DISCUSSION OF CONSIDERATION OF BENEFIT CHANGES FOR TOP MANAGEMENT RETENTION

Steve O’Malley noted a lot of information was sent with the agenda packet.  With the aging workforce and with years of experience in top department head and managerial levels, need to think about succession planning and ways of keeping those with years of experience, and also need to review retiree health insurance.

Bob Taunt noted this matter came about last fall when the Personnel Administrative Code (Chapter 3) needed housekeeping changes.  He reviewed each of the following five (5) recommendations in detail.

(1)     Cash out or deposit of vacation – Plan design could include cash out of hours based on years of service or allow to deposit to an account for payment of County health insurance at retirement and not paid out in cash.  Cash payout is currently allowed in Hillview and Jailer union contracts.  Also propose for department heads over age 50, for conversion of unused vacation up to 10 days to deferred compensation.

(2)     Accumulated sick leave for credit toward retirement health insurance (currently 60% and increase to 75%).

(3)     New vacation accrual plan – New plan would accumulate each pay period to a maximum number of hours in bank.  This would eliminate anniversary date for earning and accrued/earned accounting – less Personnel Office staff time and less confusion by the employee.  Cost neutral – just different accounting procedure.

(4)     Offer limited AFLAC program benefits – 100% paid by employees to supplement gaps in County insurance, such as vision, extra dental, long term disability, etc., as offered by American Family Life Assurance Company.  This fits in with the employee cafeteria plan/Section 125 and funds directed to AFLAC reduces County Social Security costs.  No cost to the County.

(5)     New health insurance plan for retirees – Prime Trust Documents.  Proposal includes $1,000 deductible health insurance plan as a more affordable insurance.  No cost to the County.

Supervisor Spiker question process for exit interviews; would be important to know why employees are leaving.  Bob noted not all employees fill out an exit interview form; the form includes 10 narrative questions; Personnel only look for issues within the department; some departments have changed the form to fit their department.  Chairman Doyle requested a compilation of answers from the last 100 exit interviews, in particular looking for common themes.  He also suggested the addition of a question, “What

Page 2 – Executive Committee Special Meeting Minutes of January 17, 2008 

would have made you stay?”  Maybe include multiple choice questions, relating to leaving for better benefits, better pay, etc.

Supervisor Spiker noted that he disagreed with vacation payout, noting for wellness reasons, employees need to get away from their work.  Supervisor Hammes concurred.  In addition, Supervisor Spiker also questioned why cap on earned sick days; this is penalizing dedicated employees and/or it encourages use of sick leave once the cap is reached.  Bob noted the incentive of saving sick leave is to use it toward purchasing health insurance following retirement.  Supervisor Plesha also suggested research on how other governmental entities or private business treat time off, noting some are using earned time that can be used for vacation, sick or personal days.  Bob said he knew of several outside health care facilities that tried this and it’s not working very well; it created uncertainty as to when employees would come in or not come in.

Chairman Doyle suggested information be presented at the next committee meeting on February 13, that being:  related costs for each of the five proposals, amount of staff time to incorporate change, and exit interview information as requested.  Supervisor Johnson requested information on the process of doing exit interviews.  Chapter 3 with only the housekeeping changes will come back to committee in February.

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION by Hammes/Spiker to adjourn the meeting.  Motion carried unanimously.  The meeting adjourned at 5:09 p.m.

Disclaimer:  The above minutes may be approved, amended or corrected at the next committee meeting.

Cheryl Stephen, Recorder