General Government Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The General Government Committee met on September 9, 2014, at 11:00 a.m., with Kay presiding. The committee addressed six agenda items during the meeting, including approval of the Committee Summary and an update on the Coroner's Office Salary & Classification. Two informational presentations were provided on the Procedure for Underwriting/Sponsoring Parks and the Impact of Vacant Positions in Parks. The committee took three motions and votes during the session and heard six public comments. One agenda item—Parks Foundation – Gen. Services Link—was deferred for future consideration.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on September 9, 2014:

• Kay
• Scutchfield
• Gorton
• Ford
• Akers
• Lawless
• Beard
• Myers
• Clarke
• Lane

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

The meeting included three votes, all of which passed by voice vote.

Approval of March 4, 2014 Meeting Summary 7:31 The summary for the March 4, 2014 meeting, as amended, was approved. The motion was made by Myers and seconded by Lane.

Ordinance 0130-26: Hazardous Duty Pay for Unclassified Civil Service Employees 9:33 An amendment to Section 22-24 of the Code of Ordinances passed, allowing unclassified civil service employees, including Deputy Coroners, to receive hazardous duty pay. The motion was made by Gorton and seconded by Lane.

Motion to Remove HR Transfer Item 48:19 A motion to remove the item regarding HR transfer from the Department of Law to the CAO office passed. The motion was made by Ford.

Public Comment

Council members posed several questions during the meeting regarding staffing, hiring processes, and departmental operations.

Council Member Clark inquired about the vacancy process timeline 21:47, asking about the duration between recognizing a vacancy and offering a job. The response indicated that the process typically takes six weeks to two months, with some seasonal variation.

Council Member Lane raised concerns about job offer rejections 26:48, asking why applicants had rejected entry-level job offers. The response suggested that the salary was perceived as too low despite the formal starting pay being set.

Council Member Akers asked whether the Parks Department was ready to discuss reorganizing or reallocating positions 28:20. The response indicated that the matter was still in flux and that it would be better to revisit the topic at a later time.

Council Member Beard inquired about the Parks Advisory Board's role in the foundation 40:07. The response indicated strong support for their involvement and input.

Council Member Clark also asked about how the foundation's leadership would be appointed and whether paid staff would be needed 41:48. The response confirmed that leadership would come from the board and that paid staff would be necessary.

Council Member Ford moved to remove the item about transferring HR from the Department of Law to the CAO office 47:48, noting that this action had already been implemented.

Committee Summary

The committee reviewed and approved the summary from the March 4, 2014 meeting 7:31. Key speakers Myers and Lane participated in this discussion.

A minor amendment was made to page 5 of the meeting summary during the review process. The motion to approve the summary, as amended, passed without dissent from the committee.

Coroner's Office Salary & Classification – Update

8:12

The committee discussed an amendment to the Code of Ordinances regarding compensation for the Coroner's Office. The proposed amendment would allow unclassified civil service employees, including Deputy Coroners, to receive hazardous duty pay.

Key Speakers

The discussion involved Maxwell, Gorton, Lane, and Kay.

Action Taken

The committee approved the amendment and moved it to the council docket for further consideration.

Procedure for Underwriting/Sponsoring Parks

Roger Damon presented two draft policies related to park underwriting and sponsorship procedures 10:03.

Policies Presented:

• Policy #48: Donation/Recognition Guidelines
• Policy #49: Naming Policy for Park Lands, Features, and Facilities

Outcome:

Both draft policies were reviewed and accepted for final review by the committee. No further action was required at this time, and the item was handled as informational in nature.

Impact of Vacant Positions (Parks)

Brad Chambers, the new Parks Director, presented an analysis of staffing challenges within the Parks Department 14:32. The presentation focused on the department's 148 full-time positions and examined the current vacancy situation.

Vacancy Rate and Numbers

As of September 1, the Parks Department had 18 vacant positions, representing a vacancy rate of 12–14% across the full-time workforce.

Contributing Factors

Chambers identified several factors contributing to the vacancies:

• Seasonal hiring patterns that affect staffing levels throughout the year
• Internal promotions that create openings in lower-level positions
• Offer rejections from candidates, which Chambers attributed to low salary levels in the department

Committee Response

The committee, including Maxwell, acknowledged the staffing challenges presented. However, the committee determined that no immediate action was necessary at that time.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no specific directives or decisions made as a result of the presentation.

Parks Foundation – Gen. Services Link

30:35

Brad Chambers presented an overview of establishing a Parks Foundation and its potential connection to General Services. The presentation covered the benefits, challenges, and procedural steps involved in creating such a foundation.

Key Points Presented:

• Tax advantages available through foundation status
• Opportunities for legacy gifts and charitable contributions
• Potential for maintenance endowments to support long-term park operations
• Importance of strong board leadership for foundation success

Committee Response:

The committee expressed interest in the Parks Foundation concept. However, before proceeding further, members requested that a formal proposal be submitted for their review and consideration.

Outcome:

This agenda item was deferred, pending submission of the formal proposal requested by the committee.

Items Referred

47:48

The committee reviewed a list of referred items during this portion of the meeting. Councilmember Ford moved to remove the HR transfer item from the list. This motion was approved by the committee.

No other changes were made to the referred items list beyond the removal of the HR transfer item.