County Commissioners - Special Meeting

Commissioner special meeting for December 10th at 11 a.m. to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Roll call, please. Spencer here. Milbour. Wolson here. Mley here. Russo. Approval of the agenda. Move. Madam chair.

We have a second. Oh. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Mley, yes. Spencer, yes. Milbour, yes. Wolson,

motion carried. Public comment for agenda items only. Is there any public cond comment for agenda items? Discussion and possibly accept the tenative bargaining agreement with the PLC 911. We all got a copy of the tenative agreement. Um, does anybody have any questions on that? It's a lot of it is the same with our others. Um, do we want to go through what changed, Jody? Do you think

kind of Yeah. I mean, we went over it before, but just

so in front of us just to make sure we No changes. So, number one went from three years down to two-year term for a two-year contract. Um, the election of remedies um that got struck just like it did on all the other ones. Um, posting schedule changes went from 30 to 28 days. Um, the overtime had a change in it or all hours in excess of the employees regular scheduled shift. Um 9.7 had that last area struck with new language of employees shall bid for shifts on an annual basis. The shift bid period shall be January through December. The bidding process will begin for January and the first business day of November of the previous calendar year and shall be open for 30 days. Shift assignment shall start the first pay period following January 1st. Employees shall bid on shifts based on sen seniority questions on that overtime um notifications. Um that last area was struck and it was added um employees shall receive $50 per month for the purposes of being on call. We wanted additional language added in the event an employee does not answer a test page or pages for a call and the employee will not receive the $50 on call incentive for that month. So if they

don't answer, they're not going to get their incentive for the month. um page. And then as you read down further, eligible employees shall respond to a page at least 2 hours prior to this specified shift. Employees on approved leave are not subject to this provision. Disasters or critical incidents may require all employees to be available. That was basically so if they have vacation and they're on a vacation that they're not expected. Madam chair.

Yes. Sometimes we refer to a page versus text. Is that like the old page when it went buzz 50 years ago we had pagers. What is page? What does page refer to as opposed to text? Okay. Okay.

Um short notice incentive um went from 6 hours down to four. Um nine the part-time employee that was all struck out. union proposed that all part-time employees, regardless of how many hours worked, shall be recognized for the purpose of this agreement. Um, article 10, update language regarding FMLA, ADA, and user and ensure that no contract provisions are in contract in conflict with federal and state laws. Um 10.2 unpaid personal leave. That was new language added at the discretion of the director. An employee may take unpaid personal leave. Unpaid personal leave shall be limited up to 12 weeks per month starting on the first day of use. Employees on personal leave shall continue to acrue seniority. Employees shall receive service credit for pension purposes but must continue to make all necessary employee pension contributions while on personal leave. Employees shall continue to receive all other contractual benefits while on unpaid personal leave.

That was 12 weeks per year. Yes.

Um 10.4 jury duty. That was the same as on all the other contracts that we did that shall immediately notify the employer when the employee receives notice of potential jury duty. In the event the employee is required to appear for jury duty, the employee shall be given a leave of absence with pay for the period of their jury duty. Um 10.6 funeral leave that was updated very similar to all the other contracts. Five work days leave to attend a funeral or memorial service when the death occurs in the employees immediate family. three work days leave to attend the funeral or memorial service when the death occurs in the employees extended family. Um 11, they added New Year's Eve, President's Day, Veterans Day, and Junth as holidays, um which coincides with all the other unions and non-union employees working all of their scheduled holidays shall receive a $500 incentive. the incentive shall be paid during the first pay period in January of the subsequent year. Um they have to so if they're actually scheduled they have to work all of their scheduled. So if they didn't then they don't get any of that incentive. That was a question that I had had when we were going through that. Um number 12 that is the benefit part which basically puts them on the same benefits as non-union and the other unions. So we would all be on the same benefits.

Number 13. So for 2026 we gave them their proposed wage increase of 10%. That's what was proposed. They had accepted it. Um January 1st, 2027, a 4% wage increase. Um the workers compensation, they were struck that line out because I don't believe that we could enforce that anyway, if I'm not mistaken. Um, vacation schedule. An employes's past days contiguous with or falling within a scheduled vacation shall be considered protected and the employee cannot be mandated during a scheduled vacation. Um, mileage, they're just updating it if they had to use their own vehicle to the IRS rules. Um, 1723.2 pay for time spent negotiations. They shall be allowed release time and then they're paid to go into the negotiations as part of their um amend to read dispatcher senior dispatcher um the dispatcher wages and then senior dispatcher they countered with the $27 an hour and that was agreed upon. Employees serving as trainer shall receive an additional one hour of compensation when serving as a dispatcher trainer. And then the miscellaneous items um they had wanted the paid maternity paternity leave. We had said no and that's when Jod and Noel investigated too the increase for the disability going up to 600 that we had talked about. Um

the um they have to be employer to provide MS hybrid pension with same terms as the rest common county prosecutor's office employer working with MS for an an actuary and to determine any vesting issues. Um I believe Commissioner Wolson asked how long that they had to be they have to be 10 years to be vested. Um, parties agree to bargain short staffing issues in the event staffing falls to or below five full-time dispatchers or less. Um, D, add current practice for compensation for county closures to the CBA. E, unpaid update sick leave to reflect the max approval of a,000 hours. Um in F add language less than 72 hours notice for mandatory meetings will receive double time for a minimum of two hours. Are there any questions? Just a quick clarity on my end madam chair on the wages going up in January then the second January in 2027. Mhm.

So the dispatcher and senior dispatcher new rates because those needed to be raised in order to be commenserative to other areas. Is that on top of the So for TW So for 2027 that would go up 4%. That would go up 4%. Right. But for this year those rates and the 10% no those are the rates okay that they would be paid. the ones under appendix A on that back page. That is the 10% the 25. Yes, that's what I thought. I just wanted to clarify. Any other questions?

So, do we m do a motion at this meeting, Jody, or do we do it at our next one? Considering that um open enrollment closes at 11:59 p.m. tonight, we really need a motion to accept this if the board's on board. So move. Second. We're fighting over it. Okay. So we can add a motion in. Move to approve the tenative agreement with the PCE 911 as presented. Will that work? Okay. So whenever our clerk is ready,

oh move to approve the tenative agreement with the PC 911 as presented.

There you go. A motion and a second. Any more discussion? Okay. Roll call, please. Mley, yes. Milburn, yes. Spencer, yes. Wolson, yes. Motion carried. Public comment. Do we have any public comment? Board comment. I'm good for now. Thank you. Commissioner Melbourne. Commissioner Wolson. Yeah, I'm ready to go home.

I will I will say I think this was a good process. I think it great discussion. Thanks for those of you who sat on the negotiations. The information has been good and so just everyone who was a part of it I think takes time. So thank you.

I know I am thankful that they are over and two years from now we'll be entering them all over again. So with no further board comment, this meeting is adjourned. Next meeting is at noon. America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Okay. Roll call, please.

Russo Morley here. Wolson here. Milbour here. Sensor here. Approval of the agenda. So move, madam chair. Second. Any discussion? Roll call, please. Spencer. Yes. Mley. Yes. Milbour. Yes. Wolson. Yes. Motion carried.

Public comment for agenda items only. Is there any public comment for agenda items? Final review of the Russ County 2026 annual budget. So, I do have to start off um and I did talk to chair and the vice chair already, but just to let you guys know that I did find an error in the proposed budget that I sent to you. It's actually specific to your salaries. So, I apologize. Um it did not have the 3% across the board applied to your salaries. So, that's a change that was made. Um it increases the overall expenses for that specific general fund department by roughly $2,600. So, that's been included and I did send you those updated numbers and that will be present for everybody. Um, additionally, just to be completely transparent, um, your 3% that you should have gotten this year in your salary was not applied. We did not get that over to Noel. Um, so she owes each of you roughly $450 for your year 3% increase. I don't spend it all in one place at Christmas, but that'll be in your next paycheck. Madam Chair.

Yes. That roughly $2,000 increase on that department, does that include um retirement and FICA and so forth? That is across the board. Yes. Y

does anybody have any questions on the review that Jody has sent out to us?

Just a quick clarity because I know I think we looked at numbers and so of that of the summary I will go on record I think that summary was well done very much easier to follow and it kind of captured everything that we've heard you talk about as we've gone through this. So the number in that one that we changed because I didn't print a new one since this discussion. There were other changes in other areas that might need to be print another one of those with more accurate numbers.

You you do not. Okay. Um the board of commissioners the total proposed board board of commissioners now should be 307,9603 for that for those expenses. Yep. Which then puts that total overall general fund expenses to 11,936,861.35 which page 18 would now reflect that on the expense comparisons. Yes. And in the one I sent you out, I did not have that portion updated. Okay. Um but it is updated now for the website. So the public will have that in its entirety.

So on page five where the overall revenues, those percentages are those what are those numbers? Hold on because I've got a couple different ones. Sorry. page the revenue comparison sheets. Nope, just page five of the overall like the second paragraph from the bottom. Overall revenues for general fund are up 5.6. Yes. So the budgeted increase should is actually still 5 is actually 5.64% now. So we will make that correction.

Okay. That's the second number in here. and have budgeted with expenses have a budgeted increase of six 5.64. So is it 56 and 564 in that paragraph? It is. Yep. The revenues is up are up 5.6% and the expenses have increased 5.64. So those are good. Okay. Yes, I got those in. Thank you. Those are the only questions I had. Commissioner Milbour, do you have any questions? Thank you, Judy, for all your hard work and your staff. Commissioner Wolson. No, I thought that for this year,

it was extremely helpful. I also think having the meetings like we did with the department heads and going through that was really helpful. And Jod also putting the little notes in our budget that she gave us at the bottom with the asterisks, those little notes, that was extremely helpful. So what's great is that's even from longevity. I was telling Jody that the other day, not just for us, but if we're not here or if we have a different controller, there is information shared for somebody coming forward too. Like, hey, these are the notes and this is why I thought it was great. Much much appreciated.

Okay. Well, if nobody has any further questions, we would be and we have no motions or resolutions today. So, we are for public comment. Any public comment? With no public comment, we have board comment on this board on on board comment real quick since we're on the topic of budget. Um, so we do vote on this on the 17th. That is our that will be we'll have the motions for that. So it's completed before the year end. Correct. Correct. Yeah. Perfect.

And the last union contract that we just talked about, that's included in these numbers as well. Yes, we're all good. All right. Thank you, Commissioner Milbour. Any board comment? Good. Thank you, Madam Chair. Commissioner Wolfson, I'd like to just say thank you everybody for Yes. It's important to all our employees.

Um, so I struggled then whether I was going to make this comment today or not or wait till the 17th, but I feel as it needs to be made. Um, as a county commissioner, I take great pride in our role by representing the community and upholding our legislative and fiduciary responsibilities, ensuring that policies we enact are in best interest of all of our residents. Our board is dedicated to establishing and implementing effective policies with resolutions serving as our primary instrument for clearly articulating our goals and objectives. Beyond setting policies, we are committed to providing leg legislative oversight in constituent services that prioritize transparency and accessibility for all community members. That is the official role of a county commissioner. We acknowledge the recent development surrounding Commissioner Russo's arraignment and understand that this news may raise various concerns within our community. Under the governing statute, the board possesses the specific authority to make determinations regarding the removal of individuals from internal committee assignments only. This authority is closely aligned with our established board rules particularly rule 6.3D which articulates that the chairperson with the advice of the vice chairperson is responsible for appointing all committees of the board of commissioners and designating their members. We believe that this structure approach not only ensures accountability but also reflects our unwavering commitment to transparency. Last week, I made a statement to the public during board comment that we had officially reassigned the personnel and labor committee to Commissioner Wilson for the remainder of this year. This

decision was rooted in our commitment to transparency and effective governance. It's important to note that Commissioner Russo is currently engaged in several other committees, all of which do not have any additional meetings scheduled for this year. Consequently, the chair and vice chair will assess Commissioner Russo's involvement in these committees, ensuring that representation remains strong within our community. The reassignment will take effect immediately and communicate to all stakeholders prior to the first meetings in 2026, allowing for a smooth transition. We approach every choice with a clear focus on what will benefit the county and uphold the values of transparency and accountability. We are committed to ensuring that personal emotions do not influence our choices. Rather, our focus is solely on what serves the best interest of the community. This responsible governance approach reinforces our dedication. The needs and well-being of our residents are always at the forefront of our decision-making process. And with no further board comment, this meeting would be adjourned.