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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Commissioners - Minutes - 06/19/2003)~-------- • MINUTES OF THE OTTER TAIL COUNTY LABOR/MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Otter Tail County Courthouse Commissioners' Room, Floor 1-B Thursday, June 19, 2003 1 :00 p.m. Call to Order Sharon Wicklund called the Labor/Management Committee meeting to order at 1 :02 p.m. Attendance: Tonya Anderson, Brian Armstrong, Dwight Serven, Tim Brand, Carol Brause, Doug Cannell, John Dinsmore, Sue Ewy, Chuck Grotte, David Hauser, Karan Johnson, Chuck Kitzman, Cheryl Kottom, Larry Krohn, Don Larson, Dennis Mosher, Sydney Nelson, Kirsten Olson, Heather Severson, Wayne Stein, James Stewart, Jodi Wentland, and Sharon Wicklund. Excused Absence: Richard Akerman, Rick Denzel, Barb Jongeling, Mick McCormick, Barbara Molter, Anne Mueller, and Wayne Roisum. Unexcused Absence: None. Review of Mission and/or Norms of Behavior Doug Cannell read the Norms of Behavior. A Review of Minutes wt:ommittee members approved as presented, the minutes of May 15, 2003 by consensus. • Review of Agenda Committee members approved as presented, the agenda of June 19, 2003 by consensus. Discussion Items A. Wellness Subcommittee: The Wellness Subcommittee made the following request: Currently, Otter Tail County has a policy prohibiting smoking in county owned buildings and vehicles. The Otter Tail County Employee Wellness Committee requests that the Otter Tail County Commissioners amend this policy to include all of the grounds and parking lots surrounding county offices. The Wellness Committee recognizes the move into the new Government Services Building as an ideal time to implement this policy and recommends prompt action. The Regional Tobacco and Second Hand Smoke Survey: 2002, co-sponsored by Otter Tail, Clay, Wilkin, and Richland County Public Health Departments, shows the majority of residents (both tobacco users and non-users) believe that that communities have a responsibility to protect people from secondhand smoke (SHS). The survey showed strong community support for various smoke-free policies and greater efforts to encourage businesses to adopt smoke-free policies. Key Findings: • One in five county residents consider themselves smokers. • 81.5% of the smokers have attempted quitting in the past or are interested in quitting smoking now or in the future. • 84% of smokers consider policies making public places smoke-free to have importance in their efforts to quit. • 47.5% of residents say that they are regularly exposed to SHS at entrances to buildings and 40.4% in public spaces such as parking lots. Labor/Management Committee Minutes June 19, 2003 • One in three residents who encounter SHS on the grounds at work is bothered a great deal by that exposure. 72.6% were bothered to some degree. Q _ The Wellness Committee would like to recommend that when the new Government Services Building opens, that the building and grounds be smoke free. Discussion followed. Even though Sue Ewy put forth a valiant effort, the Labor/Management Committee failed to reach a consensus. The Labor/Management Committee did inform the Wellness Subcommittee that they may bring their request directly to the Board of Commissioners. Sharon Wicklund researched the County Smoking Policy and received the following from Tiny Holm, Safety and Emergency Services Director: County Smoking Policy February 27, 1991 Smoking Policy Committee member Rick Sytsma appeared before the Board with the results of the employee poll as requested by the Board. Of the 254 county employees polled, 130 chose a smoke free environment and 124 indicated they would like a designated smoking area. The Board considered the cost factor of creating designated smoking areas and the budget restraints before making a motion. Motion by Lindquist, seconded by Windels and unanimously carried to adopt a smoke free policy to include all county buildings, with the exception of highway garages and county vehicles, and to offer a Stop Smoking Program through the Public Health Department at no cost to interested employees effective April 1, 1991. B. Parking Lot Subcommittee: Chuck Kitzman presented the following report: The Parking Lot Subcommittee met on Wednesday, June 4, 2003. All members were in attendance: Wayne Roisum, Cheryl Kottom, Doug Cannell, Richard Akerman, and Chuck Kitzman. The subcommitte0 identified the following problems or issues with each of the below identified County parking lots. 1. Law Enforcement Parking Lot, East of Courthouse-This lot is designated per signage as a Law Enforcement Parking area. Problem: There are vehicles in the lot belonging to individuals or departments that are not part of Law Enforcement. 2. Bakery Parking Lot East of Courthouse-This lot •is designated as a County Employee Parking Lot during normal Courthouse hours. Problem: There are vehicles in the lot that belong to people not employed by the County. 3. Law Office Parking Lot Northeast of Courthouse-This lot is designated as a County Employee Parking Lot during normal Courthouse hours. Problem: A. The parking lot is not striped clearly and people do not have clear guidelines to follow. There is a substantial amount of haphazard parking. B. Detention Center detainees park their cars in this lot. They are not County Employees. This group of lot users sometimes bring interesting vehicles into the lot and park them haphazardly and/or for long periods of time. C. When Bethlehem Lutheran Church has a funeral or other activity during the week, Church members park in this lot. D. The County has many vehicles in this lot that stay overnight or remain unmoved for significant periods of time. E. Employees of the businesses directly north of the parking lot park their cars in the lot regularly (we have hear that there may be an agreement with the County to doo so, but we do not know this for sure\. 4. Olson Parking Lot North of Courthouse-This lot is designated as a Courthouse Parking Lot. We did not identify any parking problems in this lot. • Labor/Management Committee Minutes June 19, 2003 5. First Lutheran Parking Lot West of Courthouse-Ttiis;!ot has no signage identifying its designated use. We did not identify any parking problems in this lot. 6. West Parking Lot adjacent to the Courthouse-This lot is designated as a Courthouse Parking Lot with a one-hour parking time limit. (This subcommittee thinks this lot is for use by the public for quick access to Courthouse Services.) Problem: A. This lot is used daily by the Fergus Falls Police Department for parking city vehicles for extended periods of time. B. County/City employees park their personal vehicles in this lot for extended periods of time, while they are working. The Labor/Management followed the presentation with the discussion below: • • • • • • • • One of the options would be to change or update the present parking lot signs . The parking problem will probably not go away when some of the departments move into the Government Services Center. Has the County communicated with the business owners surrounding the County Parking Lots? At the new Government Services Center, the employee parking is closer for employees . Should the county go back to "Parking By Permit Only" signs? Where are we telling inmates to park? City Police and County employees use the parking lot outside of Law Enforcement quite frequently to park their vehicles. The Labor/Management Committee reached a consensus to table this issue until after the Government Services Center opens. C. Results of Feedback Survey: • Sue Ewy handed out and reviewed the survey with the Labor/Management Committee members. Sue will be forwarding this survey to Lori Morrell. Names of July New Term Members: Barb Jongeling's Labor/Management Committee replacement is Karan replacements, they are requested to notify Sharon Jewell of changes. Johnson. As members find Public Health and Human Services Labor/Management Updates The Public Health Labor/Management Committee has been working on: • Have been reviewing budget issues that will be affecting the Public Health Department through legislation this year. • Working with issues on how to decrease expenses. One way to reduce mileage expenses would be to have video conference staff meetings that would include both the Fergus Falls and New York Mills Public Health offices. The Human Services Labor/Management Committee has been working on: • Hiring Process-bargaining units on hiring decision and hiring process. What instruments and tools are we using to evaluate new positions (internal vs. external candidates). We will be looking at the Merit system. • Discussing office equipment and cell phones. • Conference, training, and telecommuting discussions. Next Meeting The discussion item for the July agenda include: • New Member and Refresher Training, Hosted by Lori Morrell with the Bureau of Mediation. Adjournment AA,t 2:17 p.m., Sharon Wicklund declared the meeting of the Otter Tail County Labor/Management Committee Wi'adjourned until 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, 2003. ,rj Altllchment • • ·· ·oate: 6/13/2003 To: Otter Tail County Labor Management Committee Cc: Larry Krohn From: Otter Tail County Employee Wellness Committee RE: Smoke-free grounds Currently Otter Tail County has a policy prohibiting smoking in county owned buildings and vehicles. The Otter Tail County Employee Wellness Committee requests that the Otter Tail County Commissioners amend this policy to include all of the grounds and parking lots surrounding county offices. TheWellness Committee recognizes the move into the new Government Services Building ·as an _ideal time to implement this policy and recommends prompt action. ~;': ,'·'.·:\. The Regjqnal Tobacco and Second Hand Smoke Survey: 2002, co-sponsored by Otter Tail, ·Clay, Wilkin, and Richland County Public Health Departments, shows the majority of iesidentS(both tobacco users and non-users) believe that communities have a responsibility 'to prot~ct'people from secondhand smoke (SHS). ~-i\· 'i,'i\/r.i{ The survey showed strong community support for various smoke-free policies and greater efforts:tci encourage businesses to adopt smoke-free policies. :;1(."'~·'\J ,15~y"Findings: • One in 5 county residents consider themselves smokers. • 81.5% of the smokers have attempted quitting in the past or are interested in quitting smoking now or in the future. • 84% of smokers consider policies making public places smoke-free to have importance in their efforts to quit. • 47.5% of residents say that they are regularly exposed to SHS at entrances to buildings and 40.4% in public spaces such as parking lots. • One in 3 residents who encounter SHS on the grounds at work are bothered a great deal by that exposure. 72.6% were bothered to some degree . LABOR/MANACiEMENT COMMITTEE ATTENDANCE/SICiN IN CHECK SHEET MEETINCi DATE: June 19, 2003 • Richard Akerman Tonya Anderson Brian Armstrong Dwight Berven Tim Brand carol Brause Doug Cannell Rick Denzel John Dinsmore 'eEwy Chuck Grotte David Hauser Barb Jongeling Chuck Kitzman Cheryl Kottom • Excused Larry Krohn Don Larson Mick McCormick Excused Barbara Molter Dennis Mosher Anne Mueller Sydney Nelson Kirsten Olson Wayne Roisum Heather Severson Wayne stein James Stewart Sharon Wicklund Joanne Derby Merle King Lori Morrell James Moore