HomeMy WebLinkAboutBoard of Commissioners - Minutes - 03/18/2004•
MINUTES OF THE
OTTER TAIL COUNTY LABOR/MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Government Services Center
Commissioners' Room/Otter Tail Lake Room
Thursday, March 18, 2004
1:00 p.m.
Call to Order
Jodi Wentland called the Labor/Management Committee meeting to order at 1 :05 p.m.
Attendance: Tonya Anderson, Tim Brand, Carol Brause, Rick Denzel, Sue Ewy, Chuck Grotte, Karan Johnson,
Larry Krohn, Don Larson, Dennis Mosher, Sydney Nelson, Wayne Roisum, Heather Severson, Wayne Stein,
James Stewart, Jourdan Sullivan, Tina Tungseth, Jodi Wentland, and Sharon Wicklund.
Excused Absence: John Dinsmore, David Hauser, Cheryl Kottom, Barbara Molter, and Stacy Paulseth.
Unexcused Absence: Brian Armstrong, Dwight Serven, Doug Cannell, Mark Englund, and Kirsten Olson.
Review of Mission and/or Norms of Behavior
Rick Denzel read the Norms of Behavior and Jim Stewart read the Mission Statement.
Review of Minutes
Committee members approved as presented, the minutes of January 15, 2004 by consensus.
A Review of Agenda
~ommittee members approved as presented, the agenda of March 18, 2004 by consensus with two additions
as listed below:
Additions: Problem Solving Form: Reduction in Mileage Reimbursement
Problem Solving Form: The Problem is the Inability to Donate Sick Time Instead of
Vacation Time to a Specific Worker Within your Department
Discussion Items
A. Bylaws, Article I-Approve the Final Revision of Total Members from 28 to 16
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The Labor/Management Committee shall be made up of Labor and Management representatives,
comprised of the following: Eight Management Members including five management/supervisory
personnel, one County Commissioner, the County Coordinator, and the County Attorney. Eight Labor
Members including one Teamster Professional (Public Health), one Teamster Support Specialist (Human
Services), three non-union members (one of the three from the New York Mills Office), two Teamsters from
Law Enforcement (one from the Sheriff's Department and one from the Detention Facility), and one
AFSCME Highway Maintenance member. The Labor/Management Committee approved the revision of
total members from 28 to 16 by consensus.
The Labor/Management Committee than divided into two groups (Management and Labor) and came to
group consensus as to which members will remain on the committee, who are listed as follows:
Management Representatives: Brian Armstrong, Tim Brand, Rick Denzel, John Dinsmore, Sue Ewy, David
Hauser, Larry Krohn, and Syd Nelson .
Labor Representatives: Tonya Anderson, Dwight Serven, Mark Englund, Karan Johnson, Barbara Molter,
Heather Severson, Tina Tungseth, and Sharon Wicklund.
Labor/Management Committee Minutes
March 18, 2004
Page 2 of 5
B. Bylaws, Article V-Approve the Final Revision of Quorum/Attendance in the Bylaws C)
The Labor/Management Committee approved by consensus the following revision in the Bylaws, Article
There must be one Labor representative and one Management representative plus one co-chair needed to
convene the meeting.
C. Update by John Dinsmore on the Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer Dispensers
Jodi Wentland will contact John Dinsmore in regard to presenting an upda:e at the May
Labor/Management Committee meeting.
D. Problem Solving Form: Quality of Drinking Water at the New York Mills County Office Building
Jodi Wentland presented the problem solving form which reads as follows:
Identified Issue: Quality of drinking water at the County Office Building at New York Mills.
Description of Current Situation: Water is undrinkable. has poor taste, bad odor, cloudy appearance.
County encourages/promotes health and wellness for its employees. By providing good drinking water,
this provides health benefits to all building employees.
Recommended Options: Install water filtration system or provide bottled water cooler.
Form Completed by: Several concerned employees of the New York Mills County Offices Building on
March 10. 2004.
The Labor/Management Committee reviewed the following:
Define the Problem:
1. County needs to be more uniform 0
2. Unequal access to filtered reverse osmosis drinking water in all office building locations.
3. Some Departments/Sites have access to water filtration systems or reverse osmosis water while
other Departments do not.
Analyze the Problem:
1. Difference of Water Piping in County Buildings
2. Personal Preference
3. Geographical Issues
Brainstorm Possible Solutions:
1. Should another group/committee be addressing this?
2. Research benefits of varying technologies.
3. Consult with Rick Sytsma.
4. If a plan is in place, it needs to be communicated.
5. Do we need an interim plan if a plan is in place?
6. Access to water coolers.
7. Take reverse osmosis out of the Government Services Center.
8. Do nothing.
9. Bring your own water.
10. New York Mills should be given priority.
11. What would be the cost of installing a reverse osmosis drinking water system or bottled water
coolers? Is the water bad just at the County Offices Building or throughout the New York Mills
area? Q
• Recommendation:
1. Consult with Rick Sytsma.
2. Communicate any plans in place.
3. Have the County Board address with Rick Sytsma as far as cost.
Labor/Management Committee Minutes
March 18, 2004
Page 3 of 5
The Labor/Management Committee reached a group consensus that the County Board of Commissionerswill
discuss the water quality issue with Rick Sytsma. Jodi Wentland will communicate to Rick Sytsma that the
County Board will be discussing the water quality issue.
E. Problem Solving Form: Inability to Donate Sick Time instead of Vacation Time to a Specific Worker
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within your Department.
Tina Tungseth presented the problem solving form which reads as follows:
Identified Issue: The problem is the inability to donate sick time instead of vacation time to a specific worker
within your department.
Description of Current Situation: I recognize this was addressed previously by the Labor/Management
Committee with a ruling as of January 1, 2000 to only allow donation of vacation time instead of sick
time, indicating the reason for this was vacation time was the employees' versus sick time comes from the
County. Both have stipulations set up for individual employees through our Union Contract where they are
designated for an employee. The State of Minnesota, Otter Tail Power, and the School District all allow
sick leave donations to be directed toward fellow employees with special health needs/circumstances.
Recommended Options: This request is that this policy be reviewed for reconsideration to allow sick leave
to be donated with Department Head approval to individuals within their Department on a case by case
basis.
Form Completed by: Tina Tungseth, Otter Tail County Detention Facility on March 16, 2004.
The Labor/Management Committee reviewed the following:
Define the Problem:
1. Inability to donate sick time instead of vacation time.
Analyze the Problem:
1. The Otter Tail County Vacation Donation Program and Policy dated January 1, 2000 was approved
by consensus on December 16, 1999.
2. In the Labor/Management Committee Meeting Minutes dated November 18, 1999, itis stated that
the reasoning for using vacation time for the donation program, is that vacation time is employees'
time earned versus sick time comes from the County.
3. The Detention Facility employees would like to donate with sick days, due to the fact that they have
more sick days available than vacation days.
Brainstorm Possible Solutions:
1. Consi9eration of a limited amount of sick time that could be donated, possibly a policy set up to say
up to a limit of five days of sick time.
2. Stay with the current option of donating vacation days.
3. Look at the effectiveness of the current program.
4. Research the creation of this policy.
• 5. Individual can make a second request through the Vacation Donation Program.
Labor/Management Committee Minutes
March 18, 2004
Page 4 of 5
Recommendations. which were approved by consensus: r'\
1. Invite Kathy Domholt to review the Vacation Donation Program with the LMC at the May 20, 20v
meeting.
2. Tina Tungseth will investigate other entities' policies/procedures.
3. Encourage the employee to place another request through the Vacation Donation Program.
· F. Problem Solving Form: Reduction in Mileage Reimbursement.
Sue Ewy presented the problem solving form which reads as follows:
Identified Issue: Reduction in mileage reimbursement.
Description of Current Situation: County mileage reimbursement decreased to 33¢_ Some County
Departments have access to County cars while others do not. The mileage reduction only affects
employees required to use their own car and not those employees who are able to use a County car (for
some programs (Caring Connections] other non-county agencies continue to get the 37½¢ reimbursement
for the same service that the Public Health Nurses get orly 33¢)_
Recommended Options:
1. Make County cars available to all Departments.
2. Increase mileage for all County employees.
3. Provide documentation of mileage and reimbursement to employee for reporting on individual tax
return.
4. Develop criteria that would be applied county-wide for assigning use of available County cars.
Form Completed by: Sue Ewy on behalf of Public Health Labor/Management Committee ~
March 18, 2004. U
The Labor/Management Committee reviewed the following:
Define the Problem:
1. Reduction of mileage affects some employees more than others.
2. Some County Departments have access to County cars while others do not.
Analyze the Problem:
1. Mileage reimbursement decreased to 33¢_
2. Some Departments have County cars where as other Departments do not.
3. Budget limits access to purchase County cars.
4. Mileage reimbursement decision is made by the County Board of Commissioners every January.
5. Gas cost increase.
Brainstorm Possible Solutions:
1. Accept existing County/Department policy.
2. Elimination of County cars.
3. Mileage reimbursement is not an issue if you have a County car.
Recommendation:
1. Follow the Stearns County Model (Stearns County has no County cars other than squad cars).
2. Have County cars belong to the County instead of individual Departments.
3. Take no action.
4. This should be a Department Head issue. Q
The Labor/Management Committee was unable to reach a group consensus, so topic was referred back to the
Department Head to address issue of County cars.
Labor/Management Committee Minutes
March 18, 2004
Page 5 of 5
A Next Meeting
~he discussion items for the May agenda include:
• Update by John Dinsmore on the Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer Dispensers
• Problem Solving Form: Inability to Donate Sick lime versus Vacation Time
Review of Vacation Donation Program by Kathy Domholt
Review of Other Entities' Policies/Procedures by Tina Tungseth
• Problem Solving Form: Quality of Drinking Water at the New York Mills County Office Building-Update
• Replacement of Management Co-Chair
Adjournment
At 2:57, Jodi Wentland declared the meeting of the Otter Tail County Labor/Management Committee adjourned
until 1 :00 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2004 .
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Allechment
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. Sharon JP.well :.Distribution of LMC Maich.18, ·2004 Minutes, Etc. .. . -~ . • •• _~,. --· -·-Jo .. --·. -··-· ., -.--... -........ -----, .. ..
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From:
To:
Date:
Subject:
Sharon Jewell
Labor/Management Committee
4/19/04 9:20AM
Distribution of LMC March 18, 2004 Minutes, Etc.
Attached are the Thursday, March 18, 2004 Committee Meeting Minutes, the May 20, 2004 Agenda, the
updated Committee Representatives List, the updated Bylaws, Problem Solving Form-Quality of
Drinking Water at the County Office Building in New York Mills, Problem Solving Form-The Problem is
the Inability to Donate Sick Time Instead of Vacation Time to a Specific Worker Within your Department,
and the Problem Solving Form--Reduction in Mileage Reimbursement.
Sharon R. Jewell
Human Resources Specialist
Otter Tail County Coordinator's Office
Government Services Center
520 Fir Avenue West
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Phone: 218-998-8064
Fax: 218-998-8075
email: sjewell@co.otter-tail.mn.us
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OTtER TAIL COUNTY LABOR/MANACEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
DISTRIBUTION LIST
Mail L-Labor Name Department Phone M-Management
E L Tonya Anderson court Services -NYM 385-3831
E M Brian Armstrong GIS 739-7162
M L Dwight Serven Highway 342-2324
E M Tim Brand MIS 998-8121
E M Rick Denzel Solid waste/Recycling 736-4400
E M John Dinsmore Human services 998-8172
E L Mark Englund Sheriff 998-8534
E M sue Ewy Public Health 739-2606
E M David Hauser Attorney 998-8406
E L Karan Johnson Human services 998-8252
E M Larry Krohn county Coordinator 998-8068
E L Barbara Molter Assessor 998-8013
1/0 M Syd Nelson county commissioner 589-8167
E L Heather Severson Public Health 739-2528
E L Tina Tungseth Sheriff 998-8556
E L Sharon Wicklund Highway 998-8482
<Ex Officio Members>
M/FAX Lori Morrell Bureau of Mediation
M/FAX Joanne Derby Teamsters 320
M Merl King Teamsters 320
M James Moore AFSCME
l\lec\1)'1',users'rlurnan Resoul"CH\L..lbOr Managa~,Oistnb•JUon U515'0,s1,t,1rOon L~ 03-19-0ol doc 03/19104
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OTTER TAIL COUNTY LABOR/MANACEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
DISTRIBUTION LIST
Mail
E
E
M
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
M
E
1/0
1/0
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
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E
E
M/FAX
M/FAX
M
M
L-Labor
M-Management
L
M
L
M
L
M
M
M
L
M
M
M
L
L
M
L
L
M
M
L
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L
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M
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L
Name Department
Tonya Anderson court services -NYM
Brian Armstrong GIS
Dwight Serven Highway
Tim Brand MIS
carol Brause Human services
Doug Cannell Building Maintenance
Rick Denzel Solid waste/Recycling
John Dinsmore Human services
Mark Englund Sheriff
sue Ewy Public Health
Charles Grotte Highway
David Hauser Attorney
Karan Johnson Human services
Cheryl Kottom Human services
Larry Krohn county coordinator
Don Larson Highway
Barbara Molter Assessor
Dennis Mosher county commissioner
Syd Nelson county commissioner
Kirsten Olson MIS
Stacy Paulseth Sheriff
Wayne Roisum Land & Resource
Heather Severson Public Health
Wayne stein Auditor
James Stewart Sheriff
Jourdan Sullivan veterans service
Tina Tungseth Sheriff
Jodi Wentland Human Services
Sharon Wicklund Highway
<Ex Officio Members,
Lori Morrell
Joanne Derby
Merl King
James Moore
Bureau of Mediation
Teamsters 320
Teamsters 320
AFSCME
Phone
385-3831
739-7162
342-2324
998-8121
998-8162
998-8053
736-4400
998-8172
998-8534
739-2606
998-8475
998-8406
998-8252
998-8247
998-8068
589-8167
998-8013
998-8060
589-8167
998-8122
998-8528
998-8100
739-2528
998-8041
998-8615
998-8609
998-8556
998-8211
998-8482
l~c\Sys'users\l-luman Res01Jrcn\l.abor M1nagemenll0ls\r1tu11on Wlsl0lst1bul,on Lisi 07-01-03 doc 10/23/03 Rev A
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county of Otter Tail
Labor/Management committee
Representatives
Eight 181 Management Personnel Including:
seven 171 Management Personnel
Representative
Brian Armstrong
Tim Brand
Rick Denzel
John Dinsmore
sue EWV
David Hauser
Larry Krohn
one 111 county commissioner
Representative
Sydney Nelson
Eight 181 Labor Personnel Including:
one 111 Teamsters Professional
Representative
Heather Severson
one 111 Teamsters support specialist
Representative
Karan Johnson
Term Expires
2005
2005
2005
2005
2005
Permanent
Permanent
Term Expires
2005
Term Expires
2004
Term Expires
2005
Three 13) Non-Union lone from New York Mills Office•,
Representative Term Expires
Tonya Anderson• 2005
Barbara Molter 2004
Sharon Wicklund 2005
03/19/04
Two 121 Teamsters Law Enforcement lone from Sheriff's Office one from oetention Facility) ..
Representative Term Expires
Mark Englund 2004
Tina Tungseth 2005
one (1l AFSCME Highway Maintenance Personnel
Representative Term Expires
Dwight Serven 2004
03/19/0II
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County of Otter Tail
Labor/Management Committee
Bylaws
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Article I
Representatives
The Labor/Management Committee shall be made up of Labor and Management representatives, comprised of the following:
Eight (8) Five (5) ManagemenVSupervisory Personnel including:
In addition to the five ManagemenVSupervisory Personnel:
One (1} County Commissioner
The County Coordinator and County Attorney will be Permanent Management Members.
Eight (8) Labor Personnel including:
Two (2) Teamsters Professionals [one (1) Public Health and one (1) Human Services]
Three (3) Non-Union [one (1) of the three from the New York Mills Office]
Two (2) Teamsters Law Enforcement
[one (1) from the Sheritrs Department and one (1) from the Detention Facility]
One (1) AFSCME Highway Maintenance Personnel
Four (4) Ex-Officio Members including:
Two (2) Representatives of Teamsters 320
One (1) Representative of AFSCME
One (1) Recording Secretary
There will be no alternates for members' attendance at meetings.
This structure shall be reviewed by the committee after one (1) year of committee operation .
Article II
Officers/Recording Secretary
The Officers of the Labor/Management Committee shall be co-chairs, one (1) Labor and one (1} Management.
TERM: The Officers will serve a term of twelve (12) months. The twelve (12) month term will expire June 30th of each year.
SELECTION: To be a co-chair, the individual must have been a committee representative a minimum of six (6) months, except for
the initial year. Officers will be chosen by their respective parties (Labor and Management) by June. The co-chair's
term will begin in July.
DUTIES: The co-chairs will perform the following duties:
Conduct meetings
Finalize agenda (including content and time limits)
Clarify action points at each meeting
The recording secretary's responsibilities will include the following:
Keep minutes and attendance
Provide miscellaneous support (purchasing, communications)
Provide meeting agenda one (1) week in advance of scheduled meeting
Maintain permanent file of the meeting and attendance records
Distribute approved minutes for posting.
Article Ill
Terms of Service
Representatives will commit to a minimum of a two (2) year term.
The number of consecutive terms will be limited to two (2) in order to provide the opportunity for new representatives to participate
in the Labor Management Committee.
The County Coordinator and County Attorney shall be permanent positions .
03/19/04
Article IV
Committee Meetings
The meetings will be held every other month on the third Thursday of the month unless co-chairs feel a monthly meeting is~
necessary. The duration of the meetings will be two (2) hours, unless extended by consensus. The meetings will be from 1 :00 p.mtv
until 3:00 p.m. in the County Commissioners' conference room unless otherwise arranged.
Special Meetings: Special meetings shall be called by the co-chairs with the approval of at least two (2) other representatives, one
(1) Labor and one (1) Management.
Article V
Quorum/Attendance
There must be one Labor representative and one Management representative plus one co-chair needed to convene the meeting.
A representative who has two (2) consecutive unexcused absences will be terminated from the committee. The representatives
should contact the County Coordinato(s office if they are unable to attend a meeting. An excused absence is defined as providing
advanced notice of absence in the manner stated above.
Article VI
Committee Actions
Actions by the committee will be by consensus only. Only committee members can participate in consensus decision making.
Labor/Management Committee decisions are recommendations only. All recommendations will receive a response from the County
Board.
The committee is not a collective bargaining forum. However, the committee recommendations can be forwarded to negotiators for
consideration and incorporation into collective bargaining.
The Labor/Management Committee may form sub-committees.
Article VII
Committee Agenda
A tentative agenda shall be determined at the end of each committee meeting by consensus. The agenda and the minutes from the
previous meeting will be distributed to all committee representatives one (1) week in advance. The co-chairs will finalize the
agenda.
Any additions to the agenda shall be routed to the co-chairs and they will contact the recording secretary regarding the changes.
Article VIII
Assessment/Feedback
An assessment/feedback will be done annually by the committee. This Mission Statement will be reviewed at the time of the
assessment/feedback. A special meeting may be called in order to complete the assessment/feedback and review the Mission
Statement.
An assessment/feedback by the employees (Labor and Management) will be done annually. A sub-committee will be formed to
compose the assessment/feedback form, distribute the form to the employees, review the responses and prepare a final report for
the Labor/Management Committee. The sub-committee shall be formed one (1) month prior to the assessment/feedback date.
Article IX
Compensation
Participation by representatives will be considered time worked.
Article X
Other
Sub-committees: Appointment of sub-committees shall be approved by consensus.
Amendments to Bylaws: Changes and amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed at any meeting of the Labor/Management
Committee and shall be approved by consensus at the next meeting.
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PROBLEM SOLVING FORM
• Subcommittee Formed: □Yes 1ZJ No
Identified Issue: Quality of drinking water at the County Office Building in New York Mills.
Description of Current Situation: Water is undrinkable, has poor taste, bad odor, cloudy
appearance. County encourages/promotes health and wellness for its employees. By providing
good drinking water, this provides health benefits to all building employees.
Recommended Options: Install water filtration system or provide bottled water cooler.
Form Completed by: Several concerned employees of the NYM Date: 03/10/04
County Office Building
Completed forms should be routed to: LMC Representative
Date Reviewed by LMC: 03/18/04
Action Agreement by LMC: The Labor/Management Committee reviewed the following:
Define the Problem:
1. County needs to be more uniform.
2. Unequal access to filtered reverse osmosis drinking water in all office building locations.
3. Some Departments/Sites have access to water filtration systems or reverse osmosis
water while other Departments do not.
• Analyze the Problem:
1. Difference of Water Piping in County Buildings
2. Personal Preference
3. Geographical Issues
Brainstorm Possible Solutions:
1. Should another group/committee be addressing this?
2. Research benefits of varying technologies.
3. Consult with Rick Sytsma.
4. If a plan is in place, it needs to be communicated.
5. Do we need an interim plan if a plan is in place?
6. Access to water coolers.
7. Take reverse osmosis out of the Government Services Center.
8. Do nothing.
9. Bring your own water.
10. New York Mills should be given priority.
11. What would be the cost of installing a reverse osmosis drinking water system or bottled
water coolers? Is the water bad just at the County Offices Building or throughout the
New York Mills area?
Recommendation:
1. Consult with Rick Sytsma.
2. Communicate any plans in place.
3. Have the County Board address with Rick Sytsma as far as cost. • The Labor/Management Committee reached a group consensus that the County Board of
Commissioners will discuss the water quality issue with Rick Sytsma. Jodi Wentland will
communicate to Rick Sytsma that the County Board will be discussing the water quality issue.
PROBLEM SOLVING FORM
Subcommittee Formed: D Yes
Identified Issue: The problem is the inability to donate sick time instead of vacation time to a
specific worker within your department.
Description of Current Situation: I recognize this was addressed previously by the
Labor/Management Committee with a ruling as of January 1, 2000 to only allow donation of
vacation time instead of sick time, indicating the reason for this was vacation time was the
employees' versus sick time comes from the County. Both have stipulations set up for individual
employees through our Union Contract where they are designated for an employee. The State
of Minnesota, Otter Tail Power, and the School District all allow sick leave donations to be
directed toward fellow employees with special health needs/circumstances.
Recommended Options: This request is that this policy be reviewed for reconsideration to
allow sick leave to be donated with Department Head approval to individuals within their
department on a case by case basis.
Form Completed by: Tina Tungseth, OTC Detention Facility
Completed forms should be routed to: LMC Representative
Date: 03/16/04
Date Reviewed by LMC: 03/18/04 •i-------------------_-_-_-_-_-_-_--:._-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-----1~
Action Agreement by LMC: The Labor/Management Committee reviewed the following:
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Define the Problem:
1. Inability to donate sick time instead of vacation time.
Analyze the Problem:
1. The Otter Tail County Vacation Donation Program and Policy dated January 1, 2000 was
approved by consensus on December 16, 1999.
2. In the Labor/Management Committee Meeting Minutes dated November 18, 1999, it is
stated that the reasoning for using vacation time for the donation program, is that
vacation time is employees' time earned versus sick time comes from the County.
3. The Detention Facility employees would like to donate with sick days, due to the fact that
they have more sick days available than vacation days.
Brainstorm Possible Solutions:
1. Consideration of a limited amount of sick time that could be donated, possibly a policy set
up to say up to a limit of five days of sick time.
2. Stay with the current option of donating vacation days.
3. Look at the effectiveness of the current program.
4. Research the creation of this policy.
5. Individual can make a second request through the Vacation Donation Program.
Recommendations, which were approved by consensus:
1. Invite Kathy Domholt to review the Vacation Donation Program with the LMC at the
May 20, 2004 meeting.
2. Tina Tungseth will investigate other entities' policies/procedures.
3. Encourage the employee to place another request through the Vacation Donation
Program.
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PROBLEM SOLVING FORM
Subcommittee Formed: □Yes (gJ No
Identified Issue: Reduction in Mileage Reimbursement
Description of Current Situation: County mileage reimbursement decreased to 33¢_ Some
County Departments have access to County cars while others do not. The mileage reduction
only affects employees required to use their own car and not those employees who are able to
use a County car (for some programs [Caring Connections] other non-county agencies continue
to get the 37½¢ reimbursement for the same service that the Public Health Nurses get on 33¢)_
Recommended Options:
1. Make County cars available to all Departments.
2. Increase mileage for all County employees.
3. Provide documentation of mileage and reimbursement to employee for reporting on
individual tax return.
4. Develop criteria that would be applied county-wide for assigning use of available County
cars.
Form Completed by: Sue Ewy on behalf of the Public Health LMC Date: 03/18/04
Completed forms should be routed to: LMC Representative
• Date Reviewed by LMC: 03/18/04
Action Agreement by LMC:
Define the Problem:
1. Reduction of mileage affects some employees more than others.
2. Some County Departments have access to County cars while others do not.
Analyze the Problem:
1. Mileage reimbursement decreased to 33¢_
2. Some Departments have County cars where as other Departments do not.
3. Budget limits access to purchase County cars.
4. Mileage reimbursement decision is made by the County Board of Commissioners every
January.
5. Gas cost increase.
Brainstorm Possible Solutions:
1. Accept existing County/Department policy.
2. Elimination of County cars.
3. Mileage reimbursement is not an issue if you have a County car.
Recommendation:
1. Follow the Stearns County Model (Stearns County has no County cars other than squad
cars).
2. Have County cars belong to the County instead of individual Departments.
3. Take no action. • 4 . This should be a Department Head issue.
The Labor/Management Committee was unable to reach a group consensus, so topic was
referred back to the Department Head to address issue of County cars.
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OTC Board of Commissioners' Minutes
April 27, 2004
Page 7
Agreement and the Memo of Understanding for the Phelps Mill Project subject to the review
and approval of the Highway Engineer and the County Attorney.
Seasonal Boat & Water Employees
Motion by Lee, second by Block, and unanimously carried to authorize the Sheriff's
Department to replace the temporary Boat and Water positions as budgeted and to authorize
the replacement of one (1) one-half time Boat and Water position due to a retirement.
[labor Management Committee Request i
Physical Plant Manager, Rick Sytsma, addressed the water quality issue at the New York
Mills building brought up by the Labor Management Committee. He reported that the New
York Mills Public Works Department has been contacted and they assured Mr. Sytsma that
they had safe drinking water. There are strict federal guidelines that municipalities must
follow regarding drinking water, which the city follows. The Public Works Department will test
the water at the County Office building and report back on the tests. Mr. Sytsma suggested
that, if the County Board feels a filtration system should be installed, the cost of $1,500 -
$1,800 per unit/sink, could be included in the Maintenance Department CY05 budget.
Highway Contract Approval
Motion by Froemming, second by Block, and unanimously carried to authorize the
Chairman's signature to execute a contract between the County of Otter Tail and Mark Sand
& Gravel Co. for work in the construction of CR No. 116 (C.P. 04:116B) from Junction of
CSAH No. 21 to Junction of TH 210 West of Fergus Falls. The contract amount is
$410,961.92.
Appointment of Ditch Viewer
Motion by Mosher, second by Lee, and unanimously carried to appoint Ditch Viewer,
Richard Bergquist, to the Judicial Ditch No. 2 project.
Commissioner Bob Block was absent at 2:35 p.m. due to attendance at a Family Services
Collaborative meeting.
Performance Evaluation Summary
Motion by Mosher, second by Lee, and unanimously carried to approve the positive
performance evaluation of Solid Waste Director, Mike Hanan, as presented. The evaluation
will be placed in his personnel file.
Gift Cards Approved
Sheriff, Brian Schlueter, received two gift cards in appreciation of speaking engagements;
one for $50 and the other for $25. Motion by Lee, second by Mosher, and unanimously
carried to allow the Sheriff to use these gift cards for purchases to be used for Otter Tail
County.
Adjournment
At 2:40 p.m., Chairman Nelson declared the meeting of the Otter Tail County Board of
Commissioners adjourned until 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 4, 2004.