##VIDEO ID:lFd7fTmhWLo## this is a special city council meeting it's Monday November 25th 2024 so that roll call May course hi councelor Phillips hi councelor Richards hi councelor spring hi councelor Pendergrass I think I just heard the door Clos yeah there he is councilor pendras here it's not used to a five CL meeting it's 3 minutes in all right we have a couple items on our special agenda to look at First's one with some employment vacancies and second one is a purchase of a new more Public Work Zone the first item is a I'll just go ahead and make a motion to approve the proposed timeline provided memo and have the city administrator proceed with and conduct conduct the hiring of each person each position Sor a second second so in the memo the B is attached just the the job application or guidelines so first item in your packet was a reference to a full-time finance officer we discussed this back in July think was 16th of this year and we um there's a budgeted item and so we're 5 months later we still have a the opportunity to continue to match that budget money but also look forward to 2025 as well so you I have any other comments Jason with your great so um just in general there's been General comments in our residents about our finances and on this from social media but that's that's social media but the point is that's an issue that our residents are concerned about and I think we all I think that's we recognize that and there was comments made at our July meeting about the need to have more staff and there were some issues with discussions about cross training and and um that position now is is vacant as of Wednesday so with Mary leaving us so no position that's also part of three item so on it is a if you look at the description that uh Jason has in the packet this is item that it's quite detailed but at the same time um page yeah reading through 9 of 17 reading through it I didn't know whether it was Jason's job or Rene's job it look like a description either one of them I think we that's I can't deny that because I think that's all part of now if you look at this description and this is what they're doing right now amongst everything else and I think that's the the reason for this is that we're we're underst staffed and that was mentioned at the July meeting and we need to do something so this is the proposal to remedy that and have our staff working more efficiently and because right now it is it is a lot for one person to do or between the two of them but at the same time there is a need for that so oh no doubt but I I'm thinking that we should probably we've all got a week to the to get to the end of the budget that's all up on the agenda for next week the budget talks we get through get through that and then we approve then we approve the timeline for getting started on this these were budgeted positions already correct it's budget already in 202 so and I think moving forward with somebody who could potentially help us with getting the finances out and transparent that kind of uh tackled a couple of things moving forward so we can get it organized we can we can have somebody that's very specifically doing that it doesn't mean that we um can't organize and look back at other things but moving forward I think we have to look at getting everything uh straight moving forward Finance person Mary's role needs filled and P want a fulltime employee so think all those make sense my concern is how how do we get if we would approve something like this how do we get someone trained because I don't think there was much training going on with the admin assistant that was here so I I have a lot of concern about that um you know is it going to be the same as what we've had with the last two admin assistants cu as Personnel committee we've asked for cross training and it it's been very very little and that's that's a big concern because it it shouldn't be that one person has all the knowledge of the city um and we've talked about it with Jason I think it needs to be spread out and I don't think that has happened you know and and I know for a fact that Mary has asked to take on some of these things uh because she does have a financial background and it hasn't happened so I would be concerned about bringing someone on without any kind of a training plan CU like it doesn't happen just by osmosis it has to be deliberate and it hasn't it hasn't happened um do we need a person I I think we need a person in there um but I think everybody in there Jason on down should know our finances and be able to do these types of things well I believe Mary was Fross train and was taking care of the utilities or not utilities Utility payments for the water and sewers so I think that was part of her training too so she did pick up some of the training yeah so that I can't I think that was that was a nice little bit of area that Mary did pick up from what I understand so I think that was effective and that's not to say the next Administrative Assistant can't do that but at the same time we need a more in my in my mind we need a more dedicated and we had that person that had that 10 years of experience that could have stepped in here and you know taking the finances to another level that that really both um Renee and Jason off of that because I do think it's you know we're just trying to be more efficient in our operation and no doubt they were overworked and probably some things fell through the cracks or went right up to the deadline but whatever that happened something else took back seat to it well where are we add in that new program because that new Pro that new program the tool that you really went to back first to oh the accounting software the accounting software that's in process that almost sound like it was going to replace a person the amount the amount of money it took to do it and the amount of Labor that it was going to save so real concerned about that if I may speak to that it is in progress we're still set I think for June June go live June go live which was part of the initial plan it's not to replace anybody but it is to Aid in uh making sure that we are more efficient in the office so when are your trainings for that software how often and how regular it's jez they I don't know that they they've got a schedule I don't have it in front of me um we have to provide them with some information and then they go through and they talk about it we just did to this last week one week was your current timeline for these individuals does that get them in to experience some of that training yes this would get them in to help get them on board with training and so they can get knowledge of this programming before we get too deep into it so they would be getting training from the company versus correct you having to do it correct later I appreciate the C cross training and having a plan but we can't train anybody if we don't have them in the building and I think with the job descriptions that Jason's written out it really spells out to who we're going to hire and like what their strengths are going to be we can get them in and we can get them focused on the strengths that they that were hiring for get them on the software and then worry about across training when we get the bodies in the building because the timeline it it's it's nice but it doesn't necessarily mean that we're going to have that many applicants that we're going to have a perfect applicant we're going to actually hire somebody by that time as well so getting the process moving is is just as important I think as as getting the final details um down well let me ask was Mary in on that training I did asked that question on the exit interview and I got to know out of that that she was not not been known because we've just started it so it's a when yeah well we've had probably two three weeks of stuff that we've been been doing so but it's been a lot of the back end of getting information and getting things through we're also getting ready to was getting ready to get her into the diligent stuff but with her twoe notice there was nothing more to move forward with it so and I have a problem with as I expressed to both of you prior um I can't cross Trin someone until they can effectively do their job and she was not effectively doing her job that she was hired to do as an administrative assistant so until we get someone in a position where they can show that they're doing the work they were hired to do it doesn't make it effective for us as employees to try and cross Trin them to do other people's jobs so and that'll be another meeting but I I we do have concerns that you know the employees that we have have not all been engaged in it and that we that we don't have a plan you know I think we need we need some kind of a plan because again it wasn't their job duties to do those things pardon it wasn't their job duties to do those things that's not their job functions their job assignments as they were hired to do so anything above and beyond that is something that when we have time and can do that's when those things start to happen I'm not going to hire have a part-time administrative assistant and then throw them in to do other things we've talked about this before though well then why should we hire somebody Jason if you're not willing to cross train it's not that I'm not willing to cross train it's that I need them to do the job they were hired to do before we can get them cross train to do other jobs that other people I can't understand I'm sorry it's not that I'm against cross training it's that I need them to do the job they were hired to do before I can start cross trining them to do other people's jobs that simple I mean if we were little more discussion about your point of cross training you know if we were to put what I would Envision if we were to put cross training into the finance officer um to me that would be I'm not sure what I'm being hired for you know you're you're putting a question in that person that's applying for finance offer if you were to say essential point is cross training and me that's that's somewhat of a turnoff from applying for the job because I have my experience for doing this I want to do this and here's my application and by cross training to me is not that it's important but I think that's kind of after the fact of of getting the first end here first and then talk about cross training to cross training is a criteria for meeting they're going to say what what's this cross training for I'm this is my experience why should I leave someplace else to come in for this job and plan on being cross train I mean that might be just a natural for a profession of the finance officer I don't know but to me putting cross training in a job description is is for specific Finance person you know have we hired this person in July with 10 years of experience you know that was that person brought a lot of experience to us that we wanted that you guys that was interviewed that I think was important put cross training as a as a point number eight is I don't see that as an effective way of finding candidates I do think we need a dedicated finance officer you know when you talk about a 1.2 1.3 1.5 million dollar budget you need checks and balances you need checks and balances that's what a fin finance officer would do when we do an audit we read through the report that they gave us and all the reports and their memble they explain how they do audits it's not line by line by line by line of they take samplings within the areas and that's what they do they're independent auditor but if we had a finance to help do the checks and balances you know if any organization you belong to I whether it's gold rush or age friendly or your church or whatever organization Lions you have one person that brings them the money another person writes the checks or balances the books today we have one person doing that and to our citizens that's not you know it's getting down the audits are coming but the point does it's not may not be as transparent as we would like or our citizens would like and if we have a dedicated finance officer that's all they do exactly in this job description it's a very detailed very thorough there are applicants out there we had 17 of that applied and go down to four or five and one was selected but I just don't see now if you want to put cross training into a administrative position I think that's fine I don't think that needs to be in the in the job description but I think there's more potential for cross training when it comes into an office you may find out the person is not really all they can handle is their job assignment and they're not really ready for cross tring but they can handle their job okay what they were hired for so the cross training is a nice thing to have but it's not a requirement for the initial public position I would I would argue that it would have to at some point be a requir you know because you can't have one person knowing everything I mean because we ran into that already um well maybe we haven't done as good job as we should have done in our interviews I don't know something was we missed it somewhere and if it's in the interview or in the job description that's the risk you take that's why we have a 3-month probation period That's the opportunity to really see if they can fit in there or a fulltime part-time we don't have because there's no benefits to anything like that so Point 18 on this and actually that that if I were to read that I would understand as there are other duties that I will be asked to do covering other employees it says other clerical financial and organizational duties may be assigned that's the very last point of the of that essential functions um and so I don't think it would be out of order for somebody to be asked to once they've learned the system and and learned their job description and are functioning in a higher level to be able to to cover other things yeah as well I guess question that I have I'm not questioning whether it's on here that they're going they part of their job description is being cross trained it's it's a question of whether it will happen because we have had staff that haven't gotten cross train and I don't I don't want the city to be put in that position again I mean um and again that's another conversation that will be had but um that's that's my input on it I think these are all um important things that have been mentioned on what's going on taking a look at it uh personally I take a look and um we have our budget meetings that are coming up next week uh we get a chance to take a look at everything even though this might have been budgeted for this year uh we have to take a look at all kinds of things that are coming up that we you know hadn't anticipated and one of them is some of the stuff that's over at the fire department and other things that are going on um with with the city that um just waiting until after we finish everything that there is for us going through the final budgeting is only a difference of a couple weeks um that's what I would propose to wait until that point in time take a look at this stuff at that point you know there there is no no real hurry that we're going to do anything between now and the end of the year anyway but I think that that would be the smart way to do it so we know exactly what we're getting into for next year well I think the workshops are important and um we going forward for 2025 but these three positions are in our current 2024 budget well it also doesn't mean why are we pushing us off to 2025 when we have the funding to take care of it today granted we may not have people in place by the end of the year but the point is we're we're starting the process of of interviewing and committing that we're going to increase our set up well by turning around and looking at you the budget that there is for 2024 yeah but that budget also has to be what's going to be going on with 2025 and I'm looking at the increase that we have for our tax burden there is for the our citizens right now and what's critical so again it's uh it's what I'd like to do is wait till afterwards and get a chance to look at everything we've got in because those expenses are going to continue on to next year that's the wise way to do it I think that's a smart way for our our residents to be able to realize that we're trying to look at everything that there is not just at what's available this year but what we're going to be pulling into next year well regardless regardless it's budgeted for this year or not you know next next year is another year is this does this money still laying still laying around that it never never got used it doesn't and we would be new funds coming out for next year so when we do when we're doing the budget something we keep in the budget shouldn't be an issue well budget of money that was designated for this year just in my my understanding it does not carry over to the next year that's right it's budget surplus correct we we have some we have some shortfalls in our budget where we do you look at the overall budget what was in the November Council packet we're only about 67 68% of the budget today so you know we're we're meeting our expenditures but but but we're over in other departments you know like that's there's issues with other departments there's no between between legal fees and Fire Department issues that doesn't mean that we have to to be like um you know a government and and part of that stuff and even though we are part of that but to spend 100% of what there is at budget it doesn't to me make a wise business decision you know and I think that we've got to run the city closer as a business than we do as as you know spend every money every penny that's there you know before the end of the year you know and and and play that game for our citizens I I think it's it's we need to be wiser what we're doing and and look down the road not just you know what's there today so again it's it's my way that or my idea would be to put everything off until after we finish the budget which is taking a look at these things which is next week you know so if I understand what you're saying is these are positions finance officer it's in the budget but we have administrative position we have a public works person so it sounds to me like there's risk of losing those two positions well we'll have to see what comes up in the budget if we turn around and look at that next week when we go through it again it just I want to be clear so everybody understands that next week's budget meetings aren't a decision the decision will come at the council meeting December 17th okay so it's not just till next week it's actually pushed later into December well which is only a couple weeks away from from the Jason it's no big deal so I think that we need to wait and see what we've got so we know exactly what we're biting off for next year I think it's a smart way to do it I understand where're we're waiting until the budget makes sense but if you want to run it like a business every business has a finance officer and we don't currently have somebody that's focused on that and so getting somebody in and early and starting at the very beginning of the year just gives them that much more time to be I mean most of the training happens on the job real time and um uh we risk the losing this other company doing their training for them that's going to be an expense in in man hours to train this person now that we're already paying for this other business to come in and do training but if we're going to lose two or three trainings from pushing this back we pushing this back because the timeline's going to change right but what I would look at you first of all you've got Thanksgiving coming in you've got Christmas that's coming in after that that's that's very short you know within this next month and the holidays kick in to turn around and and look at what there is you're not going to have the trainings that you think you might be having during that F no but they're going to start at the beginning of the year correct I don't think you going to find anybody that's going to start at the beginning of the year by the time you turn around and and put this in for for what needs to be done you know and I and you know we've been through this stuff and and with other positions that there have been so it doesn't happen that quick and I and I understand your point in and point well taken you know so I just think getting the ball rolling getting the word out there even if even if somebody's not going to at least it's out there at least it's it's uh started the process has started I think it's been good discussion of what we've had you want to put it up to a vote then or what goes on I got a couple more comments but so when we talked about this in July um both you and Jim were saying yes we need someone I agree we are underst staff and those of you are comments and here we are trying to feel current positions and one that was budgeted tring to fi budgets and we're saying we need to wait a little bit longer when to me that indicates there's risk of us being more underst staffed with your comments right now it's it's budgeted money that we're dealing with and I you know with what Daniel is saying we just need you know we can start the process we can have somebody interviewing in January well like I said I I want to wait till after we finish everything that there is and we'll take a look at the 17th and when we get everything finalized and then we can take a look at that point I think a couple weeks is not going to make that much of a difference and I think it's a wise thing to do for Citizens you know it's not so much waiting but I just think it's the comments being made that just kind of are very not supportive of our staff our city administrator um they've spent a lot of time and effort ever since July now that with Mary leaving we had another one together and K leaving we've had to put another one together so we there has been a lot of effort put into this and they're all trying to make things happen smoothly there's no hiccups I sense hiccups I hope that's not the case but every with current budgeted money that we're delaying for another budget that we have no idea it's it's a big budget no doubt about that but let me ask you like there was a commitment to take care of staff and juy and let me ask Jason so looking at now with two positions open this is a created position um and the admin assistant was a standing position that was vacated have you put any thought into perhaps waiting on the admin assistant position if this one was filled I can't honestly say that I put any thought into it no am I opposed to it no but it's I just I haven't put any thought into it so when did Mary started that was that so we we did have that we did have that space filled all summer if I recall we in order to help help can out we did bring Caleb on that was sometime Midsummer I believe and about the same time as Mary was it about the same time it's not that we have brought people on to help it's more where did they go yeah and I I think that that's another discussion that needs to be taken up with um the Personnel committee and another meeting that we need to have to discuss some of these things and you know especially with um the exit interviews and and reviewing a lot of things that are associated with that um so again um I would I'd like to put it up [Music] for take a look at just putting this thing off till after we get everything finalized I think it's a wise thing to do so if we go into our budget workshop and little concerned about the workshop itself mean there's no doubt we need our we need to put some effort into um taking a serious look at our tax levy and everything so I just hope that Personnel is a big part of it and I hope that's given it some serious consideration because uh to do continue on with less people is really putting the city in a bad position and um causing for overwork uh and no council support of our current staff so I think that's a issue we need to take seriously and and see where it goes any other comments see none all those in favor of the motion to the motion to wait after no we have a motion motion is to approve the Propel timeline in the provided mimal and have the city administrator proceed with and conduct the hiring of each position so that's the motion we have a second was done second already I already second your motion at the beginning oh okay all those in favor sign I I I ose no disapproved uh purchase of a do more for public works there's a memo in your um packet from Kan would you want to any comment any questions for Kane I guess about the memo the results of we talked about that already and on that one Kane I think you said that you've already got the budget that there is for that for this year and I know we came up with pretty good come out I was was really happy with what we got out of it for offer you know yeah I was happy with it uh I wasn't happy with the amount of bids but we got our money how many bids did we have all one so those those large mowers are very difficult to sell you got to have big property even the the commercial guys don't like those big mes is it five foot or six foot six foot so we did get our money we got what we wanted out of it I'm happy with it uh I do have the money in my budget for a purchase of another one and that's what I'm requesting tonight a motion to put to get that and I make a second on that one let me ask a question now you're saying they're they're too big to get rid of are you saying when we auction them or cuz that's going somewhere right or is that was that a trade I think we had a choice get on a trade in but are you saying it's hard to get rid of them if we do sealed bids yeah it's tough getting rid of them your common person isn't necessarily going to want absolutely I know my yard I can only have about a 48 inch so well now one we we did it for two years on this last year too and this year where we we sold it out right instead of doing a tradein and then we've been successful UC ful at both of those years on the way it's worked out you know to be able to do that you know and and worse comes to worse we could always do a trade in and not have to worry about selling it out right as well correct that's an option y so with that said we got more this way than we would have on the trade tra corre tra is like 6500 we had a minimum bid on yeah we which has worked out I'm just saying that was it worked out really well you know six six foot mowers aren't real condusive to doing Prim work we six foot low for train like I said this year it worked out well there's money in the budget and uh so uh yeah I'd like to move forward with the with the new purchase and that's what I'm requesting tonight have you ever considered like a 12ft Batwing m yeah I have considered it uh we're kind of right in the middle of our routine right now so we'd have to really change things up if we want to go down that and that's what would a Batwing cost what would a Batwing cost You' probably spend about 95 Grand for 6 no no no listen now you 95 Grand 16t backwing mower you get six seven years out of it he we're more than 30 we're more than 30 Acres week you say well i' say closer to 80 we we were we were more than 500 a week at schools and we get we need get eight nine years out of them we're selling them every three years right now pardon we're selling them every three years right now during a rotation to dump them but my opinion taking them more like what we have and and throwing it away because it's got 200 hours on it it's a waste yeah even $700 is kind of a waste of money exactly cap what this one have it only had a couple hundred hours 685 still especially for what we pay yeah yeah exactly for what we're paying now paying 177,000 for them and selling them for almost 8,000 and so we're yeah taking a $9,000 bath every year right if we contact a lawn care professional I would guarantee they're not selling their mowers at 800 hours exactly so and if we have these this full-time um person in the shop um that could be something that they would be working on we maybe be able to jump these out to a six-year rotation versus a three-year rotation um so wouldn't he's down to mower yeah they picked it up they picked it up a week ago so we're down to mower so I mean but I'm just saying this is the good stuff that there is for the budget discussion to be able to take a look at that stuff that's where it should come out is up that absolutely I don't trade my truck in because it needs new tires and rotors all good point Daniel very good point all right um any more comments all those in favor of the more purchase signify by saying iose it's approved motion to adjourn 636 536 you second Jim Richards yeah okay all in favor s saying iose same sign welcome Daniel thank you get