10/28/1985 PERSONNEL BOARD Minutes

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Personnel Board Meeting Minutes of October 28, 1985 Page 6 Anita Tekle said that with any re-classification or classification system when the • numbers change, people should not presume that they will end up with the same steps that they were at on the old scale. You try to fit people in so that they don't get a cut in pay. She said that when she met with the Personnel Board, she got the directive that they did not want to break the bank. She said they were trying to be fiscally responsible to the town. Anita said that if the town would like to implement a more accelerated step program, then they are perfectly welcomed to do that. Chief Hartin said that he would feel somewhat differently if the mean range had been used. If they took the mean range and started at step 1 so-that instead of giving the other towns two years in which their salaries would again rise and we would always be behind, it would not be quite the same situation.. Chief Hartin said that in his case it was very broad startingbelow the bottom of the mean range. Anita Tekle said that the proposed new maximum is a little more than $4,000 higher than the current maximum. She said that the data indicated that the average Police Chief's salary is about $7,000 higher than the Fire Chief's. Part of this, is what the market will bear. She said that Police Chief's salaries in some towns are the same as Fire Chief's salaries. Chief Hartin said such as Duxbury and Falmouth. Anita commented that those are two towns .that they felt were not that comparable and in the final analysis they took that into consideration in the recommended salaries because of the population and the size of the towns. She said this is why the Town Accountant' s proposal for salaries does not have much validity because they were only considering the survey data and that itnot the only factor considered when you put together a salary schedule. Anita Tekle said that where the Personnel Board wants to place people within these • ranges, theycould put them on any step if they want to take into consideration that some- one has been in a position for a long time. Their recommendation was in trying to be fiscally conservative and reasonable and fair to the employee. She pointed out that their proposal will cost over $10,000 in the first year, which they felt for a town of this size was a reasonable amount. Chief Hartin asked Mrs. Tekle to address the M.G.L. 42, s. 42A concern? Anita asked if it was in terms of his level of responsibility versus the Executive Secretary and the Police Chief? _ Chief Hartin replied "yes". Anita said that he had an argument with the Police Chief but she was not sure he had an argument with the Executive Secretary 4ich. has<a� broader scope. Anita reiterated again that many factors are taken into consideration in the survey and weighted in the end.She said that she opted for a ones=grade^di'fference:which is a ,6%..difference between the two positions but it% ls a lot lower differential that the survey indicated which is $7,000 or more like a 20% differential than the average. Chairman Sullivan asked for clarification on their statement saying that they can move individuals around. Anita Tekle said that the Board could move someone in steps but that grades should not be moved. Verne Polka asked if this is equal treatment to. the employees to take one employee from Step IV and move him down to Step I but not all the employees. She said this gives the employee who is presently a Step IV who is moved to Step I the opportunity to grow five more steps and. the employee who is placed at Step IV has only one step to grow. She said when you have an employee who is earning at Step IV and you decide to upgrade that salary and in order to accommodate that upgrade, you move him into Step I, you are putting the • town in a position of replacing that employee at a higher rate without the experience. Conceivably, she said, you are hiring someone at the same rate as the one who is leaving who has had a considerable amount of experience with the town. She said that it is a detriment to the town in its overall financial end.