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REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING
TOWN OF GREENWICH
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS FOR
MAY 2007 MEETING
DEPARTMENT: Representative Town Meeting
CONTACT: Douglas Wells- 622-4455
REFERRED TO: Legislative & Rules Committee
VOTES:
RESOLVED, that the time to speak at the May RTM be limited to three minutes per speaker for each motion, except that the proponent and principal opponent for the motion (the latter to be determined by the Moderator) shall be entitled to speak for ten minutes each.
DEPARTMENT: Representative Town Meeting
CONTACT: Douglas Wells – 622-4455
REFERRED TO: Legislative & Rules Committee
VOTES:
RESOLVED, that at the meeting of the RTM on Monday May 14,2007 if the business of the meeting has not been concluded by 12 midnight, the meeting shall adjourn at that time, to meet again on Tuesday May 15,2007 at 8:00 P.M. at Central Middle School.
DEPARTMENT: First Selectman
Abby Wadler 622-787
REFERRED TO: Legislative & Rules, Parks & Recreation
VOTES: Board of Selectmen 3-0
RESOLVED,that the Town of Greenwich, acting through its First Selectman, enter into a lease agreement with Childrens Day School, Inc of Greenwich, Connecticut for space at the Western Greenwich Civic Center. Said lease is attached hereto and made a part hereof.
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS –
Attached Lease – separate enclosure
DEPARTMENT: Office of the First Selectman April 20, 2007
REFERRED TO: Finance, Town Services, Labor Contracts
VOTES: Board or commission name vote (y/n/a)
RESOLVED, that the Representative Town Meeting of the Town of Greenwich hereby approves such provisions, if any, of the negotiated two-year memorandum of agreement between the Town of Greenwich and the Local 456 International Brotherhood of Teamsters covering employees assigned to Nathaniel Witherell, which may be in conflict with any charter provisions, special act, ordinance, rule, or regulation of the Town of Greenwich with the meaning of Connecticut General Statutes, Section 7-474.
EXPLANATORY COMMENTS
This Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) concludes the re-opener negotiations required under the terms of the 2004 – 2008 collective bargaining agreement concerning terms and conditions of employment for Local 456 represented employees assigned to Nathaniel Witherell. The terms of the MOA amend, and extend by one year, the current collective bargaining agreement (July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2008) for employees assigned to Nathaniel Witherell. There is no additional appropriation required to implement the terms of the agreement.
The objective in the negotiations was to negotiate terms and conditions of employment based on the industry standard for long-term care facilities in Connecticut. This standard was used as a basis for the Town’s negotiating position in the negotiations balanced against maintaining a high quality staff with reasonable turnover rates. While the Town pursued subcontracting non-nursing functions in the negotiations, it ultimately determined to continue to work with existing staff to introduce new work practices to improve productivity and quality. The Town reserved the right to re-visit subcontracting in these areas if it determines that subcontracting in one or more of these areas becomes a business requirement.
For Fiscal 2008 (effective July 1, 2007) employees will receive a 3.25% lump sum one-time payment in lieu of an increase in base salary as had been previously negotiated, except Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) who will receive a 3.25% increase in base salary. For Fiscal 2009 (effective July 1, 2008) all employees assigned to non-nursing departments (Housekeeping, Laundry and Dietary) will again receive a 3.25% lump sum one-time payment in lieu of an increase in base salary extending the period of frozen base salaries to five years. LPNs and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) will receive a 3.25% base salary increase effective July 1, 2008.
In the 2004-2009 collective bargaining agreement, the Town negotiated industry-based conditions of employment for employees hired on or after July 1, 2005. These industry-based conditions of employment included but were not limited to the following: rates of pay, instituting a short-term disability program replacing the typical municipal sick leave benefit of paid sick days and accruals, and instituting a defined contribution plan replacing the Town’s defined benefits plan. In order to benefit from these new terms of employment the Town sought to facilitate turnover among the pre July 1, 2005 employees by negotiating a retirement incentive program. The retirement incentive program provides for a modest incentive to the retirement benefit for eligible employees who retire during the
term of the agreement. The cost to the Retirement System is 15.8% of eligible payroll. Replacement employees, to the extent that these retirees are replaced, have a reduced total compensation cost to the Town of ranging between 8% (LPN) to 45% (Laundry Worker) than those employees who retire under the retirement incentive program thereby netting an overall savings to the Town. In addition, the staffing levels will be reduced by a minimum of 10 positions during Fiscal 2008 resulting in no replacement costs.
The negotiated amendments also include: an increase in the employee co-pay for the prescription drug plan, increase in employee share of the premiums in both Fiscal 2008 and Fiscal 2009, elimination of the retiree health care credit for new hires replacing it with a retiree health care savings account, elimination of retiree life insurance, a reduction in paid holidays to 9 from 12, increase in the workweek for non-nursing department by 2.5 hours per week (nursing departments currently work a 40 hour workweek), reducing the instances when overtime pay is required and providing a modest increase in weekend and shift pay differentials.
The results of these negotiations have created a wage and benefit package for Nathaniel Witherell employees that will continue to retain and recruit quality employees balanced against the requirements for cost reductions in the long-term financial plan for the Nathaniel Witherell.
Attachments - separate enclosure
Memorandum of Agreement 2007 – 2009
Comptroller Letter
Cost Summary
EFI Retirement Letter
DEPARTMENT: Finance Department –
CONTACT: Roland Geiger 622-7720: Peter Mynarski 622-7720
REFERRED TO: All Committees
VOTES:
To act upon the appropriations recommended by the Board of Estimate and Taxation for the expenses and conduct of the affairs of the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut for the fiscal year 2007-08; i.e. July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 inclusive as follows:
$ 366,385,288 for the General Fund and Capital Projects Fund of the Town
$ 6,393,678 for the Sewer Maintenance Fund of the Town
$ 13,807,000 for the Sewer Improvement Fund of the Town
$ 5,862,122 for the Parking Fund of the Town
$ 363,100 for the Parking Fund – State Portion
$ 4,035,636 for the Public School Program Revolving Fund of the Town
$ 3,398,138 for the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course Revolving Fund of the Town
$ 6,000,000 for the Other Post Employment Benefits Fund of the Town
WHEREAS, the Charter of the Town of Greenwich (the “Charter”) requires that on or before the 15th day of May in each fiscal year, the Board of Estimate and Taxation shall make and file in the Office of the Town Clerk a Detailed Statement of Appropriations, with its reasons for said Appropriations, which it deems necessary: (a) to meet the expenses and to conduct the affairs of the Town of Greenwich for the ensuing Fiscal Year, that is to say, for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008 inclusive; (b) for the operation, maintenance and repair of the Sewers and Sewer Systems of the Town of Greenwich for said period; (c) for the operation, maintenance and repair of on-street and off-street parking facilities for the Town of Greenwich for said period; (d) for the operation of the Public School
Lunch Program Revolving Fund; (e) for the reserve fund for Capital and Non-Recurring Expenditures ; (f) for the operation, maintenance and repair of the golf course facility; and (g) for the Other Post Employment Retirement Benefits Fund; and
WHEREAS, the said Board has filed on or about May 1, 2007 in the Office of the Town Clerk a Detailed Statement of such Appropriations contained in a document designated as “2007-08 Proposed Budget”; and
WHEREAS, the Charter provides that the Board of Estimate and Taxation shall submit proposed Appropriations to a Representative Town Meeting to be held on or before May 15 in each year, which meeting shall take action upon such proposed Appropriations and make such Appropriations as may appear advisable, except that no Appropriations shall be made exceeding in amount that for the same purpose recommended by said Board, and no Appropriations shall be made for any purpose not recommended by said Board; and
WHEREAS, the said 2007-08 Proposed Budget was forwarded to the members of the Representative Town Meeting on or about April 5, 2007, and submitted to the Representative Town Meeting at its meeting held on May 14, 2007;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the recommendations of the Board of Estimate and Taxation as contained in the said Proposed Budget filed, as above stated, in the Office of the Town Clerk and submitted at this meeting of the Representative Town Meeting be and the same hereby are approved as the Appropriations for the ensuing Fiscal Year 2007-08, except that the following items shall be Decreased or Omitted as follows:
Department
Code Number
Appropriations by
Board
Appropriations by
Town Meeting
Decrease (-)
Reason for Decrease
Total Decrease
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the attached Resolutions Concerning Grants and Other Receipts, [Bonding Resolutions–to be supplied], and Conditions and Other Provisions be and the same hereby are approved.
See budget book for all the budget resolutions.
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