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Minutes May 2, 2005 CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES May 2, 2005 After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council convened in a Special Called Meeting on Monday, May 2, 2005 at 11 :30 a.m. in the Council Work: Session Room. PRESENT: Mayor Brock:; Mayor Pro Tem McNeill; Council Members Kamp, Montgomery, Mulroy, and Thomson. ABSENT: Council Member Redmon 1. The Council received a report, held a discussion, and gave staff direction regarding the associated service impact due to the proposed staff reductions included in the five-year financial forecast. City Manager Conduff stated that department directors were present to either mak:e short presentations to Council regarding the reductions in staff or would be available to answer questions if Council did not wish to proceed with the presentations. Mayor Pro Tem McNeill stated that he had ask:ed to have this item on an agenda. Citizens had been raising questions regarding the providing of services after the reductions and it was appropriate for Council to have back:ground information on what the reductions in staff meant in terms of reduction in services. His responsibility was to set policy. It was not his place as a council member to say k:eep "x" employee and not "y" employee, as that would be illegal per the Charter. He did have concerns about the reductions and what that might do to service delivery. He supported the technique but had ask:ed for the item for further explanation. Council Member Mulroy stated that this was a complex issues that was not pleasant to do. There would be some trial and error in the process, lrnowing that adjustments would have to be made. Mayor Brock: stated a concern that certain visions, goals and priorities were set and that there was a need to evaluate services in terms of those goals and visions. She felt it would be foolish to move forward in one direction if services in that direction would be cut or eliminated. Consensus of the Council was to have the department directors mak:e presentations relative to the reductions. City Manager Conduff indicated that the City Manager's office would be giving up 1 Y2 full-time employees. One position would be the Administrative Assistant to the City Manager. Work: from that employee would be shifted to a series of other people and would be a transparent issue with regard to citizen impact. The second was a Y2 time secretarial position, which would have some citizen impact. Currently the office was open from 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. for service before and after regular business hours. With the reduction of this position, the office hours would return to 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. This would not be a significant citizen impact. This was the Manager's commitment to share the sacrifice to vacate positions. Betty Williams, Director of Management and Public Information, stated that her department would have a reduction of two full-time employees. The Council meeting would still have a live broadcast and the community bulletin board would continue as well as all legal and adopted city plans. The reduction would be felt in the videoing of community service programs, which could City of Denton City Council Minutes May 2, 2005 Page 2 be outsourced. The remaining staff would serve as back:up when needed. There would no longer be local original programming. Two part-time associate producers would also be cut. Council discussed the impact of less local programming and if any effect would be felt in the area of tourism. Williams indicated that current printed materials would remain but video footage for commercials and still pictures of events would no longer be produced. Carla Romine, Director of Human Resources, indicated that three full-time employees would be cut from her department. One of the positions eliminated currently provided support for testing with the Police and Fire Departments. Those duties would be shifted to the police and fire departments for coordination. Some employee training would have to be reduced. They would still be providing what was legally mandated but some training would be outsourced. The department would be shifting duties and doing more with less and would have less flexibility in re gards to time lines. Council discussed the shifting of functions to the police and fire departments and associated costs. Romine indicated that there was the potential of increased costs in terms of overtime costs to those departments. Chief Chadwick: indicated that both the police and fire department were still trying to assess the impact of the proposed changes. They would need to reassign staff functions to pick: up those additional functions but as their departments were not affected by the cuts, they were willing to tak:e on the extra duties. Kathy DuBose, Assistant City Manager, stated that the Accounting Department would be reducing two full-time employees. The first position was an accounts payable representative. Reduction of this position could result in a longer time to process payments. The supervisor of this position would tak:e on more responsibility to mak:e sure payments were made promptly. The second position was a senior accountant position. This position had general fund responsibilities dealing with fixed assets, and monthly sales tax and municipal court reports. These functions would be absorbed in other departments. Janet Fitzgerald, Director of Park:s and Recreation, stated that her department would be eliminating a total of eleven full-time employees. In order to cover the recreation center hours, a one-third equivalent position would be added for assisting with building attendant duties. All park: mowing for class A and B park:s, medians and cemeteries would be contracted out. Mowing for athletic fields, North Lak:es Park:, South Lak:es Park:, Denia Park: and rights-of-way would be done in-house. Council discussed how the mowing standards would be maintained with the reductions. City of Denton City Council Minutes May 2, 2005 Page 3 Fitzgerald indicated that they would be able to maintain current standards. The biggest impact would be in the area of flexibility to respond to various customer service issues. Currently they did a lot with customer service with people using the park:s and that contact would be reduced with less flexibility to respond to customer requests. Fitzgerald continued that the Leisure Services Department had been reorganized with one position reclassified and that position responsibilities shifted. In terms of citywide programming, there would be one position for preschools and one for physical fitness. Constant customer contact would diminish and different people would be seen at different times in the centers. Council Member Mulroy requested data on how Denton compared with other cities on spending per capita for active versus passive park: expenses. Diana Ortiz, Director of Fiscal Operations, stated that a half full-time equivalent position would be reduced in Treasury. As Treasury and Tax work: together, there would be a reduction in the hotel audits on the Treasury side and a reduction in customer service on the Tax side. Audits would be done less frequently. Linda Ratliff, Director of Economic Development, stated that the Main Street Mark:eting Specialist position would be eliminated from her department. The Main Street Association feared that the reduction of professional staff might negatively impact the quality of events sponsored by Main Street. She had assured them that the Department would provide guidance on how to sponsor events. The second position in her department to be eliminated was the Economic Development Coordinator. That position provided research for developers and provided some GIS work:. Other staff would be learning that technology and training. Some reduction in response time to requests for service might be experienced. There would be possible cut back:s on educational programs associated with the DISD and other area organizations. Bruce Henington, Director of Facilities Management, stated that one technical person and one office person would be eliminated from his department. Those reductions would not affect safety or health areas. The Project Manager would pick: up more of the paperwork: for internal . serVIces. Kelly Carpenter, Director of Planning and Development, stated that five positions would be eliminated from her area. Two of the five positions were currently vacant. Job functions would be reassigned in order to meet all needs. Eva Poole, Director of Libraries, stated that her department would be reducing three positions. This would result in fewer programs for adults and children and one service desk: for everyone. Patrons would be encouraged to use the self-check: machines and the automated system. Mark: Nelson, Director of Airport and Transit Operations, stated that a half-time field service work:er position would be eliminated from the Airport. Reduction of this position would result in reduced inspection of pavement maintenance and less mowing at the Airport. City of Denton City Council Minutes May 2, 2005 Page 4 Council Member Mulroy requested a report back: through the summer on a monthly basis of whether or not any problems were being experienced in the safety program and how those issues might be addressed. Jim Coulter, Director of Water/Wastewater, stated that the Street Department would be reducing two full-time employees. The impact on the community would be that permanent repairs would tak:e longer and temporary repairs would remain in place for longer periods of time. Robin Ramsay, Municipal Judge, indicated that a % part-time assistant judge position would be eliminated. This position had not been filled for the last several years and would be eliminated from the budget. City Manager Conduff stated that a half time position would be eliminated from the Internal Audit position. That position was added about four years ago to help track: contracts for compliance. Other staff members would absorb this function. Ed Snyder, Interim City Attorney, stated that the Council's goal was to reduce the legal staff from seven attorneys to five. One attorney position was being eliminated and one attorney had recently resigned. Those reductions would result in the department reaching the Council's goal sooner than expected. A half-time secretary position was also being reduced. City Manager Conduff indicated that the above were all of the general fund positions that would have an impact on external services. The remaining positions were internal service positions in Reprographics, Materials Management, Fleet Services, and Technology Services. Citizens would not be impacted by the reduction of employees in these areas. There would be some significant outsourcing in some cases associated with these reductions with services being outsourced similar to what currently was provided. Mayor Pro Tem McNeill ask:ed of the 51.2 positions, how many were considered upper management and how many not management. Conduff replied that there were several professional positions targeted for elimination with 20% of the reductions in the management area and 80% in the hourly area. Council Member Thomson ask:ed how many actual employees would lose their jobs. What was an estimate of the number of individuals who would not be able to transfer to a city-related to job. Romine stated that they were estimating that 10-12 employees would ultimately be cut. 2. The Council received a report, held a discussion and gave staff direction regarding the City of Denton's self-funded work:ers' compensation and liability programs. Scott Payne, Risk: Manager, stated that the City had had a self-funded program since at least 1995. The City was required by the Labor Code to provide coverage. Denton used a third party administrator to process work:ers' compensation with a cost of $37,800. He presented City of Denton City Council Minutes May 2, 2005 Page 5 information on claims costs by year of injury occurrence. Compared to a fully insured program, the cost estimate would be an estimated $2,700,000 to fully insure the program. In summary, the self- funding program had been an effective mechanism in the past, historical work:ers' compensation costs had been far less than the $2,700,000 in fully insured premiums quoted, the excess work:ers' compensation policy caps expenses at $500,000 per occurrence and the self- funding allowed the city to save money when safety and loss control programs were successful. Payne continued that the city's liability program had been a self-funded program since 1995. Texas Tort Claims Act established the framework: for the program. The city self-administered the liability claims process and covered the areas of general liability, auto liability, law enforcement liability, public officials liability, errors and omissions, professional liability and employment practices liability. The city also purchased insurance for exposure at the Airport, Emergency Medical Services professional liability and commercial crime coverage. The Texas Tort Claims Act established caps on damages and the city had excess liability coverage with deductible and coverage limits. A fully insured program would cost an estimated $750,000 with a $1,000 deductible and limited liability at $1,000,000. An excess policy would still need to be purchased and some level of staff involvement would still be necessary. A fully insured policy would not cover the liability associated with the Airport and ambulance service. Historical claim expenses for both work:ers' compensation and liability claims were less than fully insured cost indications. Staff recommended the continued practice of self-funding work:ers' compensation claims and the use of a third party administrator and also the continued practice of self-funding and self-administering the liability program. Consensus of the Council was support of the staff recommendation. Following the completion of the work: session, the Council convened in a Closed Session to discuss Item #1 relative to the City Attorney's Office. With no further business, the meeting was adj ourned. EULINEBROCK MAYOR CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS JENNIFER W ALTERS CITY SECRETARY CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS