HomeMy Public PortalAboutSelect Board -- 2021-12-20 Minutes (2)MINUTES OF THE SELECT BOARD
DATE: December 20, 2021
TIME: 5:45pm
PLACE: Remote Teleconference
Town. of Brewster
Office of:
2198 Main Street Select Board
Brewster, MA 02631-1898 Town Administrator
Phone: (508) 896-3701 E! Hli-,,.;
www,brewster-ma.gov
EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES
REMOTE PARTICIPANTS: Chair Bingham, Selectperson Hoffmann, Selectperson Chaffee, Selectperson
Whitney, Selectpdrson Chatelain, Town Administrator Peter Lombardi, Susan Broderick
Cnil to nrrlPr R, neriaratinn of Ounrum. Meetine Particination Statement and Recording Statement
Chair Bingham called the meeting to order at 5:45pm. All Select Board members present were
announced, and a quorum was declared. Chair Bingham read the meeting participation and recording
statements.
Executive Sessiowto conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations wain nonunion
personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion
personnel (Persohnel Bylaw & Director of Golf Operations)
The Select Board will be returning to open session. Selectperson Chatelain moved to enter executive
session. SelectpeVson Chaffee second. A roll call vote was taken. Selectperson Hoffmann -yes,
Selectperson Chatelain-yes, Selectperson Chaffee -yes, Selectperson Whitney- yes, Chair Bingham -yes.
The Board vote was 5 -Yes, 0 -No
All remote participants declared "No other persons are present or able to hear the discussion at this
remote location.
Mr. Lombardi reviewed that the implementation of the Classification &Compensation study for the
Personnel Bylaw has been more involved due to department head hours. The Town reviewed the
workweek assumptions lined up with the data collected from comparable communities. The Board had
supported previously to implement the study recommendations as well as transitioning department
heads who are currently at 35 hours per week to 37.5 hours per week starting January 1. Then
increase hours again to 40 hours per week at the start of calendar FY23.
Mr. Lombardi hadmet with the representatives from the Personnel Bylaw group several times, sharing
that another important priority for the group has been the issue that this group did not have merit pay
or a step system in place. Several years ago, merit pay was eliminated and a step system was put in
place for all unionemployees, at that time there was a onetime make up to try to account for this last
fiscal. The original recommendation was for a higher rate of compensation, a onetime 2, 4, or 6%
based on the year, of service, though during the pandemic this was brought down to a 2, 3 14%
increase. Mr. Lorribardi reviewed that last year all the employees in the union received their step
increase, however the personnel bylaw didn't see any increase. Originally the study proposed
rounding up employees to the next nearest step, some were really close with just pennies as the
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Town of Brewster
2198 Main Street
Brewster, MA 02631-1898
Phone; (508) 896-3701
www,brewster-ma.gov
Office of:
Select Board
Town Administrator
increase. The Personnel Bylaw group feels there should at least be a 2% increase as part of the
implementation, to reflect the issue of not having step increases over the past several years.
Mr. Lombardi noted that the costs of this, which applies to all eligible personnel bylaw employees, was
basically the same amount of money to implement a half year of the additional hours for department
heads. The consensus is to implement the Comp & Class study with the additional increases for about
one-third of the employees and pushing out the increasing of hours by six months. Increasing to 37.5
hours will take effect this coming July 1, and the increase to 40 hours will happen at the start of the
next fiscal year. Mr. Lombardi noted that we are eliminating the compensation time going forward and
carrying over, allowing those who have the time available to use it. Department heads will have to
notify the Town by this coming March if they want to opt out from moving from 35 to 37.5 hours, and
then again by start of the calendar year if they would like to increase to 40 hours per week.
The highest potential value for each of these scenarios was shared with the Select Board in their
executive session packet. The rolled -up total is a little over $96K, the difference between what was
budgeted for in terms of COLA and the cost of the study for all these employees. Mr. Lombardi stated
that this information was shared with Personnel bylaw employees about a week and a half ago.
Adding that the only time these employees would be eligible for compensation time is for extenuating
circumstances, not for spending the extra time in the office, or attending a meeting outside normal
1.,
business hours. "
The Board will vote on this in open session.
i
Mr. Lombardi noted that Jay Packett, Director of Golf Operations, has an employment agreement,
which until the Charter is approved by the State is a bylaw. This position was included in the Comp &
Class study and the Town is looking to amend the current contract to reflect the recommendations in
the study for personnel bylaw employees. This includes vacation time and compensation time changes
to mirror each other. Sue Broderick has met with Mr. Packett and he has agreed to the changes.
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Adjournment
Selectperson Chatelain moved to return to regular session at 5:59 pm. Selectperson Hoffmann second.
A roll call vote was taken. Selectperson Whitney -yes, Selectperson Chaffee -yes, Selectperson Chatelain,
Selectperson Hoffmann- yes, Chair Bingham -yes, The Board vote was 5 -Yes, 0 -No
Respectfully submitted,
Erika Mawn, Executive Assistant
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Approved; 01 /2 /2023 Signed:
Date Select Board Clerk, Kari Hoffmann
Date Released: 0;1 /23/2023
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