CHILMARK PERSONNEL BOARD MEETING OCTOBER 12, 2006
CHILMARK TOWN HALL FINAL
CALL TO ORDER: 8:00 AM
PRESENT: Members Jennie Greene, Susan Heilbron, Richard Williams and Max McCreery. Also present: Staff Liaison Polly McDowell, Chuck Hodgkinson, Executive Secretary Tim Carroll, Treasurer Melanie Becker and Librarian Ebba Hierta. Absent: Selectmen’s Liaison Riggs Parker.
LOIS NORTON: The Board approved the draft letter to the editor thanking Lois Norton for her service. Chuck H. will send it to the Gazette.
MEETING MINUTES: The 10/5/06 meeting minutes were reviewed. Mr. McCreery made a motion to approve the minutes as presented. Ms. Heilbron seconded and the vote was unanimous in favor.
CHILMARK LIBRARIAN: Chilmark Librarian Ebba Hierta attended the meeting to recommend upgrading the Assistant to the Director, Children’s Librarian job description, job title and resulting pay grade. Chuck H. recused himself from the discussion and left the room. Tim Carroll agreed to take minutes. The following summarizes the discussion from Mr. Carroll’s notes. Ms. Hierta explained that the current Assistant to the Director, Children’s Librarian has much more responsibility and decision making authority than indicated in the 2003 job description. She added that the Children’s Librarians at several of the other island libraries are compensated at a rate equivalent to the Town’s grade seven. The current pay grade for this position is a grade
six. Consequently, a recommendation to change the job title to Assistant Director/Youth Services Librarian was made because it is more consistent with the job responsibilities and recognizes the special work done with the Chilmark School.
Ms. Hierta added the following in response to several questions from the Board: 1. The Library Board of Trustees has approved the recommendation. 2. This job description change will not require a change in the Library Director job description. After further discussion the Personnel Board recommended adding to the Duties and Responsibilities Section A, a statement that says this position acts for the Director in his or her absence. Ms. Hierta agreed.
Ms. Hierta recommended changing the current job pay grade from grade six to grade seven with a further adjustment for the current employee that would change her pay rate from grade 6 step 8 to grade 7 step 6 in fiscal year 2007. Ms. Hierta added that this change is equivalent to a + 20 cent per hour increase for this fiscal year. The PB agreed with the recommendation and recommended having it take effect on November 1, 2006.
With no further discussion Mr. McCreery made a motion to recommend the Board of Selectmen approve the new amended job description, job title and pay grade changes for this position and the current employee as outlined. Ms. Heilbron seconded and vote was unanimous in favor.
POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL LIBRARY HOURS OF OPERATION: Ms. Hierta summarized
how she and Library Board of Trustees want to standardize and increase the library’s hours of operation and its projected impact on the library’s budgeted number of hours for certain positions. She further inquired about the procedure for making these adjustments to the budgeted hours. The Board recommended having the Library Board of Trustees and the Director develop a formal proposal for review by the Personnel Board and Finance Committee as this sort of change may affect the library’s annual salary budget and its number of benefited positions. If the library’s approved annual salary budget does not cover the incremental cost it will need approval by town voters.
Ms. Hierta thanked the Board for its time and advice. Chuck H. returned to the meeting.
SHELLFISH JOB DESCRIPTION: Ms. Heilbron and Mr. McCreery summarized their research of this position’s job description in other island towns and reviewed a memo outlining their recommendations on how to proceed and fulfill the Board of Selectmen’s request to update the Shellfish Constable job description. After discussion Mr. Williams made a motion to submit the recommended plan to the Board of Selectmen for approval. Ms. Greene seconded and the vote was unanimous in favor. Chuck H. will prepare a summary recommendation for the Board of Selectmen.
BY-LAW UPDATES: The Personnel Board discussed the need to update several sections of the Personnel By-law. Mr. Williams volunteered to work with Chuck H. and update the Authorized Leave (Section 5.0) and Grievance Procedure (Section 11.0) with the goal of meeting the January 3, 2007 deadline for by-law changes for voter consideration at the Spring 2007 Annual Town Meeting. The Board agreed.
ADMINISTRATION: Chuck H. reminded the Board that the state ethics seminar will be held later in the day @ 3:30 PM and there is a Labor Relations Seminar at the Boxborough Holiday Inn on 10/27/06.
With no further business to discuss the meeting adjourned at 10:15 AM.
Respectfully submitted by Chuck Hodgkinson, CAS.
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