Wellfleet Personnel Board
Minutes of Meeting of May 6, 2003
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
Present: Sue Peters, Chair; Lisa Benson, Ken Kimball, John Makely; Rex Peterson, Assistant Town Administrator
Chair Peters convened the meeting at 3:00 p.m.
Consideration of Job Description for Office Manager and Office Assistant, Council on Aging. The Board turned to the job descriptions for the above positions, which Director of the Council on Aging Jacqui Wildes had submitted for review. Rex Peterson explained that the Office Assistant position will be coming open and it was felt that there was a need to have an approved job description ready before advertising the position.
Lisa Benson stated that the Office Assistant position had been approved in the Summer of 1996, that the descriptions given to the Board contained changes from the originals (which she remembered from her tenure as Director of the COA), and that the Board should not approve a job description without grading it.
Rex Peterson noted that the procedure for review of grade must be requested through the Town Administrator. He emphasized that Ms.Wildes was not asking that the positions be re-graded, only that the description be approved.
Benson asserted that since the descriptions have been changed and the COA will be in a new building, Personnel Board would need new job questionnaires. She then reviewed the history of these two COA positions.
Ken Kimball felt that Ms. Wildes should come in with the job questionnaires and explain them. He noted the Board should look at the description for the Director also, since he felt that the job descriptions should complement, not contradict, each other.
Peterson, repeating that a re-grading had not been requested, pointed out that the Board had at its last meeting (minutes of 1/9/03) approved revisions of job descriptions without re-grading them. He also suggested that the Board would need old job descriptions of the COA positions with which to make comparisons but that no record of approved descriptions for these jobs seemed to exist. To his question as to how these positions could have been graded without being approved, Lisa Benson stated that she remembered these being processed and would email the Board the previous job descriptions of Office Manager and Office Assistant of the COA.
Sue Peters commented that in the case of the DPW descriptions (1/9/03), Mark Vincent had requested approval of small revisions of two jobs from which workers were retiring. She added that he was taking advantage of this circumstance to "tweak" the descriptions before advertising the positions.
Benson wondered if such a request--for approval of job description but not grading of position--would be a way of by-passing the required procedure of requesting re-grading through the Town Administrator.
John Makely felt that there should be an official process for requesting the Personnel Board to consider job descriptions, etc.; Rex Peterson noted (from the 1/9/03 minutes) that such a process exists for the WEA.
Lisa Benson moved that John Makely begin putting together a step-by-step process map for department heads or others to use when presenting any position-related materials. Sue Peters seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously, 4-0; Makely requested that Board members be willing to give him assistance on the project.
Peterson asked the Board, since it was loath to consider the job descriptions without completed job questionnaires and Ms. Wildes' assistance, if it would object to advertising the Office Assistant position without an approved job description. Chair Peters stated that she did not wish the Personnel Board to be seen as obstructive but that the description needed approval of three changes perceived by Lisa Benson (e.g., the addition of inventory is a new responsibility).
Benson suggested that the description could be presented to job candidates marked "pending approval."
Ken Kimball suggested that the Board could "tweak" small items, such as replacing typewriter skills with computer skills.
The Board reviewed the wording of the existing descriptions, discussing the use of "facilitators" in the description for the Office Assistant.
To the Chair's query as to what the Board wished to do, Ken Kimball suggested checking with Tim Smith as to whether to go ahead with the new job descriptions and noting that Smith should be aware of the possibility of re-grading being requested. He moved that Rex Peterson contact Tim Smith and Jacqui Wildes in order that the possible changes in the job descriptions would have already been reviewed by the TA when Ms. Wildes attended the Personnel Board meeting concerning those descriptions. Seconded by Benson, the motion carried, 4-0.
Sue Peters added that if approved job descriptions are found, Ms. Wildes would not have to present these descriptions again; she might need to upgrade them, however. Kimball noted that advertising these positions should not be held up.
Discussion of Second Draft, Recommendation Form for Proposed Staff Additions prepared by Ken Kimball. A general discussion of the form followed; approval was voiced by the Board.
Kimball suggested the use of "information" rather than "recommendation" in the title of the form; John Makely suggested "justification" might also be used.
Lisa Benson suggested a new #8 (present #8 would become #9): "If the new position includes duties currently performed by other position/s in the department (please specify), what duties will be added to replace those eliminated?"
Sue Peters moved that "recommendation" be changed to "information"; Makely seconded; the motion carried, 4-0.
Lisa Benson moved her change in #8; Kimball seconded; the motion carried, 4-0.
Minutes of January 9, 2003. John Makely moved and Ken Kimball seconded approval of the minutes of 1/9/03. The motion carried 3-0-1(Benson abstaining).
New Business. John Makely noted that the Board should schedule a future discussion of goals for this year; he suggested a consideration of performance evaluation. Chair Peters added that Tim Smith had previously stated that he was open to suggestions and feedback from Personnel Board on performance evaluation. Discussion followed:
Ken Kimball felt that Smith might offer input at the beginning of such a project.
Lisa Benson asked John Makely to check the WEA, Teamsters, Fire and Police contracts for performance evaluation.
Makely suggested that Wellfleet Oysterfest might be a good occasion to recognize performance achievements ("attaboys").
After it was established that the next meeting would take place on Thursday, May 22, at 4 p.m. in the 2nd Floor Conference Room for the purpose of continuing discussion of the COA jobs, the meeting was adjourned at 4:07 p.m. (Makely moved, Benson seconded.)
Respectfully submitted,
________________________________ ______________________________
Frances J. Castillo, Assistant to the Sue Peters, Chair
Committee Secretary ________________________Date
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