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Meet and Confer Minutes - 02/08/2016 MEET AND CONFER CITY OF WICHITA FALLS & WICHITA FALLS FIRE DEPARTMENT FEBRUARY 8,2016 Attendees: City Administration Darron Leiker, City Manager Jim Dockery, Deputy City Manager Jon Reese, Fire Chief Donald Hughes, Assistant Fire Chief Julia Vasquez, First Assistant City Attorney Christi Klyn, Civil Service Director Linda Merrill, Recording Secretary International Association of Firefighters, Local 432 Robert Whiteley, F.E.O. Matthew Childs, F.E.O. Bruce Deeb, Lieutenant Cary Richie, Lieutenant Chris Duncan, Captain 1. CALL TO ORDER. Darron Leiker called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. He thanked the attendees for coming to today's meeting. 2. STEP PLAN REVISION Bobby Whiteley said that the step plan needs revised. Each time it has been modified to put more money in the employees' pockets, but in doing so, that might have been short-sighted based on long-term effects. Mr. Leiker questioned whether the concern is there are not enough steps. Mr. Whiteley said that is the case in some ranks, but there are too many steps in others. The Council did a tremendous job on the pay issue last year. Once the personnel get where they need to be salary- wise, the step plan can be a tool to help them maintain it. Chief Reese said over 60% of the personnel have reached the top of their steps; the concern is they have matured out as a department. FEO Whiteley added that the concern is not the starting pay for recruitment, but rather 2-4 years down the road. Jim Dockery said staff will do salary surveys this year as they always do. There used to be 16-18 steps in every rank, but there were concerns about lower-ranking officials making more than those in the higher ranks. So some steps were eliminated in the higher-ranking slots to eliminate that scenario. Other cities are doing it this way, too. N:\ Legal\Personnel\Meet&Confer\Fire\Minutes\2016.2.8.Minutes.Fire.M&C.Doc MEET&CONFER-CWF&WFFD FEBRUARY 8,2016 2 FEO Whiteley said personnel are making rank but are not getting steps as they have been here so long. The step plan for higher ranks is basically ineffective. Mr. Leiker said to let Administration know if the Association comes across a pay plan they would be open to looking at it. Lt. Deeb said his main worry is that, although the starting pay for fire fighters is great, there is such a minimal pay increase each year, the personnel have five to six years to still look around to see if they can make more money at another city. It would be better if they could get topped out faster and stop them from leaving the department. Mr. Dockery said in effect the Association is asking for fewer steps for fire fighters, with higher gaps between each step. They would end in the same place, but get there quicker. That is a possibility. FEO Whiteley said the Council took large steps last year to address the pay issue. A few of them said to finish the drive this year and get them to the true average, and then figure out a way to maintain it. He would like to find a way for this to happen so that pay is not discussed every time a meet and confer meeting is held. 3. POSSIBLE PENSION OPTIONS Captain Chris Duncan is the pension administrator. The pension is about 3.55% underfunded. FEO Whiteley said there was some discussion about the possibility that, if fire personnel were to get a 2% pay raise this year to get them to an average wage, they would give up 1% of that raise if the City increased its contribution to the pension fund by that percentage. Mr. Leiker asked if the Association contemplated any plan design changes. Assistant Chief Hughes said the Board had already looked at changes, including a split plan. Anyone hired from this point on will be hired under different factors; all you can ask from personnel currently vested is to add in another 1% to 2%. There are motions for a split plan, they are adding 1%, and changing the life annuity. Mr. Dockery said there are a lot of options, including simply funding it, and setting a different retirement age for non-vested personnel. What the members are willing to do with a vote will be important, as the City cannot afford to do everything. Chief Hughes said the fire personnel cannot afford to do everything, either. Mr. Dockery said that for the past 10 years, the City has tried to equalize the public safety contribution, TMRS, and fire pensions. To ask the City to go higher for the fire pension than for the rest of the City would be a tough sell. Mr. Leiker asked if there are many split plans across the state. Chief Hughes said they are happening everywhere, and most applicants do not consider retirement plans when accepting employment. FEO Whiteley asked if the City would be receptive to putting in a percentage if the personnel were willing to give up a percentage of their pay increase. Mr. Leiker said it would all come down to the budget. The sales tax revenue is running 6% behind projection; if that continues, troubles lie ahead. Property tax values are not yet known. Pension, step, and cost of living increases are dependent upon sales tax revenues, and he doubts the public's appetite for a tax hike for another pay increase. MEET&CONFER—CWF&WFFD FEBRUARY 8,2016 3 4. FINALITY OF GETTING TO AVERAGE PAY AND WAYS OF MAINTAINING IT GOING FORWARD FEO Whiteley said no one is complaining about the fabulous pay increase the fire department personnel received last year; it got them up to an average of a year or two ago. Some of the Councilors said they want them to be able to maintain it, so they are asking Administration to be cognizant of that when budget talks begin. As always, he joked, cost savings could be realized if the Legal department was eliminated. Mr. Leiker countered that City Attorney Kinley Hegglund had already saved the City money by eliminating a position. Julia Vasquez added that the police department would probably disagree with the wisdom of eliminating legal counsel and defense. 5. INTRODUCTION OF NEW OFFICERS OF LOCAL 432 Battalion Chief Randy Reel, who is ill today, is the new president. He also plays Santa Claus. FEO Matthew Childs used to play Santa Claus, and he is the new Legislative Director. Cary Richie is part of the chaplain program; Bruce Deeb is still Vice President, and Jim Davis is still Secretary Treasurer. 6. BASELINE AND REOCCURRING PHYSICALS FOR ALL MEMBERS, DUE TO MANDATORY PHYSICAL STANDARDS SET BY THE CHIEF FEO Whiteley said Chief Reese has instituted baseline physicals for haz-mat personnel, but also has instituted a physical assessment for all personnel. There is no punitive damage if one does not meet the criteria. Last year, the health, safety and wellness committee recommended at a minimum some type of evaluation. If the member cannot meet the requirements based on their age, a coach would work with them. If this is mandatory, they would like to have a more rigid physical. Chief Reese said the department had a grant a couple of years ago for everyone to have a complete physical, including stress tests, EKGs, chest x-rays, stretching, and bending. That has since run out. FEO Whiteley said they have no idea of the cost factor on this request. Ms. Klyn said QuadMed could do EKGs, but would have send x-rays and most things out. Chief Reese said he would pursue grant funding again. Mr. Leiker asked if there were other issues the Association wished to discuss that were not on the agenda. Longevity FEO Whiteley said there were a couple of issues he forgot to put on the agenda, one of which was longevity. They would like to remove the cap on longevity. It is currently at 25 years; most of his career it was capped at 15 years. Or possibly eliminate the step plan and make longevity have enough punch. Let longevity distinguish how much money a member makes, MEET&CONFER-CWF&WFFD FEBRUARY 8,201E 4 based upon their years of service. Mr. Dockery said the City has a hybrid plan. Mr. Leiker added that sometimes it is hard to compare other departments if they do not have the exact same plan. Promotional Exam FEO Whiteley said he would also like to discuss the last promotional exam, which was nothing but aggravating. There was a less than 30% pass rate, when in the past, the members always would pass the tests even with minimal studying performed. Christi Klyn did admit the scores were lower than they had been in the past. FEO Whiteley asked if there was any way to guarantee that there would be a higher pass rate on the upcoming exams. Ms. Vasquez replied the examinees could study, while Ms. Klyn asked if they were asking Administration to ease up on the difficulty of the tests. She noted that the next test has not yet been ordered. FEO Whiteley said the tests in the past kept members in ranks longer, which is preferable to someone being a fast promoter with no job experience. Lt. Deeb said it would be helpful if the test questions were grouped according to the source material. Ms. Klyn said she appreciates specific critiques such as that, and can forward such information on to the test preparer. She also reminded the Association that the Chiefs will also review the test as part of the approval process. FEO Whiteley said they just want a fair test, as they thought it was a low blow last time. Alternate Hiring Practice Promotion List Chief Reese said the alternate hiring practice promotion list is still in effect. Ms. Vasquez said it was good for three processes, and she believes there is one left. Chief Reese said it is a good tool. Ms. Vasquez suggested that it be rewritten to provide either side an "out" if they do not want to continue the process, in lieu of the current sunset provision. She will rewrite such a proposal and send it to the Chief. He said they will need to have another Meet and Confer meeting before January 2017 to approve the agreement. 3. ADJOURN The meeting adjourned at 10:08 a.m.