MEETING MINUTES
Title: Compensation Committee Kick-off
Date: Thursday, August 31, 2006
Location: Westport Island Town Office Conference Room
Subject: Compensation Committee Start
Up
Pre-Work: None
Objective: Elect a chairperson and scribe, come to a consensus on the meeting procedures, review the existing compensation committee data, and determine and assign tasks to complete the compensation committee report for the September town meeting.
|
Topic |
Type |
Responsibility |
Time |
|
Nominate and Elect
Chairperson & Scribe |
Information Discussion Consensus |
All |
7 :00 pm 15 Min. |
|
Develop
Compensation Committee Meeting Procedures |
Information Discussion Consensus |
All |
7 :15 pm 15 Min. |
|
Current Job
Description Review |
Information Discussion |
Reggie |
7 :30 pm 30 Min. |
|
Existing
Compensation Committee Data Review |
Information Discussion |
Richard |
8 :00 pm 30 Min. |
|
Determine Tasks to
be Completed and Assign to Committee Members |
Information Discussion Consensus |
All |
8 :30 pm 45 Min. |
|
Wrap-up |
Information Discussion Consensus |
Scribe |
9 :55 pm 15 Min. |
REQUIRED: All Compensation Committee members (Including Alternates)
FACILITATOR: Dennis Dunbar
SCRIBE: TBD (Richard DeVries until a scribe is elected)
Joelle Webber, Sarah Rhinelander, Dennis Dunbar, Tom Cromwell, Dave Bertran, Richard DeVries Missing due to other pressing requirements Reggie Lee
Mort Mendez, Carol Dunbar, Norma Dreyfus
1. Approved mission, deliverables, and meeting procedures.
1. Contact MMA to determine if they have assessed the MMA community for best practice towns. Action: R DeVries 090506
2. Conduct Web Site search for any information on best practice town governments. Action: D Dunbar 090506
3. Develop draft performance criteria for recognizing selectmen for superior performance. Action: D Dunbar 091206
4. Contact the Town of Westport Island office staff and review job description and tasks as part of the benchmarking criteria. Action: S Rhinelander 091206
5. Develop inflation factors/Cost of Living Adjustment data. . Action: D Bertran 090506
6. Assemble MMA salary data for selectmen, appointed officials, and office staff using 2005 MMA Salary Report. Action: D Dunbar and R DeVries 090506
7. Contact appointed town officials thanking them for their service, assessing their satisfaction with their method of reimbursement, and asking them for any suggestions on changes in the future. Action: J. Webber 090506
The meeting opened at
Richard DeVries nominated Sarah Rhinelander as Chairperson who was seconded by Dave Bertran. The vote for her appointment as Chairperson was unanimous.
Richard DeVries volunteered to be the scribe. The vote for his appointment was unanimous.
Joelle Webber was unanimously voted on as the first alternate to replace the missing Reggie Lee for the evening.
As the meeting was “kick-off” of the committee all alternates participated in the discussion and voting on the Chairperson, Scribe and First Alternate. Dennis Dunbar will serve as the alternate member at the next meeting where a member is not present.
The mission, deliverables, and meeting procedures were review and approved unanimously. (See attachment 1)
Review of the job descriptions were tabled as an agenda review item and were assigned as a review task before the next meeting. It was agreed that the job descriptions are for information only.
It was agreed that the following criteria would be followed in selecting MMA data for guidance in completing the required tasks:
· Population range – 500-1500
· Mid-coast coastal towns only in Lincoln, Knox, and Sagadahoc counties
· Eliminate town manager towns
It was agreed that the committee would attempt to obtain the database town reports to provide a relative cost of government.
The meeting adjourned at 0853.
Sarah Rhinelander
Richard DeVries
David Bertran
Dennis Dunbar
Joelle Webber
Westport Island Compensation Committee
Mission: The Westport Island Compensation Committee shall make recommendations to the Legislative Body on the fair and market based salaries and stipends to be provided to the officers, town office staff, and appointed town officials (Except the Licensed Plumber Inspector and the Code Enforcement Officer), while striving to balance such considerations with the higher goal of maintaining a positive and enduring financial impact on the citizens of Westport Island.
Westport Island Compensation Committee Deliverables
1. A review report of the MMA Salary
Survey data to determine the current market rates for salaries and stipends for municipal employees and
officers for towns in our size range and with our structure.
2.
A benchmark report of at least two Maine towns that appears to
have a very efficiently run organization. Objective criteria and
recommendations from the MMA will be used to select the model towns. Provide any recommended reorganizations to
improve the efficiency of the Westport Island town office staff as time permits
3.
A report on the Cost of Living or other Adjustment used in
determining the adjustments to salaries and stipends to be provided to the
officers, town office staff, and appointed town officials.
4.
The recommended salaries of the Westport Island town office staff.
based on item 2 above.
5.
The recommended stipends to be paid to the officers, and appointed
town officials (Except the Licensed Plumber Inspector and the Code Enforcement
Officer). Report on the current prior year fees for appointed town officials.
6.
To review and establish, if appropriate, criteria for performance
that would be utilized in consideration of performance based incentive
compensation to be paid to the Selectmen
for the extra time and effort put forth in reducing the cost of operation for
the town as time permits.
Westport Island Compensation Committee Agenda and Meeting Procedures
1. The term “committee member” shall include only those members appointed by the Board of Selectmen as a “member”. The appointed “alternates” shall be designated as the “alternate members” with the position rotating for each meeting as required. The “committee members” shall elect the “first” alternate at the first meeting. Alternates shall serve as a “committee member” in the event an appointed “member” is not present for a scheduled meeting.
2. A Chairperson or a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson shall be elected by all the persons appointed to the committee (i.e. alternates included). The Deputy Chairperson shall serve as Chairperson in the even the Chairperson cannot attend a scheduled meeting. Alternates shall not serve as Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson.
3. A Scribe shall be elected (or the duty of Scribe shall be rotated among the members and alternates) to record the actions that take place during the meeting. The minutes shall record all consensuses reached, if a consensus cannot be reached the scribe shall record both the majority and minority viewpoints. If a consensus cannot be reached the position of the minority voting member/s shall be recorded including an alternate set of recommendations. The scribe shall include the names of all members present and the name of the “alternate/s” that served if any “members” were unable to attend. In addition the names of all the members of the public present shall be included. All motions made and the names of the person making the motion and the person seconding the motion shall be recorded. Unless the vote is unanimous, the names of “members” voting in the affirmative and negative shall be recorded. In addition if the is not unanimous the scribe shall record the reason from each member of why they voted as they did.
4. An agenda shall be prepared for all meetings with time, location, and suggested durations for each topic included. Agendas shall be developed by the Chairperson at least 72 hours prior to the meeting and circulated by electronic means (where feasible) to the members. The agenda shall be posted in the town office 24 hours prior to the start time of the meeting. The first item on the agenda shall be the review, inclusion of changes approved by the committee members, and final approval of the agenda. The second item on the agenda shall be the review, inclusion of changes approved by the committee members, and final approval of the minutes from the previous meeting. All members of the committee shall sign the approved minutes prior to submittal to the Board of Selectmen. One copy of the approved minutes shall be provided to the Town Clerk and a second copy shall be posted in the entry hall of the Town Office. The agenda shall include a wrap-up segment during which the scribe shall review the notes taken for writing the minutes to ensure all subjects will be included in the minutes. The agenda shall include a 15 minute segment just prior to the “wrap-up” to allow “public” comment on the conduct of the meeting. The committee will do their best to address issues raised by the public at the meeting unless the issue is irrelevant to the deliverables. Questions requiring research will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
5. A copy of the approved minutes shall be provided by paper and electronic means to the Board of Selectmen within 24 hours of being approved by the committee.
6. The Chairperson shall select a “facilitator” for each meeting. An alternate may serve as the meeting facilitator. The facilitator shall ensure that the meeting is conducted in an orderly manner, all members have an equal voice, individual members do not usurp or talk over another member, and shall “time-manage” the meeting to conform to the agenda. In the event the allotted time is exceeded it shall be the Chairperson’s responsibility to get member approval to extend the allotted time. In the event there are any persons present that become unruly or disruptive to the meeting process the facilitator shall request said person or persons to desist, if said persons refuse the facilitator shall contact the Sheriff’s department to have said person or persons removed from the meeting.
7. Public comment shall be confined to the content of the meeting. Personal attacks on committee on committee members or any other undue behavior that disrupts the progression or expediency of the meeting will not be tolerated, and may result in involved persons expulsion from the meeting place.. The Chairperson shall determine how many persons desire to speak during the public comment period and divide the 15 minutes into equal segments for each of the speakers. The facilitator shall ensure that the time slots are adhered to.
8. “Members” shall not vote on issues relating to immediate family members in accordance with the Maine Municipal Association guidelines.
Mort Mendes: He commended the committee on their approach. He felt that at the end of the day the office staff salaries are in line with the market. He felt that we would find that the 2nd and 3rd selectmen are over compensated compared to the market by about twice and that the first selectman was overpaid by 3 times. He is in favor of additional monies to the selectmen if warranted. The approach taken at the last meeting to add funds for the first selectman was wrong. There needs to be a reasonable approach to compensation and he would be the first to object if the committee did not convince him otherwise.
Nancy Dreyfus: She commended the committee on their approach. The idea of determining “best practice” is important. Edgecomb is a very user friendly town when it comes to being a realtor and felt that Westport Island was the worst.