2021-04-26 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

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Merit Appeals Board April 26, 2021 myself personally without our administrative staff/assistants working hard and tirelessly. Glynis is a prime example of that. So, again, I would like to thank her for all her work and everything that she does to make me look good. So, if you fire me, it's Glynis' fault. But if you praise me then, of course, it's Glynis' fault as well. But, anyway, that's all I have for my report. Again, the training I'm going to this afternoon is offered by the Department of Research and Development and it's a suicide awareness training. And I'm taking it and I requested that our ADA/EOO coordinator attend. We were offered two positions. And it's not because of any personal desire or need, but I think to have that type of understanding and especially, again, going back to this type of environment—so, I think it'll be very beneficial for our HR staff to engage in. I would like to get some information, open the door so that maybe this is something that we can continue and maintain on a regular basis. So, that's where I'll be at 12:30. Happy to answer any questions anybody may have. MS. MATHEWS: Gay Mathews. Your annual inspection that you're resuming, are those surprise inspections or are you warning them before you get there? MR. BRILHANTE: The current process now is because of our staffing issues, the inspections we've been conducting currently on a "as requested" basis. If there's an issue with a department and concerns are raised by the employee regarding safety, then our staff will go and conduct an investigation or if OSHA is going to do an investigation then our inspectors go and they tag along with OSHA. I want to change that. My plan, if our increased footprint request is approved, I would like to have a list of regularly scheduled facility inspections and have a set number where there'd be five or ten facilities a month and we're generating regular reports for the facilities. I like to see more of a, I guess, concrete type schedule as it relates to the inspections. MR. KUNZ: This is Mr. Kunz. Mr. Brilhante, what—is there a contingent plan should—God forbid—there's more accidents and the $2 million threshold is surpassed or breached? MR. BRILHANTE: Yeah, that's a good question. I think with some of the departments, like, I know for Mass Transit, for example, we have sup—we do have some supplementary insurance for catastrophic events. So, I think that goes to other departments as well. There's some coverage to that effect. But, for Work Comp., unfortunately, it is—comes out of our General Fund and it's directly self- insured. So, when we had this the rash of officer -involved shootings, that was something where—why we had to go in and request more money for that—those type of situations. So, I would like to have a nest egg for worst case scenarios but, unfortunately, it's just not there. MR. KUNZ: Thank you. Page 8