2023-08-30 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

Home

Merit Appeals Board August 30, 2023 MR. KUNZ: But it also looks like Maui and Kauai are in 2023 salary ranges and Hawaii still back in 2022so, they may have already had their schedules increased. Is that a possibility? MR. PATEL: Yes. So, City and Maui recently increased. Hawai`i's—our schedules are from 7/l/2022 but those have been the pay amounts since 2018. Yeah. MR. KUNZ: So, no doubt it warrants a increase but I think understanding that proportionately Maui and Kauai have received theirs—and then, now we can—it's not really apples and apples. It's probably a lot different if we saw their actual 2022 salary schedule. I'm just uncomfortable, arbitrarily, throwing out a number. I mean, granted, Danny, I think having heard now if the mayor or others who have their salary at their own will, suggesting what they are worth—leaving it to the commission and understanding that the commission has the best interest of understanding the number of years that there was no increase this reminds me of our branch manager—Gabe and Gay, you know who he is. Because they were in the EM's and they hadn't gotten increases for 10 years. And so, it was kind of incredible, but I would suspect that the commission has the best interest of each of the department heads. And following suit with the other counties, no doubt, there'll be an increase. I just have a hard time suggesting anywhere from 10, 15, or 18 percent—that's, kind of, out of my scope of negotiating skills. `Cause I don't—so, I'mI don't have a recommendation but I will say that I'm starting to lean toward allowing the commission to make that decision. MS. DE SOTO: So, I agree with that but I'm wondering if it wouldn't also still be benefit—and although, from the information that's been given, I understand that they are taking so many different factors into consideration in their own decision-making process. But I think it would be of benefit to emphasize the factors that we find are key as the Merit Appeals Board because, I think, Gay—or Gabe, you mentioned there are some unique things about what our HR department has gone through and what has been requested of our director in the last few years that could that others may not necessarily be aware of. And so, I agree, I'm uncomfortable giving a number as wellI have no experience to anything in this realm but I would like to advocate that it's equitable with the counties, not just for equitability reasons but also because we need—we have been having this huge issue in our counties of sustaining employees and recruiting employees. And as we're going through a recruitment process now, this would make a big difference if we could truly say that our director receives an equitable or competitive wage. Page 16