2025-09-24 Salary Commission Minutes

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Salary Commission September 24, 2025 MR. NELSON: So I assume the math is correct in the memo. I mean, I didn’t check it. I had assumed you guys (inaudible)—take that as a given. MS. FRENZ: So, just to clarify, I—what I did in my process for drafting the Proposed Findings of Fact for this Commission is I used my notes, I drafted—I created a draft and then sent it to Director Tokihiro to double-check the numbers. And based on that, she made the corrections— and based on the motion before you that you guys made at the last hearing—they drafted exhibit—the exhibits that you have a copy of, from this very communication that shows you what that would actually proport to be, if those raises were to take effect. I wanted to address one issue that was brought to my attention between our last hearing and now. I think that the—and part, Chair already touched on it earlier today—about whether or not this body was going to do an in-depth review of each department, right, which is why I think you also got some communications that showed the position description, the requirements for certain department heads. But what I learned very recently was that—and I can’t speak as to Fire but I presume Fire would likely be similar. But my understanding for the Police Department in a conversation I had—is that there’s $100.00 difference between the base pay of the Assistant Chief and the Deputy Chief. The biggest difference is the Assistant Chief’s get overtime—the Deputy Chief and the Chief do not. And the very—that concerned me if your efforts and attempt to make these changes are to avoid inversion and disparity between the appointed—the Fire Chief, the Deputy Chief, the Police Chief, the Deputy Police Chief—if there’s that small of a difference—and I, again, I can’t speak as to Fire. I think it might be possibly different, but I could be incorrect. But if the intent was to avoid disparity, that—the current proposed changes would not do that. So, if you are concerned about that, one option would be to remove Police and Fire from your proposed action, assuming you still want to continue course. You would remove those two departments and wait to see what those two departments’ unions actually result in for the step increases and the movements that those affected members would get—and then adjust for the Chief—Fire Chief, Police Chief, and Deputies—accordingly, thereafter. I believe Director Tokihiro can indicate some of the dates. I think one is a little closer to a resolution and one is for the end of the year/early next year. So, it might require pushing those out but that—if the intent of this body is to ensure we don’t have that disparity and the inversion, then—from what I understand, but I—Director Tokihiro is far more informed than I am. I don’t know that we hit that—we meet that mark as you intend for those two—at a bare minimum, I know for Police from what I was told—and I suspect Fire as well. MS. TOKIHIRO: So, good morning, Sommer Tokihiro, Director of Human Resources. So, yes, the bargaining units for SHOPO and HFFA are different from HGEA. And so, we’re—we’ve completed arbitration with the Police Officers Union—that arbitration award should be issued by the end of September but would need to be approved by all legislative bodies, but you would have that information within the next couple of months. Page 6