2011-01-28 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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MS. GARSON: Or is it just going to be organized that way, and they’re going to be meeting recommendations under that topic heading? MS. NICHOLSON: I think it’s really some methods that we discussed or addressed or that came up to address that particular issue. So rather than say, A. Work Hours/Benefits Pay, what I’m hearing from you is that it would be something like –that we are recommending that the County look at reducing or reformatting or providing more flexibility for employee work hours? MS. GARSON: Yeah. Something like that. MS. NICHOLSON: Something like that and then –benefits would probably be a different one. What do you think? This is when we’re tackling it,right now. Would you like to jump into it right now and get a start and then we will probably not get through the whole thing today, but we will continue it on? So at least we’ll feel like we have something. MS. PROVALENKO: I like the idea. MS. NICHOLSON: But I do want to still keep in mind the, and maybe they’ll rise to the top as we go through the next couple of months, are these sort or overarching goals or themes for the County that Gloria has mentioned, because I think that’s going to be sort of the inspiration part. And then what we were talking about specifically today will fall under some of that. MS. WONG: Is anyone needing to leave at any time soon? Everybody’s good on time? MS. PROVALENKO: I’m good till about 12:30. MS. NICHOLSON: Let’s start. 7A. So we want to summarize work hours and group all of the work hour items in A. Actually this is the longest one, so we can get the longest one over first. We are recommending that the County work with the unions to provide employees with reduced and/or more flexible work hours. I’m separating benefits out. I don’t know that we’re really coming in favor of reduced work hours here. It’s more like if an employee wants to not work 40-hours a week, we’re going to allow that to happen. So, we’re not really saying we’re in support of furloughs or a reduced work week are we? MR. MATSUDA: Do we have to say anything about work with the union? Because all of these items you’re going to be working with anyway, and that’s why I’m thinking if it involves the union, just by listing it down as we have it here, it seems to be, in my mind, that it’s pretty much okay, understood that if this is the recommendation, well maybe this will fly, maybe this won’t fly. But as far as the recommendation, okay, this is what we’re recommending. Now the union has an affect on it, well, you’re going to work with the unions with maybe one, three, five, seven, six, or whatever number it is. Whatever recommendation you have. So, then these are the ones that you have to talk to the union about. So, I don’t see why you have to say, work with the union on every single one. 21