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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-06-10 Minutes Salary CommissionSalary Commission County Council Room Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street, First Floor, Room 1401 Hilo, Hawaii June 10, 2014 CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Salary Commission, County of Hawaii, was called Item 1): to order at 10:00 a.m. by Chair Pudding Lassiter on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at the County Council Room, Hawaii County Building, 25 Aupuni Street, First Floor, Room 1401, Hilo, Hawaii. ROLL CALL Present: Ms. Pudding Lassiter, Chair Ms. Marcella L. Stroh, Vice -Chair Mr. Michael B. Sumja, Second Vice -Chair Mr. Brian J. De Lima, Member Mr. Melvin S. Morimoto, Member Absent: Mr. George J. Handgis, Member Also Present: Mr. Nicholas Hermes, Deputy Director, HR Department Ms. Rene Schoen, Deputy Corporation Counsel, Ofc. of the Corp. Counsel Mr. Joe Kamelamela, Senior Deputy Corporation Counsel, Ofc of the Corp. Counsel Ms. Jennifer Sakamoto, HR Manager II, HR Department Ms. Jarnie Martines, Professional Trainee II, HR Department Ms. Glynis Yamada, Secretary -Reporter, HR Department ADDENDUM TO The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of business, AGENDA Addendum to Agenda. Item 2): (There was none.) STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE PUBLIC Statements from the Public. Item 3): (There were none.) APPROVAL OF The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of MINUTES business, Approval of Minutes. Item 4): Salary Commission June 10, 2014 Motion to Amend Mr. Morimoto moved to amend the minutes of April 28, 2014, by adding the Minutes of April Ms. Sharon Toriano's name to the list of those being present at the 28, 2014: meeting. The motion was seconded by Mr. Sumja. Motion to Approve: Mr. Morimoto moved that the minutes of April 17, 2014 and April 28, 2014, as amended, be approved. The motion was seconded by Ms. Stroh. The roll call vote to approve the Minutes of April 17, 2014 and April 28, 2014, as amended, was as follows: AYES: Commission Members De Lima, Morimoto, Stroh, Sumja, and Chair Lassiter — 5. NOES: None. ABSENT: Commission Member Handgis —1. EXCUSED: None. COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS Communications. Item 5): (There were none.) NEW BUSINESS The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of business, Item 6): New Business. (There was none.) UNFINISHED The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of business, BUSINESS Unfinished Business. Item 7): A) REVIEW OF EXISTING COMPENSATION PLAN TO INCLUDE CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE DECISION-MAKING ON PROPOSALS FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO CURRENT SALARIES OF EXECUTIVES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS; INVESTIGATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE'S PRESENTATION ON FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE CURRENT COMPENSATION PLAN AND PROPOSALS FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SALARIES OF EXECUTIVES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS Motion to Approve: Mr. Stroh moved to approve the Sub -Committee's Report, dated May 28, 2014. The motion was seconded by Mr. Morimoto. Page 2 Salary Commission Motion to Approve Withdrawn: June 10, 2014 Mr. Stroh proceeded to report on the Sub -Committees findings and recommendations concerning their proposals for salary adjustments, as follows: Mayor, $132,000; Managing Director, $119,000; Deputy Managing Director, $115,000; Council Chair, $58,000; and Council Member(s), $52,000. The salaries would take effect on July 1, 2014. Mr. De Lima commented that the Commission would receive the report of the Sub -Committee today and then would schedule a subsequent meeting for action. The motion to approve would be in order, except we would need to defer action until our next meeting, or we could withdraw the motion and ask questions concerning the recommendation, but we're unable to take action today. Ms. Schoen clarified that it's her understanding that at the April 28 meeting, the Commission deferred action on the matters that are contained in the Sub - Committee's Report. And so, today, the Sub -Committee will present their recommendations and findings. If there needs to be any type of clarification as to the recommendations and findings, they can do that today, but no deliberation, discussion, or decision-making would occur today, and that it would occur at a subsequent meeting. The motion was withdrawn by Ms. Stroh and Mr. Morimoto. Mr. De Lima stated that he was a participant of the Sub -Committee and that its Chair, Ms. Stroh, has indicated their recommendations. It's important for the Salary Commission to understand the basis of their recommendations and would like to address the discussion that occurred in their meeting for the Commission's information. Please note that the following has been transcribed verbatim as stated by Mr. De Lima: "First of all, I think it's important that we recognize that the citizens of Hawai'i County establish a Salary Commission by authority of the Hawai'i County Charter. And the responsibility of the Commission is to establish salaries of all County - elected officials and appointed directors and deputy directors. And the Charter specifically provides so that their total salaries and benefits have a reasonable relationship to the compensation in the public and private sector. 'The Commission of the past year have made decisions to ensure that the pay plan for elected officials, directors, and deputy directors are equitable and have a reasonable relationship with the highest paid subordinate. If you look at the adjustments we've made, we've made no adjustments for those directors who are paid higher than their subordinate. Page 3 Salary Commission June 10, 2014 'The proposed recommendations for the adjustments to the Mayor, Managing Director, and Deputy Managing Director are perceived by the Sub -Committee to be the final adjustments to ensure that compensation is fair and equitable. The pay adjustments would still have our employee's pay scale less than the City and County of Honolulu and the County of Maui. The County of Kaua'i is presently considering adjustments to their salaries, which still would—which may result in Hawaii County still having the lowest pay scale in the State. 'The adjustments to the Council Chair and Council Member salaries would still result—even with the increase—would still result in our Council being the lowest paid members in the State of Hawaii. 'The Salary Commission is responsible, by law, for adjusting salaries for the position and office being held and not in regard to who holds the office. So, we gave no consideration to individual's personal views on the salary—whether they would take it or not take it—because it doesn't—we're not giving a person, we're giving the position the adjustment. ,And failure to make adjustments in salaries of elected and appointed officials for nearly a decade has resulted in the need for the actions, this past year, by the Salary Commission. In other words, the failure to do what the Charter requires have placed us in a position of having to make the adjustments in order to ensure that there is no inequity in subordinates making more than their supervisors and making more than the directors and deputy directors—and making more than the highest elected official in the County of Hawai'i. 'There is no equity, rationale, or justification for that and it does not comply with our responsibilities given to us by the County Charter. It would be a dereliction of our responsibilities. And that's, in essence, the discussion and findings by the Sub -Committee. Thank you, Madam Chair." Ms. Stroh thoroughly agreed with all of the comments that Mr. De Lima made and, in essence, they actually had to play a catch-up game. The Sub -Committee did a fantastic job in trying to be equitable in all of the positions that were adjusted. Mr. Sunnja thanked both Ms. Stroh and Mr. De Lima for doing a great job. What Mr. De Lima said is absolutely the way things should be and he's very proud of what the Sub -Committee was able to complete. Chair Lassiter thanked all of the Sub -Committee Members: Ms. Stroh, Mr. De Lima, and Mr. Sumja. Page 4 Salary Commission SCHEDULE NEXT MEETING DATE Item 8 ANNOUNCE- MENT Item 9): ADJOURNMENT Item 10 APPROVED: Pudding Lassiter Chair June 10, 2014 The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of business, Schedule Next Meeting Date. The Salary Commission will convene on Tuesday, July 8, at 10:00 a.m., in the County Council Room. (Please note that following the adjournment of the meeting, it was found that certain Members could not commit to the meeting date of July 8. The Commission Secretary was asked to check with all Commission Members concerning their availability. The Salary Commission will convene on Thursday, July 10, at 10 a.m. in the County Council Room.) The Chair directed the Commission to proceed to the next order of business, Announcements. (There was none.) There being no other business, at 10:12 a.m., Chair Lassiter declared the meeting adjourned. Respectfully submitted, vyt�-#Mak Glynis Yamada Secretary -Reporter Page 5