5.3 ERMUSR 07-10-2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Elk River Municipal Utilities UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING TO: FROM: ERMU Commission Wage & Benefits Committee MEETING DATE: AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: July 10, 2018 5.3 SUBJECT: Wage &Benefits Committee Update ACTION REQUESTED: Per the recommendation of the Wage & Benefits Committee, approve the following: • Policy language change for 457 deferred compensation manager contributions to be a match • Employer contribution to 457 deferred compensation for all employees to be made each payroll rather than May 31st • Award of annual personal leave day to January 1 rather than June 1 BACKGROUND: Per the Governance Policy G.2g1 Wage & Benefits Committee Charter and consistent with Governance Policy G.2g Commission Committees, the committee shall meet on a quarterly basis. The committee met on May 30 and had a follow up meeting on June 27. DISCUSSION: The primary focus for this meeting was to update on items from the May meeting regarding staffing levels, organizational growth, and succession planning. Additionally, the committee reviewed proposed policy language changes needed to comply with state statute for the 457 deferred compensation plan for the manager group. An update by staff was provided for the committee regarding work in progress related to staffing levels,organizational growth,and succession planning implemented in May. The analyses for the vacant specialist positions are nearly complete as well as the evaluation of the essential job duties for the other three specialist positions. The city and utilities are finalizing language for a memorandum of understanding(MOU)for IT services. This MOU was needed to complete the job description for the Operational Technology Manager position. The analysis for the Executive Administrative Assistant was completed. The Field Crew Foreperson job description was completed and posted with a closing date of Friday,July 6. This work in progress will be reviewed by the committee on August 8 with recommendations coming to the commission on August 14. A new discussion item for this meeting was the topic of the previously passed policy change to include an employer contribution of 2.5%to the 457 plan for managers. This was passed last year to help address the salary compression that exists in our current pay structure between management and they staff they supervise. There is a state statute that limits an employer contribution to be a matched contribution since we are a public entity participating in PERA,and this statute was provided for Page 1 of 2 99