5.9. SR 05-10-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item #5.9. ver MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor & City Council FROM: Pat Klaers, City Administrator DATE: May 10, 1999 SUBJECT: Update on Liquor Store and Planning Departments Both the planning department and the municipal liquor store have been operating without a department head for some time. The planning department has been without a director for almost a year, and it will end up being in the five month range where the liquor store has been without a department head. Both of these departments have functioned very well considering the absence of a department head and it is appropriate for the city to consider some financial compensation to the lead employees in those departments for their performance. It is, and has been, a great work experience for the individuals involved to temporarily take the lead in a department of the city. Additionally, to a certain degree, "stepping up" in the absence of a department head is part of the job. However, this added responsibility and authority has been for an extended period (not just a month vacation or illness) and has come without added financial benefit. It is recommended that the City Council consider a one time lump sum payment to the three members in the planning department and to the two lead liquor store clerks, Steve Tillmann and Brent Behrns. Brent and Steve were the two individuals who took on the management responsibility in Fritz' absence (Fritz was not retained as a consultant). All the individuals involved were allowed the freedom to earn overtime pay as much as needed, but this falls short of an appropriate financial compensation when looking at the additional responsibilities. Sometimes communities lay out a financial framework at the beginning of the absence of a department head (i.e. an employee is offered an extra 10 percent to lead the department in the interim). However, this did not happen in the Elk River situations. Now that we are nearing the end of these two departments operating without a department head, and considering how well the employees involved have responded, it is appropriate for us to financially compensate the individuals involved. 13065 Orono Parkway 0 P.O. Box 490 0 Elk River, MN 55330 0 TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 0 Fax: (612) 441-7425