2008 0320 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting March 20, 2008 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida days per year, 4 weeks, and do we want to make that the maximum for all employees regardless of tenure for when we become an older City. Education Reimbursement Program Policy 506.1 - This policy will be amended to indicate that the maximum benefit amount of$2,000 per fiscal year may be exceeded by the City Manager who will also take into consideration funding availability. Sick Leave Policy 703.1 - There is no accumulation of sick leave hours after the maximum of 1200 hours has been obtained. He said once that maximum has been reached there is no longer an accumulation of sick leave. He said we do not have a specific line item for sick leave payouts, funding occurs through our salary/wages account via City Budget. City Manager Szerlag said for clarity that these are all questions and it is up to the City Commission ifthey want to make those modifications or clarifications that he is identifying. Public Speakers: none Mayor Edelcup recommended that under Policy 504.1, that it be amended that vacation time maxes out at 4 weeks a year after the 10th year, anything over 4 weeks puts a future burden on the City. He said on paying out accumulated sick leave, he noticed for the non-exempt employees that they get a percentage depending on how long they have been with the City, whereas under the exempt there is no criteria. It appears that they can get the 75% payout even if they have been here a very short period of time, the minimum that we require for the non-exempt is three (3) years, and he would think we could require the exempt employee to be here at least three (3) years to earn the same kind of a credit. City Manager Szerlag said that the philosophy behind that is that exempt employees are essentially, as everyone else is, at will, but an exempt employee can be more at will than someone else, and if they were here for one year, they would have accumulated about six days, and 75% of that would be paid out. Mayor Edelcup said that you set a standard that you expect all the employees in general to follow, and it doesn't seem quite fair that we have special treatment for the exempt person. City Manager Szerlag said the minimum for the next level is 3 years, and Mayor Edelcup said that non-exempt starts at 3, 5, 10, and 20 to get the 10%, 25%, 50% and 75% of the payout, whereas the exempt employee can be here for any length of time and wind up getting the full 75%. City Attorney Ottinot said that he was here when the former City Manager was creating this sick leave payout schedule, and one of the arguments that was used to have non-exempt employees in that category was the fact that it is seen as a benefit of upper management which is basically, in trying to compete in this market, bringing upper management to this City. Mayor Edelcup said that he is not questioning the entitlement to be sick and take it, he is questioning the entitlement to get paid for not being sick and then leaving after a short period of time. City Attorney Ottinot said he understands that but the argument was what are the other cities providing and if they are providing a benefit in terms of non-exempt of no years, or three years, if we have a lesser benefit would that hurt us competitively, and he asked City Manager Szerlag ifhe can look at other comparable cities. Vice Mayor Thaler said that he thinks that somebody should do a little more homework and 15