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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 04-28RESOLUTION NO.04-28 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION,ARIZONA,ADOPTING A CERTAIN POLICY DOCUMENT FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK AND ENTITLED "EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS AND PROBLEM SOLVING". WHEREAS,i t is the desire of the Mayor and City Council to have an organization that is foremost in customer service;and WHEREAS,the Mayor and City Council recognize that effective internal communication and problem solving policies are vital to the overall integrity of the organization and a key component in providing quality customer service;and WHEREAS,the Mayor and City Council wish to,obligate the City Manager,city management,supervisors and city employees to engage in a program of open communication and problem resolution by adopting a formal policy that addresses these issues. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION,ARIZONA,AS FOLLOWS: 1.That a certain policy document entitled "Employee Communications and Problem Solving" attached hereto as Exhibit A is hereby adopted. 2.That a certain policy document entitled "Employee Communications and Problem Solving" as referenced above,three copies of which are on file in the office of the City Clerk,is hereby declared to be a public record and that said copies are ordered to remain on file with the City Clerk and are available for public use and inspection. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA,THIS 19TH DAY OF OCTOBER ,2004. SIGNED AND ATTESTED TO THIS 19TH DAY OF OCTOBER ,2004. DOUGLAS 1tOLEMAN Mayor ATTEST: RESOLUTION NO.04-28 PAGE 1 OF 2 KATHLEEN CONNELLY City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: 10-06-04 RICHARD J.STERN City Attorney RESOLUTION NO.04-28 PAGE 2 OF 2 Exhibit "A" City of Apache Junction Employee Communication and Problem Solving Section 1.Purpose The citizens of the City of Apache Junction have a fundamental interest in the development and maintenance of harmonious and cooperative relations between the Mayor and City Council, the City Manager, Management, and Employees of the City; The Mayor and City Council, the City Manager,Management, and Employees of the City recognize that full communication and effective problem solving between the City and its employees can provide for a more effective and responsive organization and improved service to the community; The purpose of this resolution is to obligate the City Manager, management and supervisors, and employees to enter into open communication and dialogue for the purposes of enhancing and improving organizational communications, problem solving, and overall effectiveness. Section 2.Fundamental Beliefs The Mayor and City Council desire an organization that employees are proud of and an organization which understands its fundamental purpose for being:to serve the community.Project Service Over and Above the Rest (S.O.A.R.) seeks to achieve these objectives;the City Manager is therefore directed to continue Project S.O.A.R.'s implementation. Employees of the City of Apache Junction bring value to the organization and to the community.They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.The Mayor and City Council value fairness, employee participation, and believe that, in general, issues are best addressed at the level of employees closest to those issues. Section 3.Structure and Process Through Project S.O.A.R., the City Manager is directed to involve dozens of employees.This involvement shall occur on a project -by -project basis, with teams continually being formed,work performed,and team disbanded as projects are completed, communications enhanced, and processes improved. In addition to these ad hoc teams, the City Manager is directed to provide employees with meaningful dialogue through the following structure and process. Advisory Team Purpose and Objectives •The purpose of the Advisory Team is to provide the City Manager with employee perspectives on issues of organization -wide importance.For example, the Advisory Team will work with the Leadership Team in analyzing,assessing,and recommending administrative policies for the organization. Page 1 of 9 Process •The Advisory Team shall provide a forum and process for addressing employee concerns that are of organization -wide importance.For example, if an employee were concerned that sick leave was being implemented differently in one department than in others, the Team could address the issue. •The Advisory . Team shall not hear or address individual grievances or personnel matters.Those shall be addressed through the City's personnel policies or through a mediation process, as shall be described below. 1.The Team shall meet on at least a quarterly basis and may meet more frequently if needed.If the Team wishes to meet on more than a monthly basis,it shall seek the permission of the City Manager. 2.The City Manager and the Team shall have face-to-face communication at the initiation of either the Manager or the Team. Face-to-face communication and dialogue are encouraged by the Mayor and City Council. 3.The Team may designate members from among its number to meet and coordinate with other teams or groups. 4.When making a formal recommendation, the Team shall do so in writing.If the recommendation seeks action from the City Manager, the City Manager shall have 30 calendar days in which to respond in writing. 5.The City Manager shall provide the City Clerk with a copy of his correspondence and that of the Team.He shall notify the Mayor and City Council that such correspondence has occurred. Team Composition and Internal Leadership •In 2004,the core of the Team shall be comprised of current Advisory Team members.This team shall be comprised of approximately 20 full-time classified employees from a proportional cross-section of the organization, both by department and type of classification (e.g., clerical, professional, supervisory, etc.).It shall not include employees who are division or department directors.It shall not include employees who are members of the Leadership Team. o For the purpose of this resolution a full-time classified employee is defined per the City Personnel Rules as • unlimited and full-time. •Approximately, but not less than, half the representatives of the Police Department shall be members designated by the AJPOA Board. •For FY 2004-05,the Advisory Team shall retain its current members.However, the Team and the City Manager are tasked with developing a long-term plan to meet the objectives as noted above.The Mayor and City Council's expectation is that the team will periodically have new members so that there is not wholesale turnover of the team and so that there is some continuity on the team. Page 2 of 9 •The Team shall select its chairperson and vice chairperson and shall operate its meetings in a manner determined by the Team. Staff Support •Any minutes that the Advisory Team may choose to maintain shall be produced by a member of the team.Alternatively, the team may request that the Secretary to the City Manager keep a record of their actions.A representative or representatives from Human Resources shall attend Team meetings. Classification and Compensation Team Purpose and Objectives 1.The purpose of the Classification and Compensation Team is to provide the City Manager with a draft Classification and Compensation Plan. 2.The Mayor and City Council shall identify the labor market, indicate whether the study is to be market based, and provide any other such direction it may choose. 3.The Manager shall review such plan and, with or without proposed changes, ask the Team to present the Plan to the Mayor and City Council for consideration and possible adoption. Process 1.Currently, it is expected that the Team will meet every other year to review the plan, update the data, and recommend a new plan. The frequency of the actual update shall be determined by the Mayor and City Council. 2.The Mayor and City Council understand that the development of Classification and Compensation Plans is often within the sole purview of Human Resource professionals.While the Mayor and City Council wish to pursue an employee -based development of the City's plan,they expect the Plan to represent the best practices known to exist within the human resources profession. Therefore, with the structure and parameters as determined by the City Council,the staff of Human Resources shall provide the actual data gathering; presentation of the data to the Team in a useful format;provide technical,mathematical,and statistical assistance;and provide professional knowledge through their understanding of classification and compensation issues. 3.The Team may designate members from among its number to meet and coordinate with other teams or groups. 4.The Team shall designate a core group of members to meet with the Insurance and Benefits Team to develop recommendations concerning implementation of the Classification and Compensation plan. 5.Team shall provide its recommendations to the Leadership Team for review and comment prior to submitting its recommendations to the City Manager.Leadership Team comments shall be advisory only to the Classification and Compensation Team. Page 3 of 9 6.When making a formal recommendation, the Team shall do so in writing.If the recommendation seeks action from the City Manager, the City Manager shall have 30 calendar days in which to respond in writing. 7.The City Manager shall provide the City Clerk with a copy of his correspondence and that of the Team.He shall notify the Mayor and City Council that such correspondence has occurred. 8.The City Manager may ask representatives of the Team to present their findings and recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. Team Composition and Internal Leadership •This team shall be comprised of approximately 20 full-time classified employees from a proportional cross-section of the organization, both by department and type of classification (e.g., clerical,professional,supervisory,etc.).It shall include employees who are division or department directors. •Approximately, but not less than, half the representatives of the Police Department shall be members designated by the AJPOA Board. •The Team shall select its chairperson and vice chairperson and • shall operate its meetings in a manner determined by the Team. Staff Support •Any minutes that the Classification and Compensation Team may choose to maintain shall be produced by a member of the team. Alternatively, the team may request that the City Manager provide for secretarial support. •Human Resources staff shall provide for professional staff support as described above and shall be in attendance at meetings. •The City Manager shall communicate with the Team as determined by the Team or the Manager.Informal dialogue is encouraged. Insurance and Benefits Team Purpose and Objectives 1.The purpose of the Insurance and Benefits Team is to provide the City Manager with employee perspectives on insurance and other benefits.The intent is to allow the City Manager and the Mayor and City Council to understand these complex issues from an employee point of view. 2.The Mayor and City Council anticipate that the Team will meet on a schedule that allows it to inform the annual budgetary process. Process 1.The Mayor and City Council understand that insurance and benefit issues are often within the sole purview of Human Resource professionals.While the Mayor and City Council wish to pursue . an employee -informed development of the Page 4 ,of.9 City's benefits plans, they expect the Plan to represent the best practices known to exist within the human resources profession.Therefore, the staff of Human Resources shall provide for the actual data gathering; presentation of the data; provision of data in a format useful to the Team;provide technical,mathematical,and statistical data;and provide professional knowledge through their understanding of insurance and benefit issues. 2.Any minutes that the Insurance and Benefits Team may choose to maintain shall be produced by a member of the team.Alternatively,the team may request that the City Manager procure secretarial support. 3.The Team may designate members from among its number to meet and coordinate with other teams, such as the Leadership Team. 4.When making a formal recommendation, the Team shall do so in writing.If the recommendation seeks action from the City Manager, the City Manager shall have 30 calendar days in which to respond in writing. 5.The City Manager shall provide the City Clerk with a copy of his correspondence and that of the Team.He shall notify the Mayor and City Council that such correspondence has occurred. 6.The City Manager may ask representatives of the Team to present their findings and recommendations to the Mayor and City Council. Team Composition and Internal Leadership •This team shall be comprised of approximately 20 full-time classified employees from a proportional cross-section of the organization, both by department and type of classification (e.g., clerical,professional,supervisory,etc.).It shall include employees who are division or department directors. •Approximately, but not less than, half the representatives of the Police Department shall be members designated by the AJPOA Board. •The Team shall select its chairperson and shall operate its meetings in a manner determined by the Team. Staff Support • • Human Resources staff shall provide for professional staff support as described above and shall be in attendance at meetings. The City Manager shall communicate with the Team as determined by the Team or the Manager.Informal dialogue is encouraged. Leadership Team The City Manager is encouraged to avail himself of the talent of leaders within the organization.The Mayor and City Council do not wish to delineate in this resolution how Page 5 of 9 such a team might function but do encourage the Manager to retain and develop such a team. •For the purpose of this resolution only,for issues of classification, compensation, insurance, and benefits, the Leadership Team's function is to review and submit advisory comments to those teams respectively. Apache Junction Police Officers Association Context At the direction of the Mayor and City Council, the City Manager has engaged in dialogue with the Board of Directors for the AJPOA.Out of that dialogue came an expression by the AJPOA of their core interests.The City Manager concurs with these interests which include but are not limited to: 1.An understanding and acknowledgement by the City Manager and the Mayor and City Council that there are issues within the Police Department that are unique and not experienced by other departments of the City and those issues will .be addressed in a manner specific and relevant to the unique nature of the department. 2.It is mutually understood that there are some issues which may be city-wide, such as pay and some benefits; and 3.There is a general interest, when possible, in resolving issues at the lowest,least formal,and least adversarial level appropriate, understanding that not all issues can be addressed in this manner; and 4.The process should then involve access to the City Manager's Office; and 5.There should be a group of people within the Police Department who are authorized, permitted, and tasked with bringing issues forward; and 6.The process should be formalized so that issues are not forgotten, so that they do not "fall through the cracks"; and 7.The process should have specific time periods _associated with addressing the issues; and 8.The process should result in a formal written document and be utilized. Purpose and Objectives •The AJPOA serves within the ,Police Department as a group of people who is authorized,permitted, and tasked with bringing forward issues specific to the Police Department. Process 1.The City Manager shall meet with the AJPOA Board no less frequently than every six months for at least four hours per meeting.If mutually desired, meetings can occur more frequently. This minimum number of meetings, or frequency of meetings,may only be reduced if mutually agreed upon by both parties. 2.The City Manager and the Association shall formalize in writing the statement of concern and the solution or course of action agreed to.A copy of this shall be retained by the AJPOA; by the Page 6 of 9 City Manager (consistent with Public Records law); by the City Clerk (consistent with Public Records law); and copies distributed to the Police Department and to the Mayor and City Council. 3.By mutual agreement the AJPOA and City Manager may invite others to attend. 4.The Mayor and City Council encourage the Chief of Police, like all department directors, to actively communicate with; problem -solve with;and actively seek to resolve issues with departmental employees. 5.The Chief of Police and the AJPOA shall commence meeting within 30 days of the adoption of this resolution and shall establish a regular meeting schedule. Issues of concern shall be addressed at those meetings and documented appropriately. 6.Issues of concern that are unique to the Police Department shall first be addressed with the Chief of Police.If the AJPOA and the Chief of Police are unable to arrive at mutual agreement, the AJPOA shall advise the Chief that they intend to take the issue to the City Manager.The AJPOA will then set forth their issues and concerns in writing to the Chief.The Chief shall then provide the AJPOA and the City Manager a written communication describing his/her perspectives on the issue within 10 business days. 7.In the event that the AJPOA and the City Manager do not reach an agreement, the AJPOA shall, within 20 business days, set forth its issues and concerns in writing, along with its recommended solution.The City Manager shall have 20 business days in which to respond in writing.A copy of this shall be retained by the AJPOA; by the City Manager (consistent with Public Records law); by the City Clerk (consistent with Public Records law); and copies shall be distributed to the Police Department and to the Mayor and City Council. 8.In the event that the AJPOA and City Manager do not see issue resolution in the same way, both are encouraged to utilize outside mediation or facilitation services as provided by such organizations as the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. 9.Like the Advisory Team, the AJPOA and the City Manager shall not hear or address individual grievances or personnel matters. Those shall be addressed through the City's personnel policies or through a mediation process, as shall be described below. 10. This section shall in no way abridge the ability of the AJPOA to assist employees through the grievance process as provided through the Weingarten ruling, City Personnel Policies, and Police Department Policies. 11. Members of the Board (up to, but not exceeding, five in number) shall be considered "on the clock" when meeting with the City Manager and/or Chief of Police; that is, hours spent meeting with the City Manager shall be considered hours worked.The AJPOA shall attempt to provide the Chief with notice of meeting time sufficient so that schedules can be revised;alternatively,if schedule revision is not feasible, time spent with the Chief or Manager shall be allowed and compensated consistent with the City's Personnel Policies. Page 7 of 9 12. Each of the elected board members of the AJPOA shall be allowed to use up to 25 hours of on -duty time to prepare for and conduct meetings with the• Chief of Police and City Manager as described above.This amount may be increased with the mutual consent of the AJPOA, Chief of Police, and City Manager. Staff Support Board Members of the AJPOA shall come to be on the Board based on the internal rules for the Association. The City Manager shall have no role in their selection. No technical support is contemplated for this Team. Ad Hoc Mediation Team The Advisory Team,in discussing communication and problem solving for the organization, brainstormed the possibility of an informal process to resolve employee -to- employee or employee -and -supervisor concerns.It is only a concept at this time. Purpose and Objectives •The City Manager, in conjunction with such Teams listed above, shall explore the creation of Ad Hoc Mediation Teams.Such teams are conceptualized as being an informal problem -solving approach by which an employee might address a concern with a coworker or with a supervisor.It would not be a grievance process.Rather, it would focus on communication and problem solving in an informal context. Process •One process might be one wherein each party could select two coworkers to assist with the problem resolution.Those individuals,perhaps with a mediator/facilitator,could meet to address concerns. The City Manager is directed to provide the Mayor and City Council on findings for this concept in his summer of 2005 progress report, as referenced below. Section 4.Implementation City Manager "City Manager"may mean the City Manager himself or it may mean his appointed designee.The Manager is encouraged to take an active and direct role in working with employees; it is also understood he is one person with a wide range of responsibilities and obligations. Unforeseen Issues As a very broad -based initiative,this resolution anticipates that not every implementation issue shall have been conceived of, contemplated, or included in this resolution.Therefore, this resolution provides several approaches for implementation guidance. Page,8 of 9 First, the City Manager and all employees are directed to the Purpose and Fundamental Beliefs as described in Sections 1 and 2 above for the basic spirit and intent of this resolution. Second, the Advisory Team is tasked with interpretation decisions for all aspects of this resolution, with the exception of those sections concerning the AJPOA.The AJPOA and the City Manager shall problem solve as set forth in the outline above. Third, the City Manager is tasked with returning to the Mayor and City Council in the summer of 2005 to provide a progress report.Issues needing clarification shall be addressed with the Mayor and City Council. Training The City Manager, after consulting with the Teams noted above, shall request resources in the FY 2005-06 budget for training.Areas for training are contemplated at the time of this resolution as potentially including, but not being limited to: •Interest -based communication.Interest -based communications is envisioned as a process that o is a non -adversarial problem solving technique, o focuses on interests rather than positions, o involves an open process of sharing information and goals, o seeks to achieve mutual gain. •Training persons to serve as facilitators for such groups as the Advisory Team; the Classification and Compensation Team; and the Insurance and Benefits Team, for example. •Training persons to serve as peer mediators. The City Manager is encouraged to "lead by example" in finding and receiving training in these areas. Section 5.Evaluation This resolution does not anticipate that this first model will be the perfect model forever. Therefore, the City Manager is directed to bring back an evaluation of this resolution, its implementation, its efficiency and effectiveness, and its consequences to the Mayor and City Council in the summer of 2006 for Mayor and Council consideration and possible revision.The Mayor and City Council recommend that an Evaluation Team be formed to solicit comment from such interested parties,such as the Advisory Team,the Classification and Compensation Team, the Insurance and Benefits Team, the Apache Junction Police Officers Association, and the Leadership Team, for example. Page 9 of 9