The
Ellettsville, Indiana, Town Council met in regular session at 7:30 PM, Monday, November
10th, 2003 at the Town Hall. David
Sorokoty called the meeting to order. Ray
Freetage led in prayer. David Drake led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll Call: David
Sorokoty asked for roll call of the Council Members. Members present were David Sorokoty,
President; David Drake, Vice-President; Ray Freetage; Lisa Combs-Creech and
Geraldine McIntyre. Also present were
Sandra Hash, Clerk-Treasurer and Mike Spencer, Attorney.
Supervisors
Present, Jim Davis, Jim Ragle, Ron McGlocklin, Mike Farmer and Jeff Farmer.
Approval of the meeting
minutes for October 27th, 2003
Geraldine McIntyre moved to approve the minutes. Lisa Creech seconded. Motion carried.
Action to pay Accounts
Payable Vouchers
Ray Freetage moved to approve
the accounts payable vouchers. Lisa
Creech seconded. Motion carried.
Resolutions
Resolution 27-03 Transfer of
Funds
David Sorokoty read the
Resolution in its entirety. Below is a
list of the transfers:
From: F-234 Fire Station Bldg. Maintenance $750.00
To: F-221 Gasoline & Oil $750.00
From: F-232 Radio Repairs $500.00 To: F-231 Truck Repairs $500.00
From: MVH-234 Uniforms & Laundry $800.00
To: MVH-221 Gasoline & Oil $800.00
From: MVH-222 Tires & Tubes $1,000.00
To: MVH-231 Vehicle Maintenance $1,000.00
From: LRS-241 Stone $1,430.00
To: LRS-441 Equipment $1,430.00
Geraldine McIntyre made a
motion to approve Resolution 27-03.
David Drake seconded. Motion
carried.
Resolution 28-03 Employer
Participation in the Pick-Up of Additional Employee Contributions
Sandra Hash explained that PERF is now offering a new pre-tax retirement saving option that is available to our employees if we choose to participate in the program. This is a voluntary program and the Town can withdraw from the voluntary contribution plan at any time. However, in order to participate in this program we must first pass a Resolution agreeing to offer this retirement option to our employees. After we pass the resolution employees who are eligible can make voluntary pre-tax contributions to their Annuity Savings Account. To be eligible an employee must have five years of creditable service with PERF or TRF, and then they will be entitled to a two-year election period to make voluntary contributions.
Currently each employee makes a 3% mandatory contribution to PERF. The Town pays a percentage varying each year from 5% to 7.5% of the employee’s wages. The phrase “pick-up” refers to the employee may pick-up additional voluntary pre-tax and post-tax contributions up to 10%. The Town holds their portion and each employee’s mandatory and voluntary contributions in the payroll account then pays PERF quarterly. PERF also included a question and answer sheet of frequently asked
questions about the voluntary pre-tax contribution program and if anyone needs more information a copy can be obtained in the Clerk-Treasurer’s office.
If we pass this Resolution we will have a training program presentation for the employees later.
David Drake made a motion to adopt Resolution 28-03. Ray Freetage seconded. Motion carried.
Ordinances on First
Ordinance 03-21 Amending
chapter 36 of the
David Sorokoty read the Ordinance in its entirety. Sandra Hash explained this was discussed sometime in the 1990’s. The Police and Firemen should receive time and one half pay when they are required to attend a court proceeding outside their regularly scheduled hours. This is stated in the Policemen’s Standard Operating Procedures which was accepted by the Town several years ago but it is not in the Town’s Personnel Policy. This provision will place the information in the personnel policy for a guide when processing payroll. This is an issue on this next payroll and it should be passed on the first reading in order to pay the officer correctly.
David Drake mentioned the wording should be changed slightly. The wording was discussed. David Drake made a motion to amend Ordinance 03-21 to delete in section 1, number 1, (c) delete the words “while that person is on his or her day off” and substitute that with “outside the employee’s scheduled hours of duty” and then amend at the end of that sentence, add “at the overtime rate” so that entire sentence would read “Notwithstanding sections 36.30 (D)(2)(a) and (b) if the Marshal, Deputy Marshal or a Firefighter is required to attend a court hearing pursuant to a subpoena and such attendance will occur outside the employee’s scheduled hours of duty that person shall be paid time and a half with a minimum payment of two (2) hours at the overtime rate, provided such court attendance is related to his or her duties for the Town of Ellettsville.” Ray Freetage seconded. Motion carried. David Drake moved that Ordinance 03-21 be submitted for first reading. Geraldine McIntyre seconded. Motion carried. David Drake moved that Ordinance 03-21 be adopted on the same day as introduced. Lisa Creech seconded. Motion carried. David Drake moved that Ordinance 03-21 be adopted. Ray Freetage seconded. Motion carried.
New Business
Proclamation to Honor Veterans – Proclaiming the month of November as
Veteran’s Appreciation Month
Ray Freetage read the proclamation in its entirety. Ray Freetage moved to approve the
proclamation. Lisa Creech seconded. Motion carried.
Privilege of the Floor
Chuck Radke informed
the Council he attended his first Animal Control Board Meeting on October 6th,
2003. They are still in the process of
reviewing the county ordinance and are trying to make Bloomington and Monroe
County more consistent with each other.
David Sorokoty asked
Chuck to check to see if there are any Ellettsville Ordinances pertaining to
this. Maybe Ellettsville should also
agree with Bloomington and the County as well.
David Drake stated
he had reviewed the Town’s Code and there aren’t any Ordinances on animal
control. If we would pass any, we would
have to have our own animal control officers and a shelter.
Chuck Radke believes
the County Ordinances covers Ellettsville.
He added they have started a new computer program to track the calls.
Darlyne Sowder
announced The Exchange Club of Ellettsville will be honoring Veterans and
people who fly the American Flag correctly at the Ellettsville First Assembly
of God church at 6:30 p. m. Tuesday, November 11th in their “One
Nation under God” prayer service. She
invited the public to attend.
David Sorokoty read
a letter from the Exchange Club. It
reads:
Dear Ellettsville Business Owners, the
Exchange Club has once again made a commitment to provide 25 bicycles to
children in the Ellettsville area this holiday season. This is the second year we have participated
in the “Bikes For Tykes” project that was started by
the Terre Haute Exchange Club three years ago.
The Salvation Army and other service organizations will provide the
names of twenty-five deserving children in Richland and Bean Blossom Townships. The Exchange Club of Ellettsville will make
sure that each of the children has a bicycle and smiling face this holiday
season. Area businesses may help by
sending donations to The Exchange Club of Ellettsville, Post Office Box 312,
Ellettsville, IN. 47429 or call Julie Tucker, project chairperson at
935-6120. Each $40 donation will provide
one bicycle. Exchange, America’s
Service Club, is a group of men and women working together to make our
communities better places to live through programs of service in Americanism,
Community Service, Youth Activities and its national project, the Prevention of
Child Abuse. The organization’s goal is
to ignite the spirit of community service throughout the nation. Thanks for your help, sincerely, Julie Tucker.
Supervisor’s Comments
Michael Farmer requested
permission to fill the vacancy in the Utilities Department. The full-time job has been posted and 3
applications have been received. Lisa
Creech made a motion to allow Mike Farmer to fill the vacancy. David Drake seconded. Motion carried. He added the employee they have chosen to
fill the vacancy wants to transfer from the Street Department to the Utilities
Department. He requested the employee be
allowed to retain his current status in pay and waive the probationary period
since the transfer is internal within the Town.
Geraldine McIntyre made a motion to allow the Utilities Department to
have this employee to stay at this same rate and no probation period. David Drake seconded. Motion carried 3-2.
Ron McGlocklin informed
the Council one of his employees was hurt while on the job and is on workers
compensation currently. However, the
employee was informed that he will loose 3 holidays while on medical
leave. He will not return to work until
December 1st. Ron and the employee are
both concerned and feel it isn’t fair to loose 3 holidays just because he is on
worker’s compensation leave. His employment
status has not changed. He added that as
an officer he has the potential of being called for duty at any time,
therefore, like the firemen their holidays float and can be taken whenever the
officer chooses. He believes the
employee’s holidays should roll over to the next month.
Sandra Hash explained she
had informed the employee of this so he wouldn’t be surprised when he didn’t
receive the holidays. She added a
similar situation had occurred in the past with another employee in the Police
Department. She requested Mike Spencer’s
advice at that time. Mike reviewed the
Personnel Policy and told her the employee must actually be working the day
before and the day after a holiday to receive the holiday. Therefore, that employee did not receive holidays
while he was out on worker’s compensation leave.
Mike Spencer agreed that
the employee must be actually working to earn the holiday.
Sandra Hash stated prior
to her taking office it was customary to give Policemen and Firemen all of
their holidays starting January 1st of each year. The
Police and Fire Departments can’t take off for holidays therefore they have
floating Holidays. This is not covered in the personnel policy. Maybe it would be less confusing to credit
each employee the holiday as it is earned to avoid confusion.
Geraldine McIntyre agreed
the employee should not be paid for the holidays while on worker’s
compensation.
Ron McGlocklin requested
the holiday policy be looked at closer.
Jim Davis pointed out
that this would not work for the Fire Department because it takes three eight
hour days to make one fireman’s shift, therefore, if nine full-time guys were
made to fit in the remainder of their holidays they earn in the last two months
of the year it would be hard to take all of the days off.
David Sorokoty said the
Council will look at the policy concerning holidays.
Ed Bitner stated there
are rules governing worker’s compensation and suggested the Council look into
it.
Lisa Creech suggested a
work session on this matter. She thanked
the Council for the baby gift and their thoughtfulness.
Adjournment
He asked for a motion to adjourn.
Geraldine McIntyre moved for adjournment. Ray Freetage seconded. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at
_____________________________ __________________________
David Sorokoty,
President David
Drake, Vice President
_____________________________ __________________________
Lisa Combs-Creech Ray
Freetage
____________________________ __________________________
Geraldine McIntyre Sandra
C. Hash, Clerk-Treasurer