HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-20-2011WASHINGTON
COUNCIL OPERATIONS
COMMITTEE
September 20, 2011
4:30 PM
CONFERENCE ROOM 3
CITY HALL, 2ND FL
MINUTES
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chair Rich Wagner called the meeting to order at 4:30 p m. in Conference
Room 3 located on the second floor of Auburn City Hall located at 25
West Main Street in Auburn.
Members in attendance included Chair Wagner, Vice Chair -Sue Singer,
and Member Nancy Backus. Also in attendance were .Councilmember
Virginia Haugen, City Attorney Daniel B. Heid, Risk Manager' Rob Roscoe,
Employee Relations and Compensation Manager John Fletcher, and City
Clerk Danielle Daskam.
II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. August 9, 2011
Vice Chair Singer moved and Member Backus seconded to
approve the August 9, 2011- minutes of the Council Operations
Committee.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3 -0.
III. COUNCIL COMPENSATION
Committee members reviewed the chart titled Auburn City
Councilmembers' Salary Growth Over 20 Years Compared to Total City of
Auburn Employees and Councilmember Salaries of Various Cities
Compared Based on Populations.
Committee members also reviewed a revised chart reflecting Council
compensation increases over the past fifteen years by Ordinance number,
dated adopted and effective date. The last Council increase in
compensation wasrvoted on in October 2005.
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Council- Operations Committee ,September•20, 2011
Committee members also reviewed a survey of options for non -cash
compensation that is currently offered to other Councils.
Committee members reviewed benefits currently available to the Council,
including: Section 457 Deferred Compensation, Volunteer Employee
Benefits Association (VEBA), Public Employees Retirement System
(PERS), Flexible Spending Account, healthcare, long term care, life
insurance, short and long term disability insurance.
Committee members suggested that Human Resources prepare a
handbook for new Councilmembers of the benefits currently available to
Councilmembers.
Committee members reviewed the survey of other Councils and the
benefits they receive and noted the following differences with the benefits
currently provided to Auburn Councilmembers:
• Lynnwood — City pays for 100% for member healthcare
• SeaTac — City pays $103 per month in VEBA in lieu of healthcare
• Federal Way — City pays $450 per month in VEBA
• Kent — City pays $618 per month towards medical
• Puyallup — City pays for full cost of family health insurance, dental
and vision
• Kirkland — City pays $300 in lieu of medical
• Redmond - City pays between $500 and $800 per month for
healthcare
• Renton — City pays 100% for member healthcare (approximately
$600 per month) and pays two percent in deferred compensation
• Des Moines — Pays compensation per meeting
• Edmonds — Pays compensation per meeting in addition to regular
salary and pays 90% for member - medical
There was brief discussion regarding establishing an independent salary
commission responsible for setting the Council compensation.
Chair Wagner expressed opposition to forming a salary commission. Vice
Chair Singer stated that she would favor a salary commission if it was
advisory and the Council retained the ultimate authority for setting
compensation. Member Backus concurred.
It was consensus of the Committee to not pursue forming a salary
commission.
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Council Operations Committee September 20, 2011
Committee members reviewed the chart of Regence Washington
Healthfirst and Group Health premiums offered to non - affiliated
employees.
Vice Chair Singer proposed offering healthcare for the member only.
Committee members then discussed draft Ordinance No. 6373 dated
August 10, 2011, which includes a salary increase tied to the Consumer
Price Index (CPI). The ordinance provides that the Council will receive an
increase in compensation if the total annual City of Auburn sales tax
receipts increase by at least two percent over the total amount of sales tax
received in the year 2011; the amount of the annual increase to
Councilmember and Deputy Mayor compensation shall be ninety percent
of the annual Consumer Price Index — Wage Earners (CPI -W) for the
Seattle- Tacoma - Bremerton area, August through July for the prior year.
Once the sales tax threshold is met, an automatic CPI increase would be
triggered for all future years.
Employee Relations and Compensation Manager Fletcher stated that
none of the collective bargaining agreements utilize the Consumer Price
Index for salary increases. The collective bargaining agreements include
a set percentage increase.
Committee members discussed setting multiple sales tax increase levels
that would trigger Council compensation increases. Committee members
requested that City Attorney Heid prepare a draft ordinance that would
include two sales tax increase thresholds at four percent and six percent.
The 2011 sales tax would be the base rate.
Committee members agreed to not consider the non -cash compensation
at this time.
Committee members briefly discussed compensation per meeting.
Committee members agreed to meet again on September 26, 2011 at
4:30 p.m. to discuss Council compensation and the retreat.
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Council Operations Committee September-20, 2011
VI. ADJOURNMENT
There being' no further business to come before the Committee, the
meeting adjourned at 5:40 p.m.
APPROVED the "\ day of \"\icy , 2012.
)\(„,x,
Nancy/ kus', Chair Danielle- Daskam, City Clerk
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