HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/26/1999 B A K'E R S F I E L D
Mike Maggard, Chair
Irma Carson
Mark Salvaggio
Staff: Alan Christensen
SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE
PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
of the City Council - City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, October 26, 1999
4:00 p.m.
City Manager's Conference Room
Second Floor, City Hall
1501 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA
AGENDA
1. ROLL CALL
2. ADOPT OCTOBER 4, 1999 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
3. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
4. DEFERRED BUSINESS
A. DISCUSSION AND COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ON HEALTH PLAN
RENEWALS FOR 2000 (Buck Consultants) - Hayden
B. DISCUSSION AND COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ON SALARY
STUDY/REFERRAL - Tandy
5. ADJOURNMENT
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DRAFT
BAKERSFIELD
A an Tandy, C~ty Manager Mike Maggard, Chair
Staff: Alan Christensen Irma Carson
Mark Salvaggio
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEETING
Monday, October 4, 1999
4:00 p.m.
City Manager's Conference Room
1. ROLL CALL
Call to Order 4:05 p.m.
Present: Councilmembers Irma Carson and Mark Salvaggio
Absent: Councilmember Mike Maggard, Chair
2.ADOPT JULY 15 AND AUGUST 19, 1999 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORTS
Adopted as submitted.
3.PRESENTATIONS
None
4.PUBLIC STATEMENTS
None
5. DEFERRED BUSINESS
A. DISCUSSION AND COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION ON THE CITY PHYSICIAN
CONTRACT
At the August 19th Personnel Committee meeting, the Committee wanted to ensure that
employees be given the option to pick or identify the physician of .their choice, so if they were
injured on the job, they could go to that physician. Staff was directed to check with the service
providers and return to the Committee with a recommendation. Risk Manager Scott Manzer
stated that staff is recommending that service contracts go to Southwest Urgent Care for Fire
personnel, Bakersfield Occupational Medical Group for Police personnel, and W. B.
Chdstiansen M.D., Inc. for all other personnel. Due to expertise in this field of medicine, all non-
treatment services such as pre-employment physicals and drug screening would go to
AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
PERSONNEL COMMITTEE DRAFT
October 4, 1999
Page -2-
Dr. Chdstiansen. For industrial injury treatment, employees will be given an option to pre-select
any of the three choices if they so desire, or employees may pre-designate their personal
physician. In addition, these pre-selections of physicians would not only be for treating .workers'
compensation, but for return to work and fitness for duty physicals. This recommendation has
been reviewed by city departments and employee union representatives and has their support
and concurrence. The medical facilities have been notified and are in agreement with providing
these services.
The Committee approved staff's recommendation and recommended forwarding to the Council
for approval (Councilmember Maggard was absent).
6. NEW BUSINESS
A. DISCUSSION AND COMMITI'EE RECOMMENDATION ON HEALTH PLAN RENEWALS
FOR 2000
Human .Resources Manager Carroll Hayden stated we have received rate information on health
plan renewals for the next calendar year. The rates have been taken to the Joint
Employee/City Insurance Committee for their review and recommendations and they have met,
but their formal recommendations have not been received as yet. Tim Beck and Mark
Orzechowski from Buck Consultants were introduced to present the renewal information that
was shared with the Insurance Committee.
Mr. Orzechowski stated renewal premiums for 2000 for the City's medical, dental, vision and
metal health coverages are projected to increase 12.3% overall ($885,457) fo.r an expected
total annual premium of $8,099,306. This increase does not include Blue Cross Medicare Risk
program as this premium information has not been received, but is expected by the middle of
October. Overall, medical premiums are increasing 13.3%, overall dental premiums are
increasing 9.7%, while the vision and mental health premiums are not changing.
Blue Cross' overall medical PPO/Rx renewal increase is 15.1% (active's premiums are
increasing 6.8% and retiree's premiums are increasing 35.4%, both based on claims
experience). Blue Cross' overall HMO renewal increase is 8.3% (active's premiums are
increasing 3.5% based on actives' demographics and retiree's premiums are increasing 95.9%
based on specific demographics of those enrolled). Kaiser HMO overall renewal increase is
19.7%, Secure Horizon's PacifiCare Medical Risk overall renewal increase is 326.1%, and the
Blue Cross dental indemnity increase is 16.8% and the balance of the coverages did not
change.
Overall, Medical risk premiums are increasing for all managed care organizations. With the
Balanced Budget Act of 1996 (BBA), the HCFA financing strategy shifted, which has resulted
in most managed care organizations eliminating Medicare risk services in certain geographic
locations locally and nationally. This service area shift and BBA provisions have drastically.
impacted Medicare risk premium rates.
Mr. Orzechowski concluded with an overview of claims, loss ratios, and information on plan
alternatives.
DRAFT
PERSONNEL COMMITTEE
October 4, 1999
Page -3-
Margaret Ursin, retiree, spoke against the proposed increase of the co-payment for an office
visit from $5 to $10 for retirees.
The City Manager stated that the renewal information is still being reviewed at the Insurance
Committee level and it is subject to gathering more information. We have been asked to look
at the issue of re-blending the active and retiree groups and will be getting that information.
Another significant issue needing to be resolved is that the current budget is about $1001000
short in being able to pay for the projected increase in premiums for the last six months of the
fiscal year, as the new rates will be in effect January Ist.
The Committee thanked the representatives from Buck Consultants .for their presentation.
Committee member.Salvaggio stated he was willing to review, but did not support proposed
plan alternatives that cut services to the employees. Committee member Carson said she
would like staff to provide a breakdown of what the proposed actual increases would be for
employees, the retirees and the City, before making a decision. The Committee requested staff
to provide information on the history of why we unblended rates and the City Attorney's opinion
at the time, before consideration of going back to blending the rates.
Committee member Carson requested the time frame for making a decision. Carroll Hayden
responded within the next 30 days if possible, as the rates need to be approved by Council, so
that we can have the contract in place and disseminate the information to employees and
retirees in order to have an open enrollment prior to the first of the year.
7. COMMITTEE COMMENTS
None
8. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
cc: Honorable Mayor and City Council
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Staff present: City Manager Alan Tandy; Assistant City Manager Alan Chdstensen; City Attorney Bart
Thiltgen; Human Resources Manager Carroll Hayden; Scott Manzer, Risk Manager; Deputy City
Attorney Andrew Thomson; Fire Chief Ron Fraze, Lance Bowman, Fire Department; and Benefits
Technician Ginger Rubin.
Others present: J. R. Carrera, Department Manager, Bakersfield Occupational Medical Group;
Thomas Watkins, Public Relations, Bakersfield Family' Medical; Ward Wollesen, Central Californian
Association of Public Employees; Dale Hawley, Retiree Representative; Richard Watkins, Fire
Department retiree/B-FLAG; Scott Monroe; Margaret Ursin; and Harry Scott.
BAKERSFIELD
SALARY SURVEY - COMPARABLE CITIES
1. The study would consist of a market questionnaire sent to public agencies. This
includes a brief description of the position, minimum qualifications, bargaining unit,
and Iow and high pay ranges.
2. Human Resources staff would be responsible for sending salary questionnaires to
the survey cities and ensuring that they were returned. The survey will require the
Human Resources Office to personally contact the Survey Cities for clarification and
validation. This may require site visits. A group of impacted employees would
review the mailer and material before distribution. If site visits are required, a
representative from the Review Committee may accompany the Human Resources
Representative.
3. The raw data would be returned to Human Resources. A Review Committee of
impacted employees will review the raw data.
4. A cumulative, big picture look at the data will be performed to determine if it is
consistent or inconsistent with our experience. This analysis would be available to
the Review Committee for review and comments. It should be noted that, due to
Bakersfield's Iow cost of living, we are normally about 7% to 12% below the survey
city average. Thus, 7% to 12% below would be used as a benchmark number.
This is the same standard used each year with the Police and Fire bargaining units.
Thus, for example, if the data showed a general trend of 15% below the average,
it would indicate a need for planning, when affordable, an adjustment. If it showed
a general trend as being 9% under, no adjustment would be in order.
5. Separate and related would be a position by position analysis performed by staff to
determine individual consistency or inconsistency with overall trends. Again, the
Review Committee would have an opportunity for review and comments. Similar
to Item ~4 above this may result in adjustments to individual positions if the 7% to
12% threshold justifies.
6. Recommendations would be made by the City Manager's staff based on the data
collected, analySis performed, and input provided by the Committee. Any
recommendations would be made on an individual classification basis.
7. A plan would be developed to increase pay for positions that seem to be below the
benchmark level theY should be, based on market and equity considerations.
Salary Survey
Page Two
8. Those classifications that appear t° be compensated too highly in comparison to
the benchmark level will be adjusted only when vacant. In the case of multiple
incumbent classifications, no new hire or promotion will be made to the unadjusted
salary range, but to the 'recommended range. Additionally, no general wage
increase will be given to those positions compensated too highly in comparison to
the survey benchmark level, if the study produces a general overall increase.
9. The survey will also determine if there is a general practice to have a predetermined
percentage level between related classifications.
10. At all phases of the study, the Committee would have access and input to any study
materials, analysis and recommendations made by City Manager's staff.
Assumptions:
· The market analysis portion of the salary study will use the 10 cities
historically used as our Survey Cities. They will be contacted for the
purposes of comparing competitive positions for salary.
· All Management and General Supervisory positions will be surveyed for
salary data. This includes approximately 80 positions.
· A Review Committee consisting of Alan Christensen, Carroll Hayden, and
Darnell Haynes, and two management and two supervisory employees would
be organized to review and analyze the data collected by the market study
and suggest areas where a study of internal relationships would occur.
10/15/99
BAKERSFIELD
'MEMORANDUM
October 13, 1999
TO: Alan Tandy, City Manager ,....
FROM: Rhonda Barnhard, General Supervisory Representative~__O~ ..
Mike Connor, General Supervisory Representative
SUBJECT: Salary Survey
The General Supervisory Unit has reached a decision concerning the impending
salary study and have voted not to participate in the salary study with comparison to the
10 survey cites. Supervisor's met on October 4, 1999 to discuss and vote on the issue.
There are 80 total supervisor's, 30 were in attendance of which 24 voted not to participate
in the study. As an alternative, they recommended consideration of an internal study of
only those positions which appear to have compaction issues (ie., Supervisor I's & Il's)..
Subsequent to the meeting, several supervisor's present at the October4th meeting,
expressed their concerns about the outcome, in particular the voting method which was
by a show of hands. In addressing these concerns, we decided to make a final attempt in
obtaining votes from all 80 supervisor's via e-mail, telephone or any means available as
some field supervisor's do not have access to e-mail. The final vote.was 36 in
opposition to 31 in favor of the Salary Study with comparison to the l0 cities as
proposed (13 supervisor's could not be reached). This is the same outcome as
determined at the October 4th meeting.
c: Members, General Supervisory Unit