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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-19-2000 Steering Committee Minutes\' DRAFT MINUTES OF STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday, July 19, 2000 >..A meeting of the Steering Committee of the Orange County Sanitation District was held on Wednesday, July 19, 2000 at 5 p.m., in the District's Administrative Office. (1) The roll was called and a quorum declared present, as follows: STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Directors Present: Norm Eckenrode, Chair Peter Green, Vice Chair Pat McGuigan, Chairman , OMTS Committee Tom Saltarelli, Chairman, FAHR Committee Jim Silva, County Supervisor Jan Debay, Past Chair of the Board Directors Absent: Steve Anderson, PDC Committee (2) APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR PROTEM No appointment was necessary. (3) PUBLIC COMMENTS OTHERS PRESENT: Thomas L. Woodruff, General Counsel Anna Piercy, Director Don Hughes STAFF PRESENT: Blake Anderson, General Manager Greg Mathews, Assistant to the General Manager Gary Streed, Director of Finance Lisa Tomko, Director of Human Resources Layne Baroldi, Environmental Specialist Jean Tappan, Committee Secretary FIL ED IN THE OFF iCE OF THE SECRETARY ORANGE COUNTY SA NITATIO N DISTRIC T AUG 2 3 2000 BY _f!J;;:_ ___ ._. There were no comments by any member of the public. (4) RECEIVE, FILE AND APPROVE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The minutes of the June 28, 2000 Steering Committee meeting were approved as drafted. (5) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE CHAIR Committee Chair Eckenrode did not make a report. (6) REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER General Manager Blake Anderson reported that SAWPA had faxed a letter to the District requesting Minutes of the Steering Committee Page2 July 19, 2000 a 30-day delay before certifying the EIR/EIS on the Santa Ana River Interceptor improvements. This will be provided to the Directors at the regular Board meeting prior to considering the EIR/EIS agenda item. A. A Look Ahead: Our Collective Vision. Blake Anderson provided the members with the activities of the past six months and outlined those that are scheduled for the next six months. The members suggested revisions to the Vision and Mission Statements. The EMT will discuss them at its next meeting. An Operating Philosophy has been developed, which emphasizes accountability, balance and communication. Mr. Anderson announced that Lisa Lawson has accepted the position of Communications Manager. Her start date is July 31. The Guiding Principles were briefly discussed. These were developed by staff to form the framework of our organization and reinforce a professional code of ethics. Each department has developed its own vision statement. B. Update on the Five-year Staffing and Businss Plan. Greg Mathews reported that the Five-year Staffing and Business Plan will be presented to the Board in January. It will outline where we are headed and the resources necessary to reach those goals. A list of opportunities for improvement was compiled from comments received in surveys taken last December and January. Mr. Mathews described the activities of the Organizational Opportunities Committee that addressed the results of the surveys and it appears that the major issue is blurred lines of responsibilities. A responsibility conflict resolution model has been developed to help resolve some of the identified problem areas. Once issues are resolved, there could be an impact on staffing levels. Mr. Mathews presented a schedule that outlined the steps necessary for completing the five-year staffing plan by January 2000. Business units are being defined, which are the lowest foundational or core unit, in an attempt to identify commonality or areas of similar responsibility that could provide higher efficiencies. C. Update on Kern County and Kings County Biosolids Activities. Layne Baroldi reported that the CEQA hearing on the Kern County biosolids ordinance has been changed to August 30 in Visalia, California. A response brief is being prepared. At this time, about one-half of our biosolids are being applied in Kern County. Regulators are keeping a close watch on these activities. The Kings County biosolids ordinance is being drafted and staff has reviewed and commented. Most of the concerns expressed were addressed in the revision. Adoption is scheduled within 90 days, after the state-wide general order is adopted. The State Water Resources Control Board issued a programmatic EIR that allows for continuation of Class B land application. A workshop is scheduled for August 3 on the General Order EIR. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page 3 July 19, 2000 Due diligence is underway on the McCarthy Farms property and facilities. (7) REPORT OF GENERAL COUNSEL General Counsel Tom Woodruff reported that there was no progress on the Crow Winthrop issue. (8) DISCUSSION ITEMS (Items A-D) A. Increasing Awards within IDEA Program Greg Mathews provided the members with the results of the IDEA Committee's findings on other award programs and the recommendation. Motion: It was moved, seconded and duly carried to recommend to the Board that the award amount for approved IDEA submittals be increased from 10% of the cost savings with a cap at $3,000 to 10% of the first year's cost savings with a cap of $10,000. B. At-will Employment Contracts for Executive Management Team Blake Anderson reported that five of the nine Executive Management Team members currently have At-will Employment Contracts that were negotiated with the General Manager. The resolution granting the General Manager authority to negotiate these contracts provides the flexibility to form a cohesive team but does not address several important issues, including severance and work benefits. It is recommended that the General Manager be allowed to offer severance packages to EMT members for up to six months and to offer flexible benefits up to 30%, the current amount for regular employees. All benefits and salary will be within the existing ranges and the contracts are to be voluntary. A report will be made to the FAHR Committee when these contracts are finalized. I Motion: It was moved, seconded and duly carried to recommend to the Board that the General Manager be authorized to include severance packages and benefits flexibility within existing guidelines. C. The Agenda Items scheduled to be reviewed by the PDC Committee at its August meeting were reviewed. The OMTS and FAHR Committees do not meet in August. D. FY 2000-01 Management Salary Increases Blake Anderson and Lisa Tomko reported on the results of the most recent salary survey and presented the proposed increases for the management team. Several positions will receive base-building increases to bring them to mid-range. Because no range changes are anticipated, the increases are not subject to Board approval. Mr. Anderson also reported that Michelle Tuchman, who left at the end of May, would be getting a pro-rated {11/12) adjustment as a result of her efforts over the past eleven months, as these increases are for the past year. Minutes of the Steering Committee Page4 July 19, 2000 Mrs. Tomko reported on ongoing negotiations with the 501 and SPMT units. (9) OTHER BUSINESS, COMMUNICATIONS OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA ITEMS, IF ANY There was no other business discussed. (10) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR WOULD LIKE STAFF TO REPORT ON AT A SUBSEQUENT MEETING There were none. (11) MATTERS WHICH A DIRECTOR MAY WISH TO PLACE ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR ACTION AND/OR STAFF REPORT There were none. (12) CONSIDERATION OF UPCOMING MEETINGS The next Steering Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 2000 at 5 p.m. The next Board Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 23, 2000 at 7 p.m. (13) CLOSED SESSION There was no closed session. (14) ADJOURNMENT The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 6:59 p.m. n Tappan ering Committee Secretary H:\wp.dta \agenda \STEERING COMMITTEE1 00V u/00\0719 00 S C Minutes. do c