• Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek: Sick Leave and On-Line Employment Applications

• Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne: Strategic Planning Update and FY 2005 Budget Cycle

• Communications Committee: Display Cases; Logo; and Winter Party

• Board of Supervisors: Money Management Seminars

• Reports/Updates from Department Heads

• Scheduling Date and Time of Next Meeting

Chairperson Harney called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building as a Department Head Meeting at 1:30 p.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Mike Lehman, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Carol Thompson.

Department heads present were: Ambulance Director Steve Spenler, Conservation Department Director Harry Graves, County Engineer Mike Gardner, County Treasurer Tom Kriz, Disaster Services Director Tom Hansen, Facilities Director David Kempf, General Assistance Director Mary Kay Hull, Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek, Information Services Director Jean Schultz, Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Coordinator Elaine Sweet, Public Health Director Ralph Wilmoth, SEATS Director Tom Brase, and Veterans Affairs Commission Director Leo Baier.

Staff present were: Board of Supervisors Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan, Board of Supervisors Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne, Sheriff’s Captain Keith Slaughter, and Auditor’s Office Administrative Secretary Casie Kadlec.

Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek distributed the Johnson County Sick Leave Policy that is in the employee handbook. Shramek explained that people should use collective bargaining contracts as the first frame of reference and the employee handbook second when looking at the sick leave policy.

Shramek said that sick leave will not be paid in advance and will not accrue on a pro-rata basis during a pay period. Upon request of the department head, the employee must furnish satisfactory medical evidence that the employees illness will require time off work and/or the employee is fit to return to work. Shramek said if a department head has an employee that has a release to come back to work but the employee still appears sick, Shramek encouraged department heads to send the employee to the County’s physician. Sick leave benefits are not paid for more than half a day for a doctor or dentist appointment unless a doctor’s statement is provided. Shramek said it is important for the County not to assume time and she recommended that department heads not pre-approve an absence. Sick leave benefits are not paid for illness or injury occurring after the employee has given notice of resignation unless physician’s verification is provided. Shramek reminded department heads that they always have the right to ask for physicians verification, but must ask for it if a resignation has been given.

Shramek said that misuse of sick leave is either excessive use of sick leave or misrepresentation in connection with sick leave privileges. Excessive use of sick leave is use of sick leave in excess of that accumulated by the employee, or use of sick leave to the extent that no sick leave has been accumulated by an employee during a total of any 6 months during any 12 month period. Misrepresentation in connection with sick leave privileges is use of sick leave for any purpose not authorized by the handbook. Misuse of sick leave will result in loss of pay for the duration of the absence, and may be considered grounds for further disciplinary action, including termination of employment. When an employee notifies their department head that the employee desires sick leave, for any reason related to the illness or injury of the employee for which sick leave is allowed, and the employee has no accumulated leave of any type, the department head may permit the employee to take an unpaid leave of absence. Shramek said that in some cases it may be required by the Family Medical Leave Act. Upon request of the department head, the employee must furnish a statement from a physician concerning both the seriousness of the illness or injury and the duration of the anticipated absence. During the unpaid leave, the employee shall provide the department head with a physician’s verification on a regular basis to be determined by the department head.

Shramek said the paternity leave policy has been brought to her attention as problematic. She explained that a biological father is allowed to take 3 days from work for the birth of a child but an adoptive parent may use up to 10 consecutive days accrued sick leave within 3 weeks of the child’s arrival in the home. Shramek said they will be addressing this in the Employee Handbook Committee. Shramek explained that in the event of an illness in the immediate family of an employee, or in the event of a doctor or dental appointment, not exceeding half a day, of a member of the employee’s immediate family, or when the employee is the nearest relative, the employee may use accumulated sick leave. Use of sick leave as family sick leave shall not exceed 3 days per occurrence of illness unless the department head authorizes longer; if the employee’s spouse or child undergoes surgery, the employee is entitled to use up to 4 days sick leave as family sick leave.

Shramek asked what department heads feelings are as far as use of sick leave within departments. Shramek said the new payroll software, GEMS, will be able to track use of sick leave. Ambulance Director Steve Spenler said the Ambulance Department’s use of sick leave is excessive but there isn’t a lot he can do because of the union contract. Shramek said the Ambulance Department receives more than 18 days per year of sick leave. County Treasurer Tom Kriz said that sick leave is abused in his department and is used as vacation. He said doctors will write any note they are asked to write. He said that all of their doctor’s appointments turn into 4 hour appointments. SEATS Director Tom Brase said there are just a few people who use the whole sick time allotted. Shramek said typically 80% of employees will follow the policy and 20% will look for ways to take advantage of the policy.

Shramek asked if the conversion of sick leave to vacation on a 4 to one basis is any incentive for the employees that manage their sick time appropriately. Spenler said he worked in a place once where there wasn’t sick or vacation time, but earned time. He said they were able to buy back a block of the earned time as a reward for not using it. Spenler said this was an incentive to save the time, but they don’t want to go the other way and have people coming to work ill. Public Health Director Ralph Wilmoth said the State has the practice of selling back time some years so it is an incentive. Wilmoth said they also have the 80/20 ratio in their office. He said there is a proportion of folks that will use the time as vacation time. Stutsman said a long term employee approached her about changing the conversion for 15 or 20 year employees from 1 to 4 to less. She asked if there was interest in doing this. Shramek said that is not something they’ve looked at before. Wilmoth said when he worked with the Federal Government people were able to redeem sick leave upon retirement, but not before then.

Shramek said the County has several employment applications for different departments. She asked if they could take the generic application, which is in need of a facelift, and combine the different applications so that there is one County job application for all departments. Harney said most places have a single application for all departments and then specialized applications for single departments. Shramek asked that any sample applications be forwarded to Human Resources.

Shramek said that after a position is filled applications must be kept on file for 2 years. Shramek said they say in their applicant correspondence that they are kept on file for 90 days in an active file. Shramek said they have to be kept for 2 years. Stutsman asked where these applications are stored. Shramek said she keeps the applications for department head appointments but most are kept within the department that the hiring decision was made. Kriz asked if unsolicited applications also have to be kept for 2 years. Shramek said yes. She said that those applications also have to be considered if a job should open up while the application is in the active file. Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator R.J. Moore asked if applications have to be accepted if there isn’t an opening being advertised. Shramek said the County has the practice of accepting applications at any time. Thompson asked if the County could have a policy that it doesn’t accept job applications for jobs that aren’t open. Shramek said yes, but she would like the Board to make that policy. Shramek said it is bad from a public relations perspective for a public employer not to accept employment applications at any time. Thompson said that accepting them opens the County to liability. Stutsman agreed. Shramek said the County doesn’t have many job openings, and it also doesn’t receive many unsolicited résumés.

Stutsman suggested that the County quit accepting unsolicited résumés and for ones that are accepted there will be no guarantee that the applicant will ever be called again. Brase said that it should be required that people apply for specific jobs. Stutsman said the County is not a job service. Shramek said that isn’t being done at all. She said the Board could have a policy that the County will not accept job applications without a vacancy. Stutsman said she doesn’t have a problem with accepting applications but doesn’t want to be responsible for processing that application. Harney said the Board has a hard time setting a policy because elected officials can make their own policy. Stutsman said she would be in favor of having Human Resources keep track of applications. Information Services Director Jean Schultz said that people can subscribe to employment opportunities and receive an email every time there is a job opening in the County.

Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne said the Board has been working on strategic planning and some department heads may have already met with the Board. The Board will be discussing County Administration and Capital Projects at future meetings. Horne said he has been collecting the goals and measurements and will be producing a strategic planning document. He said this document will be used as a reference during the budget cycle. Horne said he hopes that it has been a positive experience for everyone. Horne explained the Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities and Secondary Roads have not been included in the process because they have their own planning processes.

Horne said that the Fiscal Year 2005 budget forms will be going out during the first week of October and will be due back by Thanksgiving. Horne said the budget worksheets this year won’t include personnel because it has caused confusion in the past. The GEMS system should be ready to go for the Fiscal Year 2006 cycle, which will make budgeting easier.

Stutsman said the Communications Committee would like different departments to take advantage of the display cases in the Administration Building lobby on a monthly basis. Stutsman passed around a signup sheet to schedule the display cases.

Stutsman passed around 2 ideas for a new County logo submitted by Rick Kaster.

Neuzil said the Johnson County Winter Party will be at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday December 9, 2003 at Brothers. Neuzil said there will be a white elephant gift exchange for those who want to participate.

Stutsman said she is going to start scheduling money management seminars over lunch hours during the fall. She said the seminars are free and put on by the Extension Office. Stutsman said the identity theft seminar will be a good one because it is something they are concerned about.

Moore reported that Planning and Zoning has hired a new building inspector.

Veteran Affairs Director Leo Baier said he attended the District One meeting where 13 of 15 counties were in attendance. He said that POW/MIA Day is on September 19, 2003. Baier will be attending the Veteran Affairs Fall School of Instruction the week of August 13, 2003.

Wilmoth said they’ve had an overwhelming amount of calls regarding bats this year. He said the number of persons that have contacted them and have been treated as a result of potentially being exposed has increased enough that one of the hospitals in town has asked to meet with the Public Health Department. Wilmoth explained that the cost of being treated for a bat bite is in excess of $4,000 and most times insurance won’t pay for it. Wilmoth said Johnson County has not had any human or equine cases of West Nile virus this year, but a bird has tested positive. Wilmoth reported that they are coming to conclusion on the TB at West High case. Wilmoth said that they received their disaster preparedness contract from the State. Last year the department received $18,000 and this year they received $66,000 with a lot of flexibility in the contract.

County Engineer Mike Gardner said that most of their construction projects are wrapping up and they are getting ready for the winter. Gardner reported that the State Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Conference will be taking place this year in Johnson County.

Spenler will be attending the American Ambulance Association Conference next week.

Schultz said the GEMs software has been installed on the County’s server. Their goal is to have payroll and HR live on January 1, 2003 and the other applications live on July 1, 2004. Schultz said that if anybody has any forms that the public could use they should get them to Network Administrator Tim Knipper. She said the County has now purchased a new version of Adobe software which creates PDF files for the forms on the web and it is now easy to set up forms where people can fill them out before they are printed. Schultz reminded people that there is an email subscription system for the County’s website. Schultz said October 15, 2003 the HIPAA regulation goes into effect that requires that the County be set up to send and receive electronic transmission of invoices for protected health services.

Shramek reported that HR is busy getting codes and tables set up for GEMs. She said that collective bargaining season has begun with 3 PPME units at the table this fall. Shramek reminded the department heads that jobs need to be posted according to the collective bargaining agreements, affirmative action and equal opportunity employment before any offers or hiring is done.

Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Elaine Sweet said there have been a lot of different changes in the way they provide services. This summer MH/DD contracted with a consulting firm to do a countywide needs assessment to identify gaps in services and needs in the MH/DD community that are not being met. She said the results of the needs assessment were that Johnson County is doing a very good job of serving the community. MH/DD will be hosting a legislative forum on October 21, 2003. She said they are excited about their new Management Information System, which has been implemented and is working very well and has been sold to other counties.

Horne said he received over 100 responses to the citizens survey and they will be presented at a future Board meeting.

Facilities Director David Kempf said they will be at full staff in the next week.

Brase said that they are subleasing 3 offices to obtain more revenue.

Emergency Management Director Tom Hansen said he is working on a Federal government assessment. Response equipment obtained through a grant will be arriving soon. Hansen said that Iowa Mutual Aid Compact will be meeting on September 17, 2003.

Kriz said that there are 2 weeks left to pay property taxes. Johnson County is second in the state in internet tax payments. Kriz said the Treasurer’s web system won an award in Europe for ecommerce.

Conservation Director Harry Graves said Conservation is currently doing a phone survey. They will be having a public forum on Phase I of the long range planning process on October 9, 2003 at 7:00 p.m. at the Conservation Education Center. Graves said they have cleared 200 acres of woody invaders at Kent Park. Graves said they will be hosting Conservation Board District 6 meetings on October 9, 2003 at Kent Park. Phase II of the retrofit of the Conservation Education Center is underway.

Neuzil said he continues to have a government program from 9:00-10:00 a.m. on KCJJ on Sunday mornings and invited department heads to be a guest.

The department heads and Board of Supervisors scheduled their next meeting on November 18, 2003 at 1:30 p.m.

Adjourned at 2:57 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Kadlec, Recording Secretary