5.9. SR 05-10-1999Item #5.9.
ver MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Pat Klaers, City Administrator
DATE: May 10, 1999
SUBJECT: Update on Liquor Store and Planning
Departments
Both the planning department and the municipal liquor store have been
operating without a department head for some time. The planning
department has been without a director for almost a year, and it will end up
being in the five month range where the liquor store has been without a
department head. Both of these departments have functioned very well
considering the absence of a department head and it is appropriate for the city
to consider some financial compensation to the lead employees in those
departments for their performance.
It is, and has been, a great work experience for the individuals involved to
temporarily take the lead in a department of the city. Additionally, to a
certain degree, "stepping up" in the absence of a department head is part of
the job. However, this added responsibility and authority has been for an
extended period (not just a month vacation or illness) and has come without
added financial benefit.
It is recommended that the City Council consider a one time lump sum
payment to the three members in the planning department and to the two lead
liquor store clerks, Steve Tillmann and Brent Behrns. Brent and Steve were
the two individuals who took on the management responsibility in Fritz'
absence (Fritz was not retained as a consultant). All the individuals involved
were allowed the freedom to earn overtime pay as much as needed, but this
falls short of an appropriate financial compensation when looking at the
additional responsibilities. Sometimes communities lay out a financial
framework at the beginning of the absence of a department head (i.e. an
employee is offered an extra 10 percent to lead the department in the interim).
However, this did not happen in the Elk River situations. Now that we are
nearing the end of these two departments operating without a department
head, and considering how well the employees involved have responded, it is
appropriate for us to financially compensate the individuals involved.
13065 Orono Parkway 0 P.O. Box 490 0 Elk River, MN 55330 0 TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 0 Fax: (612) 441-7425
I have talked to Jim Brimeyer, The Brimeyer Group, regarding this issue and
he concurs that a certain amount of compensation is appropriate. The
question you must ask in determining an appropriate level is..."What would
you have paid the individuals involved at the start if you knew they were
going to be operating for six months or a year without a department head?"
The city has saved a significant amount of money while the departments
operated without department heads and, if anything, the proposed amounts
are low considering the additional responsibility and length of time without a
department head. The following one time payments are recommended:
Scott Harlicker
$3,000
Steve Wensman
$2,225
Debbie Huebner
$1,500
Steve Tillmann $3,000
Brent Behrns $1,500
Work at the liquor store included taking over the management of ordering
product, pricing product, maintaining daily accounting records, managing
inventory, supervising employees (limited activity), and doing appropriate
marketing including the monthly flyer. In the planning department this
included the scheduling of public hearings and agenda items on a monthly
basis, attendance at extra meetings and staff meetings, developing and
conducting staff review meetings for development proposals and being the
department spokesperson. I don't want anyone to think that either
department was left stranded, as there was always resources available to
assist them including myself, the city engineer, the building/zoning
administrator, the finance director, etc. Nonetheless, upon close review of both
departments, the above -noted individuals merit compensation according to the
relationship outlined in the above figures.