Warsaw Amends Salary Ordinances As Proactive COVID Step
November 17, 2020 at 4:32 a.m.
Warsaw Amends Salary Ordinances As Proactive COVID Step
By David [email protected]
On the 2020 ordinance, Jennifer Whitaker, human resource director for the city, said, “This ordinance really is more proactive rather than reactive as we were clear back in March. We have several different benefits, things for employees to have to work through should they be isolated or quarantined or test positive for COVID. We obviously follow the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. We have the expanded Family Medical Leave Act ... those are both federal mandated for us, we have adopted those. Those expire sunset on 12/31.”
She said Mayor Joe Thallemer also signed an executive order last week that, “If an employee is isolated or quarantined or has maybe tested positive, or for whatever COVID-related reason, if this individual has the ability and can work from home, based upon the recommendation of the department head, with the approval of the mayor, and me looking for alternate ways and making sure everything is ready to go, that they can stay at home and be paid under the executive order as long as they are working.”
Whitaker said what they found the city didn’t have in place was that if an employee tested positive or was exposed to COVID, and several co-workers in that department had to work from home but there was no work to do from home. “We want to make sure we can provide some income for that individual through no fault of their own, and that really is what the ordinance is about.”
She said hopefully the city would never have to use it, but the way the COVID numbers are going up, it may become needed.
“So this is essentially the same thing that you all passed earlier in the pandemic,” Thallemer said. “If we either have to close a department or close down a building, this allows employees – if they’re able to work from home, they work from home, they are to stay on call, but this provides pay for our employees that are forced to stay home potentially for no reason other than the pandemic. And we supported our employees during the shutdown with this, so we’re just putting it in place now through the end of the year.”
The Council unanimously approved the ordinance on first and second reading.
The ordinance to amend the 2021 salary ordinance for the same thing was then presented.
City attorney Scott Reust said he thought it was very good for the Council to approve the 2021 ordinance now. He said if the ordinance was necessary on Dec. 31, it’s very likely it would be necessary on Jan. 1. Whitaker said the 2021 ordinance would expire midnight Feb. 20.
The Council unanimously approved the ordinance on first and second reading.
In other business, the Council approved:
• An ordinance on first and second reading approving an additional appropriation from the aviation depreciation fund into other capital outlays. The $155,000 requested will go toward the Zimmer Biomet hangar door that was discussed by the Council previously, as well as by the Board of Aviation Commissioners and the Redevelopment Commission.
A public hearing was held Monday prior to the ordinance being approved by the Council but no members of the public spoke for or against it.
Along with the $155,000, Thallemer said the funding for the $674,262 cost of the hangar door will come from other transfers from other aviation funds, the Economic Development Income Tax and from Redevelopment Commission.
Airport Manager Nick King reminded the Council that the depreciation fund does not receive any tax dollars, but is funded solely through the airport’s fuel sales at the airport.
King said the cost of repairs to the door is costing the airport anywhere from $30,000-$60,000 a year. Later, King noted the contract lease for the hangar was extended by five years with the lease also increasing from $3,600 to $5,000 a month.
After approving that ordinance, the Council approved a resolution transferring $40,000 from improvements other than buildings to professional services in the aviation general fund.
King said, “This money will go toward paying the engineering, bidding fees and other contract fees that we incurred in the bid process and design of this door.”
Asked by Thallemer for a timeline on the door, King said, “We are working on shop drawings right now to submit to the door company. They require the shop drawings to engineer and design the door.”
The door will be 110 feet wide and have a clear opening of 28 feet. King said, best case, the door will be delivered in six to eight weeks once the door company receives the shop drawings.
The contract with Robinson Construction is being finalized to do the project, King said. He guessed construction would be completed in April or May, weather permitting.
• Approved a resolution transferring $368,122.31 from CARES Act relief funds to various other funds.
He said the city is working with Cardinal Services and a big part of the CARES Act funds was for providing COVID testing with MedStat and Parkview and to Bowen Center.
“They’re being overrun as far as their testing resources, and they need our assistance,” he said.
Councilman Mike Klondaris said he drove by Bowen Center on two separate occasions Monday and he was really surprised to see a “double line serpenting through the parking lots, spilling out into Dubois. And all these people were getting tested, so this money is going to go to a real priority. This is good and I would again ask people to please mask up.”
Thallemer said the testing has been like that “really since it started.”
“A good portion of that money is going to” Bowen Center, Thallemer said. “Just a reminder: This money has to be spent by the end of the year.”
• A resolution to transfer $20,000 from Cumulative Capital Development improvements to CCD professional services, as requested by Stormwater Coordinator Ryan Workman. He said the money is for the McKinley Street storm sewer relocation design work.
• The 2021 nonprofit funding requests, which were presented at the Council’s previous meeting. Those included $10,000 to Baker Youth Club; $11,900 to Cardinal/KABS grant match; $20,000 to City County Athletic Complex; $6,000 to Joe’s Kids; $20,000 to Kosciusko County Council on Aging; $5,000 to Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice; $8,900 to Beaman Home; $20,000 to Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams; $23,180 to Warsaw Community Development Corporation; $5,000 to Warsaw Little League; and $15,000 for special projects. Total is $144,980.
Animal Welfare League and Warsaw Housing Authority/Housing Opportunities of Warsaw were moved to contracts.
On the 2020 ordinance, Jennifer Whitaker, human resource director for the city, said, “This ordinance really is more proactive rather than reactive as we were clear back in March. We have several different benefits, things for employees to have to work through should they be isolated or quarantined or test positive for COVID. We obviously follow the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. We have the expanded Family Medical Leave Act ... those are both federal mandated for us, we have adopted those. Those expire sunset on 12/31.”
She said Mayor Joe Thallemer also signed an executive order last week that, “If an employee is isolated or quarantined or has maybe tested positive, or for whatever COVID-related reason, if this individual has the ability and can work from home, based upon the recommendation of the department head, with the approval of the mayor, and me looking for alternate ways and making sure everything is ready to go, that they can stay at home and be paid under the executive order as long as they are working.”
Whitaker said what they found the city didn’t have in place was that if an employee tested positive or was exposed to COVID, and several co-workers in that department had to work from home but there was no work to do from home. “We want to make sure we can provide some income for that individual through no fault of their own, and that really is what the ordinance is about.”
She said hopefully the city would never have to use it, but the way the COVID numbers are going up, it may become needed.
“So this is essentially the same thing that you all passed earlier in the pandemic,” Thallemer said. “If we either have to close a department or close down a building, this allows employees – if they’re able to work from home, they work from home, they are to stay on call, but this provides pay for our employees that are forced to stay home potentially for no reason other than the pandemic. And we supported our employees during the shutdown with this, so we’re just putting it in place now through the end of the year.”
The Council unanimously approved the ordinance on first and second reading.
The ordinance to amend the 2021 salary ordinance for the same thing was then presented.
City attorney Scott Reust said he thought it was very good for the Council to approve the 2021 ordinance now. He said if the ordinance was necessary on Dec. 31, it’s very likely it would be necessary on Jan. 1. Whitaker said the 2021 ordinance would expire midnight Feb. 20.
The Council unanimously approved the ordinance on first and second reading.
In other business, the Council approved:
• An ordinance on first and second reading approving an additional appropriation from the aviation depreciation fund into other capital outlays. The $155,000 requested will go toward the Zimmer Biomet hangar door that was discussed by the Council previously, as well as by the Board of Aviation Commissioners and the Redevelopment Commission.
A public hearing was held Monday prior to the ordinance being approved by the Council but no members of the public spoke for or against it.
Along with the $155,000, Thallemer said the funding for the $674,262 cost of the hangar door will come from other transfers from other aviation funds, the Economic Development Income Tax and from Redevelopment Commission.
Airport Manager Nick King reminded the Council that the depreciation fund does not receive any tax dollars, but is funded solely through the airport’s fuel sales at the airport.
King said the cost of repairs to the door is costing the airport anywhere from $30,000-$60,000 a year. Later, King noted the contract lease for the hangar was extended by five years with the lease also increasing from $3,600 to $5,000 a month.
After approving that ordinance, the Council approved a resolution transferring $40,000 from improvements other than buildings to professional services in the aviation general fund.
King said, “This money will go toward paying the engineering, bidding fees and other contract fees that we incurred in the bid process and design of this door.”
Asked by Thallemer for a timeline on the door, King said, “We are working on shop drawings right now to submit to the door company. They require the shop drawings to engineer and design the door.”
The door will be 110 feet wide and have a clear opening of 28 feet. King said, best case, the door will be delivered in six to eight weeks once the door company receives the shop drawings.
The contract with Robinson Construction is being finalized to do the project, King said. He guessed construction would be completed in April or May, weather permitting.
• Approved a resolution transferring $368,122.31 from CARES Act relief funds to various other funds.
He said the city is working with Cardinal Services and a big part of the CARES Act funds was for providing COVID testing with MedStat and Parkview and to Bowen Center.
“They’re being overrun as far as their testing resources, and they need our assistance,” he said.
Councilman Mike Klondaris said he drove by Bowen Center on two separate occasions Monday and he was really surprised to see a “double line serpenting through the parking lots, spilling out into Dubois. And all these people were getting tested, so this money is going to go to a real priority. This is good and I would again ask people to please mask up.”
Thallemer said the testing has been like that “really since it started.”
“A good portion of that money is going to” Bowen Center, Thallemer said. “Just a reminder: This money has to be spent by the end of the year.”
• A resolution to transfer $20,000 from Cumulative Capital Development improvements to CCD professional services, as requested by Stormwater Coordinator Ryan Workman. He said the money is for the McKinley Street storm sewer relocation design work.
• The 2021 nonprofit funding requests, which were presented at the Council’s previous meeting. Those included $10,000 to Baker Youth Club; $11,900 to Cardinal/KABS grant match; $20,000 to City County Athletic Complex; $6,000 to Joe’s Kids; $20,000 to Kosciusko County Council on Aging; $5,000 to Kosciusko Home Care & Hospice; $8,900 to Beaman Home; $20,000 to Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams; $23,180 to Warsaw Community Development Corporation; $5,000 to Warsaw Little League; and $15,000 for special projects. Total is $144,980.
Animal Welfare League and Warsaw Housing Authority/Housing Opportunities of Warsaw were moved to contracts.
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