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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-28-2017 Regular MeetingCommittee: Date & Time: Place: Subject: Public Meeting Notice Fairhope Personnel Board Thursday, May 18, 201 7 at 7: 15 a.m. Delchamps Room 161 North Section Street General Discussion Shorts Policy /Safety Notice must be stamped, dated and initialed before posted on bulletin board. TURE .. COUNTY OF BALDWIN Personnel Board met at 7 : 15 a.m. Council Chambers 161 N Section Street, Fairhope, AL 36532 Thursday, May 28, 2017 Present were: Members: Diane Thomas , Chairman, Lorenzo Howard , Scherry Douglas , Rob Stankoski , Pandora Heathcoe , Human Resources Manager. Absent: Doug Cazort and Kevin Boone, City Council Liaison. The meeting was called to order at 7:20 a.m. Minutes from the April 20 , 2017 meeting were approved by a first motion set forth by Scherry Douglas and second by Rob Stankoski . Diane Thomas, Chairman, began the meeting by stating Doug Cazort has resigned from the Personnel Board as he feels he would not be an appropriate fit to sit on the board. Therefore, that now leaves two vacancies and in the future all Board members will need to be present at each meeting until those vacancies can be filled. Diane Thomas addressed old business concerning the Shorts Policy for City Recreation employees . She has researched through the OSHA website their requirements for Recreation employees wearing shorts. The verbiage from the OSHA website states, "The purpose of chemical protective clothing and equipment is to shield or isolate individuals from the chemical, physical, and biological hazards that may be encountered during hazardous materials operations. During chemical operations, it is not always apparent when exposure occurs. Many chemicals pose invisible hazards and offer no w arning properties. It is important that protective clothing us ers realiz e that no single combination of protective equipment and clothing can protect you against all hazards. Thus , protective clothing should be used in conjunction with other protective methods ". She also reached out to the City of Orange Beach because they were one of the municipalities that allow employees in Recreation, Police, golf and Public Works to wear shorts. As Tom Kuhl , Director of Parks and Recreations stated in the April 20 , 2017 meeting his employees wear long pants on the days they will be spraying chemicals and weed eating. Lorenzo Howard added that department heads should insure discipline whenever safety violations occur to include wearing long pants should this policy be approved. Scherry Douglas suggested checking the OSHA requirements for each department requesting the option to wear shorts . Rob Stankoski asked where the Compensation Study RFQ situation stood. Diane Thomas replied that Mayor Wilson has communicated she would like to proceed with the 2018 budget. Pandora Heathcoe , Human Resource Manager reported that job descriptions for the individual department have been updated to include pay grade and pay range. She stated she has been working with each department head on the updates . She also gave them to Jeff Montgomery , IT Director so he could put the file on Mayor Wilson 's desktop for review. She also has submitted copies to Diane Thomas and Lorenzo Howard for review. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:00 AM with first motion set forth by Lorenzo Howard and second by Rob Stankoski. The next scheduled meeting will be held Thursday, June 15, 2017. However, on the consensus of the Board, there will not be a meeting held in June 2017. Respectfully submitted, Pandora Heathcoe Acting Secretary Memo To: Mayor Karin Wilson Sherry-Lea Bloodworth Botop Tom Kuhl From: City of Fairhope Personnel Board Date: May 19 , 2017 Re: Proposed change to the Dress Code Policy regarding the Wearing of Shorts After a thorough review of this proposed change, the Personnel Board recommends that the Park Maintenance workers be allowed to wear shorts and shirts which are breathable and sun protective during the hot months of May to October. Tom Kuhl , Parks and Recreation Director, will select the style of shorts and shirt and each employee in Park Maintenance will purchase his own clothing. Long pants and other protective clothing will continue to be worn when employees are spraying chemicals or using weed eaters or other hand held blade equipment. We also recommend that any employee who wears inappropriate attire or does not follow proper safety guidelines be dealt with on an individual basis through the disciplinary process. Before making this recommendation , the Board reviewed the OSHA dress requirements for landscape and park maintenance workers , solicited information from other Baldwin County municipalities that allow shorts , sought guidance from the City 's Workman 's Comp carrier about possible safety and liability concerns, and invited Mr. Kuhl to address the Board on the safety and dress requirements for his workers who are spraying chemicals or using weed eaters. Our Park Maintenance, Landscape, and Golf Maintenance workers are presently wearing a dark navy blue , heavy cotton duck long pant which , in the opinion of the Board , is not the best uniform for outdoor work in full sun in the summer months. After a trial period with the Park Maintenance workers and in consultation with the Director of Public Works and Director of Golf Operations, the City may want to offer the Shorts option to other employees in these departments .