Members Attending: Ron Benson, Tarrus Crew, Beverly Crockett, Deborah Davis-Williamson, Errol Edingburgh, Gary Fama, Donna Henderson-Braden, Erma Holmes, Debra Louis, Bill Robilio, Della Sheffield, Anthony Smith, Stacy Taylor, David Thorpe, Tonia Wright

Members Absent: Taft Bradley, Michelle Stuart, Carol Boyd

Staff Attending: Mayor AC Wharton, Jr., John Fowlkes, CAO, Marcia Boyd, CAO's Staff, Gwen McClain, Communications & Public Affairs

The Mayor had an unexpected appointment that couldn't be rescheduled, so John Fowlkes opened the meeting with a review of the previous issues/suggestions and their status.

• Parking problems are being reviewed.  There has been some repair work in the Viaduct area and there may be people parking that are unauthorized. This is being investigated.   Support Services is looking for other facilities in the Health Department area and downtown area for possible additional parking.
• No legal opinion had been given on the possibility of employees using Fleet Services for auto repairs, but it would likely be a conflict of interest since County employees and materials would be used.
• The concern related to lack of career paths for employees will take several years to totally correct.  Charlie Sims and the Compensation staff are working on revisions to the compensation system.  The revisions include a move from a step plan to pay ranges that are more inline with the market value.  Attorney and accounting positions in various departments and offices of the Elected Officials were the first groups to be reviewed and adjusted.  RNs/LPNs, IT positions and other positions are slated for future analysis and review. There is an understanding that any changes in classification and pay scales can be a political issue with the public and the Commissioners who want no tax increases.  The Salary Policy must be approved by the Commissioners annually.
• The four-day work week is still being considered by a team lead by Paul Boyd, Human Resources.  They are currently researching how this is being successfully implemented in other organizations and will likely be expanding the team to include more employees. 
• Use of Fitness Centers for County employees is being explored by the Wellness Committee, headed by Catherine Green.  The challenge is to find facilities that are located in areas easily accessible to County employees that will give the highest discounts.  There is also the possibility of having space available in the East and downtown areas that would be run by the County, only for County employees. 
• A sub-committee of the Council had met to discuss how the Mayor's FedEx Forum tickets could be distributed to employees as an incentive.  Della Sheffield reported that the sub-committee suggested having a drawing each month for all the events during that time span.  Two people would receive two tickets each for each event.  The employees eligible would be those with a perfect attendance for the past 12 months.  There are slightly over 1200 employees who meet the criteria.  Other Council members, not on the sub-committee, suggested giving tickets to Veterans returning from active service, having drawings for employees with over 25-years of service, giving to employees who do outstanding service in the community, and to Employees of the Quarter.  Council members were asked to go back to their co-workers for their suggestions and recommendations.
• In response to more employee/family outings, the County-wide picnic is scheduled for June 3 at Shelby Farms.  There will be food, activities for adults and children, door prizes and entertainment.  There may be another function scheduled for the fall.
• Human Resources is investigating various methods used in other organizations related to sick leave accumulation at retirement as well as other leave policies.  There are no timelines for completing the research and making recommendations.
• Regarding the need for basic Spanish training, the group was informed that there had been positive responses on the SC Intranet Discussion Forum.  It is anticipated that there will be some options available by fall.  The Fire Department will be offering classes for their employee soon.
• The Performance Appraisal team is working on ways to make the evaluation more reflective of the work duties and will possibly be making changes for the coming cycle.

New Issues/Suggestions Discussed:

In the previous meeting it was reported that Security had changed their policy and would no longer escort employees to their car in the evenings  This was incorrect, there have been no changes in policy.  

The Mayor discussed the new County Lines and it's focus on what employees are doing; the financial improvements that have been possible because of the employees; the work in Nashville to improve revenue sources; work to improve salary inequities; the Shelby County booth at the Memphis in May Barbecue contest; and his appreciation for the work the Council is doing.

A member wanted to know when training would be available for employees again.  Human Resources will be contacted for an update on the future of training.  This is considered a significant area for continued workforce development.  One member suggested having "Brown Bag" lunches and bringing in speakers to present topics of interest to employees.  Another member voiced concerns that there had not been any recent workshops on retirement as in the past.  Another concern was lack of safety training in some of the areas such as the Health Department and Code Enforcement.  It was suggested that some agencies such as OSHA might provide training.  The Fire Department does have safety training classes.  Risk Management will be contacted for information on safety training.

There was a question about the changes related to building security in 160 N. Main and if the same restrictions would be implemented in 201 Poplar.  The decisions related to building security are under the Sheriff's Department.  Scanners will be added at some future date for employees.

In a previous meeting there was a question about inspecting incoming mail at Corrections.  As a follow-up an employee reported that beginning June 15 there would be an Entry Point Team that will be scanning those coming into the area.

There was a question about the posting of salaries of individuals under the office of the Mayor on the Shelby County website.  It was explained that continuously there are inquiries from outside groups wanting to know the information.  The Mayor felt there was nothing to hide, it is public knowledge, and therefore should be readily available.  It was suggested that perhaps this could be done by position and not include the individual's name

An employee from Corrections wanted to know if they could have internet access in those areas that need information related to inmate counseling, etc. This will be investigated.

It was reported that Administration had met with social workers from Head Start and there had been good feedback.  This related to delegate agencies providing Head Start services and concerns about job security.

Discussion:

Gwen McClain explained how the County Lines is being produced now.  Each area of the County has a liaison that accepts news stories.  If there is information that individuals want in the newsletter, they should contact their liaison, listed in the back of the newsletter.  She also described changes on the County website that will make it easier to navigate and locate areas.

The next meeting will be August 22, 2006 at 3:00 PM.