Board Of Aldermen Budget Retreat #1

BOARD OF ALDERMEN BUDGET RETREAT #1 Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 9:00 AM Landis Board Room MINUTES PLEASE SILENCE ALL CELL PHONES Present: Mayor Meredith Smith, Mayor Pro-Tem Ashley Stewart, Alderman Ryan Nelms, Alderman Tony Corriher, Alderman Darrell Overcash Staff Present: Town Manager Michael Ambrose, Finance Director Jeneen McMillen, Human Resources Director/Town Clerk Madison Stegall, Deputy Town Clerk Angie Sands, Fire Chief Jason Smith, Police Chief Matthew Geelen, Lead Fellow Robbie Shinn 1. INTRODUCTION: 1.1 Call Meeting to Order The meeting was called to order at 9:00 AM. 1.2 Welcome Mayor Smith welcomed those in attendance. 1.3 Adoption of Agenda ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED. Moved by: Ashley Stewart, seconded by Ryan Nelms Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Ryan Nelms, Tony Corriher, Darrell Overcash 2. PRESENTATIONS: 2.1 Rod Crider - Rowan County EDC - 9:00-9:30 AM Ron Crider from Rowan County EDC gave a brief overview of updates with the Rowan EDC. Board of Alderman Budget Retreat #1 Meeting Minutes: 3/19/2024 2.2 Admin/Planning & Zoning Departments - Madison Stegall - 9:30-10:00 AM Human Resources Director/Town Clerk Madison Stegall gave a brief overview of our Admin Department. Madison talked about Merit & COLA payout change. Currently, staff receive a merit increase on their annual anniversary. Beginning July 1, 2024, this will change to all employees receiving a merit increase in January, and the COLA will still be paid in July. This would cut down time spent on payroll biweekly and help streamline that system. The next item HR Director/Town Clerk Madison Stegall talked about was the current pay period for the Town. Current payroll dates are Wednesday through Tuesday. Staff would like to change payroll dates to Sunday though Saturday. Staff only have 1 day to process payroll right now. Staff would like to make this change happen in June. Staff are recommending the Town gift full-time hourly employees with 16 hours of sick time, so we are efficiently and effectively making this change over so that no employee will be short on hours for the initial transition. Mayor Smith agreed that it made sense to change it and that gifting the 16 hours of sick time would be fair. Alderman Ryan Nelms asked if PTO and sick time are fiscal calendar, or yearly calendar. Does it roll over each year and what rolls over. HR Director/Town Clerk Madison explained that it’s fiscal year and that vacation time is what rolls over into sick time. An employee can’t have over 240 hours of vacation time in their bank as of July 1st, and it will roll over to employee sick time. Alderman Ryan Nelms asked if sick time policy could be used for what the employee needed it for or just being sick. HR Director/ Town Clerk Madison Stegall answered it can only be used as sick time for the employee, child, spouse, or parent of the employee. Alderman Ryan Nelms asked if the 16 hours could be used as sick time. HR Director/Town Clerk said that the 16 hours would only cover the 16 hours for the time of the pay change and would be applied to employee accounts and immediately taken out for the specific purpose of ensuring employees checks are not short on hours for the conversion. Town Manager Michael Ambrose added that Chapter 159 of the North Carolina State Law only allows us to use sick time for this. Action: A MOTION WAS MADE TO APPROVE THE NEW FORMAT FOR PAYROLL TO BEGIN ON SUNDAY AND END ON SATURDAY ALLOWING 3 EXTRA DAYS ON THE CALENDAR FOR ADMINISTRATION TO PROCESS PAYROLL AND ALLOCATING 16 HOURS OF SICK TIME PER EACH FULL-TIME HOURLY EMPLOYEE FOR THE TRANSITION. Moved by: Ashley Stewart, seconded by Tony Corriher Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Tony Corriher, Ryan Nelms, Darrell Overcash Board of Alderman Budget Retreat #1 Meeting Minutes: 3/19/2024 Human Resources Director/Town Clerk Madison Stegall gave a brief overview of our Planning & Zoning Department. We currently only have one part-time employee in that department that works Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. This fiscal year we are asking to add a Planning Technician position to the department. We now contract out with NFocus for our Planning, and we are looking to bring that back in house. Code enforcement will also come back in house with the Police Department handling that. This would be beneficial to the Town because our citizens come at times when we don’t have anyone from Planning & Zoning here to talk to, with it being just a part-time position. Town Manager Michael Ambrose added that Planning, Zoning, Subdivision Administrator Rick Flowe would stay on as Administrator for at least a year. Mayor and Board had some discussion between them. Town Manager Michael Ambrose also commented that John Ganus (code enforcement) would also stay on for at least another year to help transition. 2.3 Police Department - Police Chief Matthew Geelen - 10:00-10:30 AM Chief Geelen gave a brief overview of the Police Department’s Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2024. Chief Geelen thanked the Mayor and Board and Manager Ambrose for their support. He also went over each Fiscal Year’s needs for the next four years. Chief Geelen has asked for in Fiscal Year 2025 to purchase (2) new Patrol Vehicles and to purchase (3) new Ballistic Vests and to put both items on rotation for the next 4 years. Chief Geelen asked for Fiscal Year 2026 the purchase of (2) patrol vehicles, (3) New Ballistic Vests, and to purchase (2) updated Portable Breath Testing Devices. Fiscal Year 2027 (2) new Patrol Vehicles, (2) updated Portable Breath Testing Devices, (3) New Ballistic Vests. Fiscal Year 2028, Chief Geelen asked for (2) New Patrol Vehicles, (2) Updated Portable Breath Testing Devices and (3) New Ballistic Vests. 2.4 Fire Department-Fire Chief Jason Smith – 10:30-11:00 AM Chief Smith gave a brief overview of the Fire Department’s Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2024. Chief Smith asked for in Fiscal Year 2025 to Purchase a new Fire Engine. He stated that NFPA 1901 recommends a 15-year life on a Front-Line Engine or Ladder to go in reserve status. Our trucks are in the mid 2000’s so they are well into their retirement age. Chief Smith stated that he would like to request this new Fire Engine to get us updated for our safety and public safety. Fiscal Year 2026 I am requesting new Turnout Gear and put that on a rotation and purchase 2 per year. Also, replacement of the fire hose. Fiscal Year 2027 purchase of New PPE Washer and Dryer, and remodel of Station 44. Mayor Smith asked how much a new PPE washer and dryer would cost. Chief Smith replied with about $15,000. Mayor Smith said let’s add that to Fiscal Year 2025. Mayor Smith, Mayor Pro- Tem Ashley Stewart, and Chief Smith had some discussion on where it would be stored and where the Fire Department took their turnout gear to be washed now. Chief Smith answered with Station 58. Chief Smith added that in Fiscal Year 2028 the purchase of New Fire Helmets and getting them on a rotation also. Board of Alderman Budget Retreat #1 Meeting Minutes: 3/19/2024  Town Manager Michael Ambrose gave a brief overview of the current Fire Engines. He also said that our early bids for a new Fire Engine were at about $750,000, and we currently have some bids out there and would let the Board know when we get those back. The Mayor and Board had some discussion on the pros and cons of replacing the Fire Engine. Alderman Ryan Nelms wanted to see the breakdown of the year, and what’s the recommended years of life for them. Pro-Tem Ashley Stewart wanted to have the Model and Year put on the list so that the board can see the year model with the correct vehicle. Mayor Smith asked for a 5-minute recess. ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE FOR A RECESS AT 10:19 AM. Motion Moved by Ashley Stewart, seconded by Darrell Overcash Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Ryan Nelms, Tony Corriher, Darrell Overcash ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO COME OUT OF RECESS AT 10:30. Motion Moved by: Ashley Stewart, seconded by: Darrell Overcash Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Darrell Overcash, Tony Corriher, Ryan Nelms 3. CLOSING: 3.1 Motion to Adjourn ACTION: A MOTION WAS MADE TO ADJOURN AT 10:35AM. Moved By: Ashley Stewart, seconded by: Tony Corriher Motion Passed: 4-0 Voting For: Ashley Stewart, Ryan Nelms, Tony Corriher, Darrell Overcash Board of Alderman Budget Retreat #1 Meeting Minutes: 3/19/2024