08-06-2019 City Council Special Meeting Packet
City of Grand Island
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Special Meeting Agenda
City Council:
Jason Conley
Michelle Fitzke
Chuck Haase
Julie Hehnke
Jeremy Jones
Vaughn Minton
Mitchell Nickerson
Mike Paulick
Clay Schutz
Mark Stelk
Mayor:
Roger G. Steele
City Administrator:
Jerry Janulewicz
City Clerk:
RaNae Edwards
7:00 PM
Council Chambers - City Hall
100 East 1st Street, Grand Island, NE 68801
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City of Grand Island Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Call to Order
This is an open meeting of the Grand Island City Council. The City of Grand Island abides by the Open
Meetings Act in conducting business. A copy of the Open Meetings Act is displayed in the back of this room
as required by state law.
The City Council may vote to go into Closed Session on any agenda item as allowed by state law.
Invocation
Pledge of Allegiance
Roll Call
A - SUBMITTAL OF REQUESTS FOR FUTURE ITEMS
Individuals who have appropriate items for City Council consideration should complete the Request for
Future Agenda Items form located at the Information Booth. If the issue can be handled administratively
without Council action, notification will be provided. If the item is scheduled for a meeting or study
session, notification of the date will be given.
B - RESERVE TIME TO SPEAK ON AGENDA ITEMS
This is an opportunity for individuals wishing to provide input on any of tonight's agenda items to reserve
time to speak. Please come forward, state your name and address, and the Agenda topic on which you will
be speaking.
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City of Grand Island
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Special Meeting
Item -1
#2019-226 - Consideration and Approval of FY 2019/2020 FTE
Budget Requests
Staff Contact: Patrick Brown
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Council Agenda Memo
From:Patrick Brown, Finance Director
Meeting:August 6, 2019
Subject:Approving FTEs for FY 2019-2020
Presenter(s):Patrick Brown, Finance Director
Background
On July 16th Council was presented with FTE requests by Department Directors. Those
presentations included reorganizations by Administration and Police Departments.
Additional FETs were requested for Library (1.5 FTEs), Building (0.40 FTE), Parks-
Cemetery (0.50 Seasonal FTE), Parks-Fieldhouse/Heartland Public Shooting Park (0.25
FTE), Parks-Greenhouse (0.80 FTE), and Fire (6.0 FTEs).
On July 23rd Council was presented with additional information regarding the request of
six (6) FTEs for the Fire Department Ambulance Service.
Discussion
1.Reorganizations: City Administration is recommending Council authorization and
approval for proposed department FTE reorganizations for City Clerk, Police, and
Library, which submitted a revised request after the July 23 council meeting. All
three of these departments are in the General Fund and the proposed reorganizations
only slightly increase the number of FTEs and have no financial impact to the
General Fund.
a.A Deputy City Clerk for the City Clerk Office is proposed. Administration
would decrease their FTEs by one by eliminating the Assistant City
Administrator position. The Audio/Video Technician in the Public
Information Office would be moved to Information Technology group which
is in the Internal Service Fund (cost sharing among funds). This would in
effect lower the cost of a FTE to the General Fund. This reorganization will
provide much needed assistance for the City Clerk and provide a means of
succession planning for the office.
b.The Police Department proposed to eliminate a Captain and two Sergeants
and add three Lieutenants. Chief Falldorf indicated this would increase
efficiencies and create more time for Sergeants to be out in the field
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supervising and assisting officers. This reorganization would be a net zero
gain/loss in FTEs and the minimal cost increase would be offset by lowering
some operating expenses in the department.
c.The Library previously submitted a request for an additional 1.5 FTE staffing
for FY 2019-2020. The Library has rescinded that request and changed it to a
reorganization because of a recent resignation. The Library would be
eliminating a full time Library Assistant I (1 FTE) with an increase of 1.8 FTE
for Library Pages. This would be an increase in 0.80 FTE but would have a
slight positive financial impact to the General Fund.
d.The Parks Department request for 0.50 seasonal FTE for the Cemetery is
based on if and when the City agrees to a contract with the State of Nebraska
to maintain the Cemetery located near the former Veteran’s Home in Grand
Island. If an agreement is attained with the State of Nebraska, the 0.50
seasonal FTE costs would be offset with farm income from the Veteran’s
property therefore no financial impact to the General Fund.
Administration believes the above changes are sound business decisions that would
benefit the organization with no financial impact to the City’s budget.
2.Administration recommends further study of the following FTE requests and possibly
bring these back for Council’s consideration in FY 2020-2021 budget year.
a.Building – The Building Department requested 0.40 FTE for an
Administrative Assistant. Financial impact to the General Fund would be
$15,237 for personnel services not including additional operating expenses
in FY2019-2020.
b.Fieldhouse/Heartland Public Shooting Park – the Parks Department
requested to add 0.25 FTE (for Fieldhouse) to an existing 0.75 FTE
position that is located at the Shooting Park. Financial impact to the
General Fund in FY2019-2020 would be $24,523 for personnel services
not including additional operating expenses.
c.Greenhouse – the Parks Department is requesting, with the support of the
Friends of the Park, three seasonal workers adding 0.80 FTEs.
Administration would like to look at any future plans for building and
maintaining facilities before adding the requested FTEs. Financial impact
to the General Fund in FY2019-2020 would be $18,000 for personnel
services not including additional operating expenses.
d.Fire – The Fire and Ambulance Department is requesting six FTEs to add
to the ambulance service. This proposal is based in large part on an
expression of interest by CHI St. Francis Hospital to use the City Fire
Department as its primary transportation provider for long range patient
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transfers within the state. Administration would like additional time to
study this request due to a number of variable factors. This must include
an analysis of the short term and long term budget impacts, staffing and
scheduling, and the effect on emergency ambulance response times. The
opening of the new hospital adds uncertainty regarding hospital patient
populations and emergency and non-emergency ambulance
service/transportation response needs and patterns. Financial impact to the
General Fund would be $472,062 for personnel services not including
additional operating expenses in FY2019-2020. There would be an offset
revenue source but it’s difficult to quantify at this point.
Alternatives
It appears that the Council has the following alternatives concerning the issue at hand.
The Council may:
1.Move to approve the resolution
2.Amend the resolution
3.Refer the issue to a Committee
4.Postpone the issue to future date
5.Take no action on the issue
Recommendation
City Administration recommends that the Council approve the resolution approving
FTE’s for the FY 2019-2020 budget including the reorganizations of Administration,
Police, Library, and the addition of a seasonal cemetery position contingent on an
agreement with the State of Nebraska.
Sample Motion
Move to approve Resolution #2019-226.
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Approved as to Form ¤ ___________
August 2, 2019 ¤ City Attorney
R E S O L U T I O N 2019-226
WHEREAS, City Administration recommends changes to the City’s full time
equivalents (FTEs) positions for the 2019-2020 budget process; and
WHEREAS, the recommended changes include the following reorganization and an
increase of 1.85 FTE’s in the full time equivalents (FTEs) positions for the General Fund: a.) add a
Deputy City Clerk for the City Clerk Office and eliminating the Assistant City Administrator
position; b.) move Audio/Video Technician from the Public Information Office to Information
Technology; c.) eliminate a Police Captain and two Sergeant positions and add three Lieutenants
FTEs; d.) eliminate a full time Library Assistant I (1 FTE) and an increase of 1.8 FTE for Library
Pages; and e.) add a 0.50 seasonal FTE for the Parks Department cemetery division to be filled if and
when the City agrees to a contract with the State of Nebraska to maintain the Veterans Cemetery; and
WHEREAS, the 2019-2020 budget process includes a decrease of 0.55 in the full
time equivalents (FTEs) positions for all other Funds; and
WHEREAS, the FTE positions will be incorporated into the Fiscal Year 2019-2020
Budget; and
WHEREAS, the FTE totals do not included elected officials.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA, as follows:
1.City Administration’s recommended staffing and FTE plan, as set forth above, should be and is
hereby authorized and approved.
2.The General Fund FTEs for the 2019-2020 Budget year should be and is hereby established and
fixed at 344.7283 FTEs; however 0.5 of this FTE shall only become available if and when a contract
is approved with the State of Nebraska to maintain the Cemetery located near the former Veteran’s
Home in Grand Island.
3.FTEs for all other Funds for the 2019-2020 Budget year should be and is hereby established and
fixed at 230.33.
- - -
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Grand Island, Nebraska, August 6, 2019.
_______________________________________
Roger G. Steele, Mayor
Attest:
_______________________________________
RaNae Edwards, City Clerk
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City of Grand Island
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Special Meeting
Item X-1
Strategy Session with Respect to IAFF and FOP Union
Negotiations
The City Council may hold a closed or Executive Session as permitted by Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 84-1410.
Closed sessions may be held for, but shall not be limited to such reasons as:
1. Protection of the public interest.
2. Needless injury to the reputation of an individual.
3. Strategy sessions with respect to
a. collective bargaining,
b. real estate purchases,
c. pending litigation, or
d. imminent or threatened litigation.
4. Discussion regarding deployment of security personnel or devices.
5. For the Community Trust created under Sec. 81-1801.02, discussion regarding the amounts to be
paid to individuals who have suffered from a tragedy of violence or natural disaster.
Staff Contact: Aaron Schmid, Human Resources Director
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