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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06 - City Hall & Limited Off-Site Holiday ClosureCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 6 October 26, 2010 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Dave Kiff, City Manager 949 - 644 -3000, dkiff(a)newportbeachca.gov Terri L. Cassidy J.D., Human Resources Director 949 - 644 -3303, tcassidv(a)newportbeachca.gov SUBJECT: City Hall and Limited Off -Site Holiday Closure ISSUE: Shall the City Council approve closing the City Hall complex and provide limited city services at off -site facilities from Friday, December 24, 2010, through and including Friday, December 31, 2010? RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Council approve the closure of the City Hall complex and provide limited city services at off -site facilities from Friday, December 24, 2010, through and including Friday, December 31, 2010. The proposed City Hall closure does not apply to Public Safety or other essential functions that provide necessary municipal services. DISCUSSION: In 2009, after negotiations with the City's employee associations and unrepresented group, the City Council approved closure of the City Hall complex between the Christmas Eve and the New Year's holiday period. The period between Christmas and New Years is traditionally a slower time at City Hall and the closure in 2009 successfully reduced the City's liability of employee leave balances with little disruption to department services. In an effort to effectuate savings for FY10 -11, it is proposed the City Hall complex and select off -site facilities be closed during the holiday period again this year. At the direction of the City Manager, Human Resources approached the City's employee associations and the unrepresented group proposing the closure of City Hall from December 24, 2010, through December 31, 2010. As proposed, employees will be Holiday Closure — City Hall October 26, 2010 Page 2 required to use leave time or be on unpaid status for the duration of the closure (excluding paid holidays). The employee groups considered the proposal, acknowledged the need for the City to continue to reduce expenditures and have agreed to the closure of City Hall and other non - essential facilities and functions between the Christmas Eve and New Year holiday period. The attached Side Letter Agreement (Exhibit A) amends the Memoranda of Understanding accordingly. Public safety operations, including police, fire, and marine operations will not be impacted by the closure. Other necessary city services, including refuse collection, parking meter services, and parking lot operations will also remain open. The attached exhibit (Exhibit B) provides a complete list, by department, of the city services that will be operational during this holiday period. If approved, the Public Information Manager and staff from the City Clerk's Office will coordinate with departments to ensure effective communication to the public of this change. Notice will be provided via signage at the impacted City facilities, press release, as well as information on NBTV and the City's homepage. Environmental Review Not applicable. Public Notice: Seventy -two hours notice has been given pursuant to the Brown Act. No further notice is legally required. Funding Availability: This proposal will lower the City's liability for employee leave time and provide savings of utilities and other maintenance costs for the City Hall complex and other off -site facilities. The estimated reduction in the City's liability for employee leave time is approximately $80,000. Alternatives: The following options are available to the City Council: 1. Close the City Hall complex and provide reduced services at off -site facilities as recommended; 2. Not approve the closure of the City Hall complex. Provisions of existing MOUs will remain in effect and City Hall will be open and staffed half day on December 23, full days December 27 -29, and half day December 31; or Holiday Closure — City Hall October 26, 2010 Page 3 3. Seek further clarification or direct staff to develop additional recommendations. Submitted by: Dave Kiff .—i City Manager Ol�EJVW �C\ Terri L. Cassidy, J.D. Human Resources Director Attachments: Side Letter to the Memoranda of Understanding (Exhibit A) Chart of City Services during proposed Holiday Closure (Exhibit B) EXHIBIT A Side Letter to the Memoranda of Understanding between the City of Newport Beach and the Several Newport Beach Employee Associations and Unrepresented Employee Group In 2009, the City and its Employee Associations agreed upon the closure of the Civic Center complex during the Christmas and New Year's Holiday period. To support the City's ongoing efforts to meet its fiscal, managerial and operational goals, the Newport Beach Employee Associations and Unrepresented Group representatives listed below acknowledge the need for the City to reduce expenditures and the City's liability during Fiscal Year 2010 -2011. The undersigned Associations and the City jointly agree to the closure of the Civic Center complex and other non - essential facilities and functions between the Christmas and New Year's Holiday period (December 24, 2010 through December 31, 2010). Facility shutdowns, including the Civic Center complex, shall be cost neutral to the City and will not result in additional paid days /hours off. The City and the undersigned also agree that the Civic Center complex and other non - essential employees will not have the option to work during this period, unless specifically requested by Department Directors and exclusively authorized by the City Manager, or designee. Emergency conditions requiring the activation of the Emergency Operations Center shall render this agreement invalid. The following guidelines will be applied to the closure: Due to the holidays of Christmas and New Year's Day falling on Saturday, employees will work a full day on Thursday, December 23 and roll the designated 1/2 paid holiday from December 23 to Thursday, December 30, in order to make one complete paid holiday (8 hours). This results in only 3 full days (12/27, 12/28, and 12/29) that are required for employees to take off during the holiday closure. This is a one -time exception of the existing designated holiday schedule outlined in the current Memoranda of Understanding for each Association. 2. According to the City's Employee Policy Manual, an employee must be in paid status in order to receive holiday pay. Therefore, employees must use flexible leave, vacation leave, administrative leave or compensatory time the day before and the day after the holiday in order to meet this requirement. The only day employees will be eligible to take leave without pay and still receive holiday pay will be Tuesday, December 28. Employees who have completed their initial probationary period, but do not have any accrued flexible leave, vacation leave, administrative leave or compensatory time will be required to take leave without pay. 4. Employees on a flexible schedule whose regularly scheduled day off falls between December 24, 2010 and December 31, 2010 will take their regularly scheduled day off. Employees in this category will only be required to take flexible leave, vacation leave, administrative leave or compensatory time for the alternate day they are scheduled to work. This agreement will help lower the liability on the City's books for leave balances and will provide for some savings in utilities and other maintenance costs for Fiscal Year 2010 -2011. This agreement shall not apply to Public Safety personnel or essential functions that operate on a 24/7 basis, regardless of scheduled holidays designated by existing MOU's and authorized for unrepresented employee groups. Any questions or requests for information shall be addressed to the Human Resources Department. Signatures are on the next page. Executed this day of 2010 NEWPORT BEACH EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATIONS: CITY EMPLOYEES By: Vim- L U --- Teresa Craig, Preside t FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION Brian Mcpoyiougti, President FIRE MANAGEMENT By: Charles Duncan, Vice - President KEY & MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES By: Mike Pisani 4 POLICE MANAG MENT Mark By: a ilt n, President CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH Dtv p Kiff, City Manager LEAGUE EMPLOYEES LIF m """ PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL By: Russell Bunim, President POLICE By: David Syvock, Pre dent APPROVED AS TO FORM: OFFI THE CITY ATTORNEY By: David R. Hunt, City Atto ney EXHIBIT B City of Newport Beach Holiday Closure Schedule Friday, December 24, through Friday, December 31, 2010 Department Planned Closure Administrative Services Parking meter services and parking lot operations to remain open; all other services closed. Residential and commercial building inspections Building provided on a limited basis; all other services closed. City Attorney's Office Closed. City Clerk's Office Closed. City Manager's Office Closed. Fire Fire Administration closed; fire command staff and all other fire services operational. General Services operational; select Utilities General Services /Utilities services, including Water, Sewer, and Electrical, in limited operation or staff are on -call. All other operations closed. Human Resources Closed. Offices and libraries closed beginning December Library Services 24, 2010, and will re -open on Monday, January 3, 2011. Planning Closed. Police All Police Department operations open. Public Works Public works inspections provided on a limited basis; all other services closed. Recreation & Senior Park Patrol operations to remain open; all offices Services and facilities closed.