Columbus, Georgia

Minutes



COUNCIL BRIEFING



Meeting

July 6, 2004



Members Present: Mayor Pro Tem John J. Rodgers and Councilors R. Gary Allen,

Glenn Davis (arrived at 5:21 p.m.), Berry Henderson, Julius Hunter, Jr.

(arrived at 5:17 p.m.), Charles E. McDaniel, Jr., Evelyn Turner Pugh, Nathan

Suber and Evelyn Woodson. Also present were Mayor Robert S. Poydasheff

(Arrived at 8:45 a.m.), City Manager Carmen Cavezza, City Attorney Clifton Fay,

Human Resources Director Tom Barron, Clerk of Council Tiny B. Washington and

Deputy Clerk of Council Sandra Davis.



Members Absent: Councilor Wayne Anthony was absent.



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Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m. held in the

Council Chambers Conference Room, Plaza Level of the Government Center.



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Fire & EMS Department:

City Manager Cavezza announced that the Fair Labor Standard Act has been

changed, which impacts the Fire & EMS Department; therefore, next week we will

be bringing an ordinance change that reflects the change in federal law. He

briefly explained that by the definition of duties and the duties that we are

required to pay overtime for, the fire lieutenant falls in the classification

that does not exempt him from overtime. He stated that the fire lieutenants

would be getting overtime. He pointed out that they work approximately 168

hours now and they get regular pay up to 159 hours and the additional 9 hours,

they get time and a half. He explained that right now, they are exempt from

receiving overtime; so, they get supplemental. He said that what is going to

happen is that the supplemental would go away and in lieu of the supplemental,

they would be getting overtime. He said that the amount comes out pretty close

to what it is now, but it gets complicated if they take some vacation days and

get under the 159 hours; then, they don?t receive overtime but straight time.

He advised that there is some concern from the firefighters on this, but we

believe it is going to be a break-even situation.



At this time, City Manager Cavezza responded to various questions from the

members of Council. Human Resources Director Tom Barron began to explain who

would be considered first responders. He stated that the first responders are

the first to an emergency situation; then, those employees cannot be exempt

even if they are supervising people because that does not matter; it depends on

their duty when they arrive on the scene.



In response to Councilor Woodson, Human Resources Director Tom Barron replied

that there are about 39 lieutenants but not all of them ride the fire trucks.

He said that there are about 28 of them that ride the fire truck. Human

Resources Director Barron explained that if the lieutenant is assigned to an

engine and arrive at the scene as a team leader; then, they cannot be exempt.

Councilor Suber asked about the Captains within the department, at which time,

Human Resources Barron said they may not be exempt, if they are the first on

the scene but typically that is not their normal duty.



There was continued discussion on this matter with Human Resources Director

Barron responding to various questions regarding the non-exempt status for

overtime of several positions.

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Budget Constraints:

City Manager Cavezza advised that we have some budget restraints going into the

FY-05 budget; therefore, we are telling some of these organizations that we

have previously participated by paying overtime for employees to provide

assistance with their events that we no longer have the funding to do it;

therefore, the organization would have to fund those things.



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Grass Cutting:

City Manager Cavezza informed the Council that we have received 54 complaints

regarding high grass. He said that most of that is because of the rain and we

don?t have the flexibility now to pay overtime to get more grass cut. He said

that the schedule is that we cut downtown grass once a week, city grass is cut

once a month and rural area grass is cut once every three months. He was then

asked to identify what is considered to be rural area, which he replied is the

Midland area and northern Columbus area.



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Local Option Sales Tax (L.O.S.T):

City Manager Cavezza briefly highlighted the plan to bring forth a resolution

to call for the vote on the Local Option Sales Tax. He said that it has to

reach the Elections and Registrations Office before the 18th of August to get

on the November ballot. He said that we had talked about a stakeholders group

to talk about the local option sales tax and most members of Council have

provided the name of an individual but there are maybe two that have not, but

we wanted to call the group in to talk with them.





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EMS vehicles:

City Manager Cavezza explained that because of budget issues and the demands on

our ambulances, the EMS ambulances are not picking up bodies and taking them to

the funeral homes anymore. He pointed out that all of the funeral homes have

been notified of that and the coroner is going to have to deal with that part

of it. Mayor Poydasheff said that the funeral home could pick the body up and

take it to the morgue.



Councilor McDaniel asked who would be taking the body to the morgue, at which

time, Mayor Poydasheff said the primary responsibility of sending a body to the

morgue is the coroner and the ambulance would act as back up. In response to

further questions, Mayor Poydasheff explained that the funding would come out

of the coroner?s budget. Councilor Pugh added that the funeral home should not

come to pick that body up if the coroner feels that there has been foul play so

the coroner is responsible for taking the body to the morgue and not the

funeral home.



City Manager Cavezza pointed out that the coroner goes on average about three

or four times a month to Atlanta, Georgia, and when he does, he hires a

temporary person to do that.



Mayor Pro Tem Rodgers said the way he understands it, the practice that is in

place now is the ambulance that responds is taking the body somewhere, but what

we are saying now is that we are going to discontinue that practice and make it

the responsibility of the coroner or funeral home but if there is an emergency

situation or an instance where we have to put an ambulance in as back up; then,

we would do that. Mayor Poydasheff then agreed with the assessment.



City Manager Cavezza also responded to questions from Councilor Woodson

regarding the coroner hiring temporary assistance to take bodies to Atlanta.



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There being no further business to discuss and with the dialogue being

concluded, this meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.







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Sandra T. Davis, Deputy Clerk of Council