AN ORDINANCE
NO. __________
An Ordinance authorizing the payment of severance benefits to employees
whose jobs are eliminated as part of the FY2007 Budget Ordinance, abolishing
certain positions, changing written temporary appointment policy to match
current and past practice; and for other purposes.
____________________________
THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION ONE
The first severance benefit is limited to eight long-time employees (William C.
Chester, Lynne A. Halvorson, Brenda Gail McKoon, Otis LeRoy Reese, Roger W.
Segrest, Joseph C. Slade, Margaret L. Whitehead and Roger W. Wolf) whose
combined age and service to the City totals 80 or more (in one case that total
is 79.6, and, therefore, the City rounded up to number 80). The Human
Resources Director is authorized to offer these individuals an opportunity to
retire, based upon their current service time, with full retirement benefits as
though they had already reached the age of sixty-five on June 30, 2006.
SECTION TWO
The remaining full-time employees who are affected by the reduction in force
will be offered one week of severance pay for each two years that they have
worked for the City, calculated to the nearest tenth of a year.
SECTION THREE
Employees electing to participate in either severance benefit program must sign
a release and waiver agreement approved by the City Attorney.
SECTION FOUR
This is a one-time offering to these employees and does not repeal or in any
other manner change the Columbus Georgia Employees? Pension Plan as it relates
to all other employees of Columbus, Georgia.
SECTION FIVE
The position of Internal Auditor is hereby abolished and removed from the City
Position Classification Plan. Article VI of Chapter 2 of the Columbus Code
(Internal Auditor) is hereby deleted in its entirety. Other positions are
deleted or unfunded as reflected in the FY07 Budget document.
SECTION SIX
?16B-6-7(a) shall be revised to include the statement: When temporary
appointments are made to fill vacant higher budgeted positions by lower grade
employees, the appointment shall be without additional pay for the higher
position for periods of time not to exceed ninety (90) consecutive calendar
days during any twelve (12) month period. If it should become necessary to
retain an employee over ninety (90) consecutive calendar days in the higher
budgeted position, action will be taken to start paying the lower grade
employee the higher rate on the first day following the completion of the
ninety (90) days and he or she will continue to receive the higher rate for the
duration of the temporary appointment.
SECTION SEVEN
Section 16B-4-3 of the Columbus Code shall be revised to delete the phrase
?from any person over sixty-five (65) years of age or? from the last sentence
of said section. Section 16B-10-8 of the Columbus Code is hereby deleted in its
entirety.
SECTION EIGHT
All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
________________
Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia,
held on the 13th day of June, 2006; introduced a second time at a regular
meeting of said Council held on the _________day of __________, 2006, and
adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of ______ members of said
council.
Councilor Allen Voting ______________________________.
Councilor Anthony Voting ______________________________.
Councilor Henderson Voting ______________________________.
Councilor Hunter Voting ______________________________.
Councilor McDaniel Voting ______________________________.
Councilor Pugh Voting ______________________________.
Councilor Rodgers Voting ______________________________.
Councilor Suber Voting ______________________________.
Councilor Woodson Voting ______________________________.
_________________________ _____________________________
Tiny B. Washington, Clerk Robert S. Poydasheff, Mayor
Agenda Item # ______
Council Meeting
Columbus Consolidated Government
June 13, 2006
Agenda Report # ______
TO: Mayor and Councilors
SUBJECT: FY07 Severance Benefit
INITIATED BY: Human Resources
Recommendation: Approve an Ordinance adopting a severance benefit for employees
whose jobs are eliminated by the FY2007 Budget Ordinance.
Background: To reduce City Personnel expenses to a sustainable level, based
upon current and projected revenues, almost 100 filled and vacant positions
were identified to be unfounded or eliminated in the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget.
The Columbus Council expressed a desire to provide a severance benefit that
would lessen the impact on those employees affected by this reduction in
force. Administration developed several options for the consideration of
Council; the benefit described herein and in the attached ordinance was
unanimously selected by Council.
Analysis: Estimated costs for the severance benefits are included in the FY2007
Budget.
Financial Considerations: Approval of the Columbus Council is required.
Legal Considerations: There is no additional known cost associated with the
proposed ordinance.
Recommendations/Actions: Recommended by the Administration and Council.
Attachments
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