June 28, 2010
Council Indirectly Faces City Hall Work Schedule Change
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Normally, asking when will the next work session of council be scheduled occurred when Friday was the unofficial start of a long weekend. Tonight, Huntington’s council will decides how they will contend with the closure of City Hall on Fridays.
You will not find this spelled out in specifics on the agenda. Nor is it part of two concluding “budget revision” resolutions. Approval of them allows the mayor to make, as announced, retention of several floodwall employees. The Work Session date vote could come during Good and Welfare.
Council chairman Jim Insco essentially acceded a council consensus of Thursday afternoons at the work session. However, the clerk has to check Council Chambers schedules to ensure that a council decision might inadvertently displace another group.
Having a time frame to assemble data and personnel requested by council members represents one of the significant reasons for not holding the work session just prior to the Monday council meeting.
Actually, the City Hall closure and work schedule plans face another hurdle --- a hearing on a temporary injunction Wednesday, July 7, in Cabell County Circuit Court. The new schedule takes effect July 6. Members of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees have challenged that the 10% pay cuts and work hour alterations violate an “extended” collective bargaining agreement.
Contracts for the Huntington Police Department, Huntington Fire Department or AFSCME have not been agreed upon, but their former ones remain effective (except health insurance issues) per a memorandum from the Felinton administration in 2008. After AFSCME has twice turned down new memorandums of understanding, the Wolfe Administration has taken the position that “there is no contract” with AFSCME. Judge Jane Hustead will weigh in on the interpretation which pits the union members against the harsh budget cuts imposed by the administration and council due to reductions in revenue collection.
Council will weigh in on a 2010-2011 budget revision, though. The Wolfe Administration has restored several floodwall positions based on the summary of an inspection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Essentially, the administration has adopted a Corps belief that the skills necessary to maintain and operate the current 70 year old levy cannot be achieved with a patch work of emergency, overtime employees.
“There was no money in the passed budget for floodwall maintenance and expertise,” Finance Director Deron Runyon told council at the Friday, June 25, work session.
Council vice-chairman Mark Bates asked, what is the contingency if council votes against this?
Runyon responded, “Anything that was increased could not be done.”
Two road slips --- one at Arlington Blvd. and another at North Edgemont Drive --- have taken approximately $100,000 from the contingency fund too.
In other business, council will lend support to Virginia Avenue mail processing employees. The U.S. Postal Service plans to conduct a feasibility study on whether some mail processing and distribution components should be moved to Charleston.
The emphasis, though, is on study. At present, the U.S. Postal Service does not have plans for such a consolidation.
Additional first readings include repairs to a section of Staunton Avenue riverbank. If the erosion is left unchecked, a portion of the city’s sewer could be damaged. Other proposed purchases a trailer mounted feed drum clipper, a twelve passenger van (for Planning and Development), as well as sand and slag.
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Council Indirectly Faces City Hall Work Schedule Change
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Normally, asking when will the next work session of council be scheduled occurred when Friday was the unofficial start of a long weekend. Tonight, Huntington’s council will decides how they will contend with the closure of City Hall on Fridays.
You will not find this spelled out in specifics on the agenda. Nor is it part of two concluding “budget revision” resolutions. Approval of them allows the mayor to make, as announced, retention of several floodwall employees. The Work Session date vote could come during Good and Welfare.
Council chairman Jim Insco essentially acceded a council consensus of Thursday afternoons at the work session. However, the clerk has to check Council Chambers schedules to ensure that a council decision might inadvertently displace another group.
Having a time frame to assemble data and personnel requested by council members represents one of the significant reasons for not holding the work session just prior to the Monday council meeting.
Actually, the City Hall closure and work schedule plans face another hurdle --- a hearing on a temporary injunction Wednesday, July 7, in Cabell County Circuit Court. The new schedule takes effect July 6. Members of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees have challenged that the 10% pay cuts and work hour alterations violate an “extended” collective bargaining agreement.
Contracts for the Huntington Police Department, Huntington Fire Department or AFSCME have not been agreed upon, but their former ones remain effective (except health insurance issues) per a memorandum from the Felinton administration in 2008. After AFSCME has twice turned down new memorandums of understanding, the Wolfe Administration has taken the position that “there is no contract” with AFSCME. Judge Jane Hustead will weigh in on the interpretation which pits the union members against the harsh budget cuts imposed by the administration and council due to reductions in revenue collection.
Council will weigh in on a 2010-2011 budget revision, though. The Wolfe Administration has restored several floodwall positions based on the summary of an inspection by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Essentially, the administration has adopted a Corps belief that the skills necessary to maintain and operate the current 70 year old levy cannot be achieved with a patch work of emergency, overtime employees.
“There was no money in the passed budget for floodwall maintenance and expertise,” Finance Director Deron Runyon told council at the Friday, June 25, work session.
Council vice-chairman Mark Bates asked, what is the contingency if council votes against this?
Runyon responded, “Anything that was increased could not be done.”
Two road slips --- one at Arlington Blvd. and another at North Edgemont Drive --- have taken approximately $100,000 from the contingency fund too.
In other business, council will lend support to Virginia Avenue mail processing employees. The U.S. Postal Service plans to conduct a feasibility study on whether some mail processing and distribution components should be moved to Charleston.
The emphasis, though, is on study. At present, the U.S. Postal Service does not have plans for such a consolidation.
Additional first readings include repairs to a section of Staunton Avenue riverbank. If the erosion is left unchecked, a portion of the city’s sewer could be damaged. Other proposed purchases a trailer mounted feed drum clipper, a twelve passenger van (for Planning and Development), as well as sand and slag.
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