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Commission considers FTE definition for incentives; staff suggests 32-hour minimum
Summary
Commissioners debated defining full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs in incentive criteria. Staff recommended referencing Department of Labor practice and discussed a 32- to 40-hour range with 32 hours as a likely minimum for incentive eligibility.
Commissioners asked whether the consolidated economic-development policy should define full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs for incentive eligibility. One commissioner said a clear definition would reduce ambiguity for employers applying for incentives. Staff responded that different companies and state programs use different definitions, and recommended referencing the Kansas/Department of Labor standard rather than imposing a local, rigid hour threshold.
During the discussion staff noted that state incentive programs and Commerce do not apply a single uniform hours definition across all programs; however, community practice and examples cited in the draft suggested most incentive-eligible employees worked 32 to 40 hours per week, and that 32 hours could serve as a minimum standard for Newton—s incentive eligibility. Commissioners expressed support for clarifying the FTE definition in the draft and asked staff to either adopt an explicit hours range (for example, 32 to 40 hours) or incorporate a state DOL definition by reference.
Staff also noted that some incentive recipients use workforce programs to offset special circumstances like job-sharing, cross-training or part-time roles and that the city—s policy should not inadvertently exclude otherwise eligible projects.
Ending: Staff will add a clarified FTE definition to the draft, either by citing the Department of Labor definition or by specifying a 32-hour minimum range for incentive eligibility.
