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Personnel committee tables Health Department director job-description update pending finance review
Summary
The Franklin personnel committee on Dec. 15 voted to table a proposed reclassification of the Health Department director position — a change tied to state accreditation and a potential salary impact — until staff can provide exact budget figures.
The Franklin personnel committee voted Monday to table consideration of an updated job description and a proposed re-rating for the Health Department director after members said they lacked information on the budgetary impact.
The proposal, introduced under Item 5, would update the city’s 2018 job description for the director of health and human services and re-rate the position from step level 11 to 12 to reflect the city’s Level 3 public-health accreditation and the requirement that the director hold a master’s degree. "And with that you are required to have a master's degree," said Lauren, who identified herself during the meeting as the Director of Health and Human Services (first referenced at SEG 133). Lauren said the job description revision had gone through a departmental review and was approved by the Board of Health in August.
Committee members debated whether re-rating the position would automatically produce a pay increase. One committee member said the city’s policy typically ties reclassification to a salary adjustment if an employee is not already at the bottom of the new range; another member noted any adjustment could be as small as 5 percent depending on current placement. A separate speaker said the proposed rating change represented roughly a 20-point difference in the job-analysis scoring system, and Lauren said the effect on an individual salary depends on where that employee currently sits within the pay range.
An unidentified committee member (S10) cautioned that, budgetarily, the city was not in a position to increase salaries beyond the non-represented 2 percent raise scheduled for January: "we are not in a position to increase anybody's salary other than the 2% that's coming in January" (SEG 190). Several members said they wanted confirmation from the finance director whether the reclassification’s impact had already been accounted for in the approved budget.
A motion to table the item "until a future meeting to have more information" was made (mover: Unidentified Speaker S5) and seconded (Unidentified Speaker S7). The committee held a hand vote and the motion carried by majority; the chair said the item will be brought back as a new agenda item after staff consults with finance and clarifies the precise fiscal impact.
The committee also discussed whether it is appropriate for an affected employee to participate in a public meeting about their own job description. Members noted it is customary to have employees available to explain technical changes while reserving other discussions for closed session if necessary.
The personnel committee did not take final action on the job reclassification; staff were directed to return with a clear breakdown of how the proposed rating change would translate into dollars and how, if at all, that would fit into the city’s current budget.
