02-08-2021 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, January 5, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 9 of 11 staying home in their pajamas. He hopes they will see things opening up with restaurants and Mayor Walsh knows many of the restaurants are hanging on by their coattails at this point. He prays the restaurants they have will continue going forward. He noted his kids they have gymnastics, horse riding, and dance, and it is nice to get them back into those things as well. Mayor Walsh said if someone is sick or taking a test as they think they might have COVID…please stay home and don’t ruin it for everybody else, as they do not want to put families and businesses in jeopardy. Printup agreed it is not fair to the businesses because they are then required to close things off. INTERIM CITY ADMINISTRATOR/FINANCE DIRECTOR REPORT 14. COVID-19 PAY EXTENSION AND OUTDOOR SEATING RESOLUTION Olson noted the COVID-19 sick pay was mandated by the federal government and for those who used it between June and November 15, 2020, that was part of the big grant money the City received from the federal government. People who used it after November 15 through the end of the year – the City still had to offer it but there was no reimbursement for it. He said Staff was talking on Tuesday morning and there are a couple people who may need it or have to stay home because their kids are sick, and perhaps they would like to continue that part of it. Then if someone has a sick kid in 2021, they are being treated the same way as someone who had it in December of 2020. Based on the experience since June, it would probably cost about $15,000 in sick leave paid out; the true cost is if everyone who benefited from the COVID pay stayed here for at least 12 years, when they leave or retire, they would get 15% of their sick leave paid out. Olson clarified that is where the $7,500 figure comes from in the memo. Mayor Walsh said the extra sick leave they are talking about is paid sick leave. Olson said that is correct. Mayor Walsh’s only question is what kind of precedent are they setting that this starts inching its way into becoming the norm. He noted in union negotiations, it becomes “now that we have done it, now we are doing it unilaterally” does this just become a norm because technically all flus are COVID viruses and he looked at the City Attorney to ask how they protect the City from that becoming another line item moving forward on a union negotiation. Olson stated the difference on this one is they have the State of Emergency that the Governor claimed and the City also has to have a State of Emergency. That is why both pieces of this memo tie it towards whenever that City State of Emergency ends, rather than putting a specific date on it. Attorney Mattick does not think it would be precedent setting, although he supposes someone could argue that. The City, through their personnel policy has negotiated time off things that have been negotiated into contracts. This policy is going to be explicitly outside the contract, so it is implemented by the City unilaterally they can end it unilaterally and it is not a negotiated item. He supposed they could bring it up as an idea to try to negotiate further but they are under no obligation to continue it. Mayor Walsh thinks it is a great idea in general because he doesn’t want to say “at the end of the year, there is no more COVID stuff.” If people are out, he thinks it is good that they are taking care of their children, and if they can tie it to the State of Emergency or something that differentiates it and they are not stuck with it moving forward, he is all for it.