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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 2006.09.25 - 36117WILLIAM R. PATTERSON Chairperson CHRISTINE LONG Vice Chairperson MATTIE MCKINNEY HATCHETT Minority Vice Chairperson September 25, 2006 Vice-Chairperson Long called the meeting of the General Government Committee to order at 2:02 p.m. in Committee Room A, Commissioners’ Wing, County Service Center, Pontiac, Michigan. COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Christine Long, Mattie McKinney Hatchett, Hugh D. Crawford, Eric Wilson, Eileen Kowall, Will Molnar, Vincent Gregory, David Coulter, Tim Melton COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: William R. Patterson OTHERS PRESENT CIRCUIT COURT Wendy Potts, Judge James Alexander, Judge Kevin Oeffner, Court Administrator Lisa Langton, Family Division Administrator CORPORATION COUNSEL Judy Cunningham, Corporation Counsel FISCAL SERVICES Prentiss Malone, Jr., Financial Analyst HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Dr. Thomas Gordon, Director HUMAN RESOURCES Mary Pardee, Supervisor David VandeGrift, Analyst INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Ed Poisson, Director OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY David Gorcyca, Prosecutor Debbie Carley, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Matthew Roth, Executive Staff Attorney REALTORS Mindy Fernandes, Director, Government Relations STRATEGIC PUBLIC AFFAIRS Kim Haefner, Lobbyist THE DETROIT NEWS Maureen Feighan, Reporter BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Bill Bullard, Jr., Commissioner, District #2 Larry Doyle, Administrative Director Harvey Wedell, Senior Analyst Sheryl Mitchell, Senior Analyst Julia Ruffin, Commissioner Liaison Pamela Worthington, Committee Coordinator OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 1200 N. TELEGRAPH ROAD, PONTIAC, MI 48341-0470 Telephone (248) 858-0100 FAX (248) 858 -1572 GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Hugh D. Crawford Eric Wilson Eileen Kowall Will Molnar Vincent Gregory David Coulter Tim Melton GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 2 September 25, 2006 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PUBLIC COMMENT Commissioner Wilson mentioned that there are still people out there supporting our troops. His son is in the Marines, and he was in Bangor, Maine last Friday, prior to being deployed to Iraq, and some of the people there offered him food and the use of their cell phones. David Gorcyca indicated that in regards to Item #2, Board of Commissioners – Approve Creation of One (1) Additional Circuit Judgeship Effective January 1, 2009, if the resolution were adopted to add a judge, the Prosecutor’s Office would need to request additional staff to keep up with the extra work it would cause for the Prosecutor’s Office personnel. APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES Crawford moved approval of the minutes of September 11, 2006, as printed. Supported by Gregory. Motion carried on a voice vote. AGENDA ITEMS 1. DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY – EXTENSION OF ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION FOR OVERTIME EXEMPT EMPLOYEES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES The Human Resource Department had initially developed and proposed additional compensation for overtime exempt employees in the Information Technology Department at a straight-time hourly rate for all hours worked beyond 48 hours in a workweek for specific, pre -approved assignments, such as a particular technical project or problem. Miscellaneous Resolution #05185 required that this additional compensation provision be subject to review and evaluation for continuation by the Board of Commissioners after one year. The current resolution authorizes this additional compensation for Fiscal Year 2007, and Information Technolo gy would continue to report on the usage of additional compensation for overtime exempt employees in the Master Plan Quarterly Status Report. Crawford moved approval of the attached suggested resolution. Supported by Hatchett. Motion carried on a roll call vote with Patterson absent. 2. BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – APPROVE CREATION OF ONE (1) ADDITIONAL CIRCUIT JUDGESHIP EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2009 The State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) issued a Judicial Resources Recommendations report in October 2005 that determined that the 6th Judicial Circuit Court is more than three GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 3 September 25, 2006 judges understaffed. The SCAO recommended an increase of one circuit judgeship in 2007 and an increase of one circuit judgeship in 2009. The creation of a new judgeship requ ires statutory authorization and approval by the local government that funds the court. The total annual compensation for circuit judges is paid by the State of Michigan. The resolution reflects that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approves the creation of one new judgeship in the 6th Judicial Circuit Court to be filled by election in 2008 for a judicial term of office beginning on January 1, 2009. The resolution further reflects that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners agrees to provide and maintain facilities, personnel and operating costs to support the new judgeship in accordance with the statutes of the State of Michigan, the Michigan Court Rules and the Michigan Constitution. House Bill 5374, to authorize the creation of a new judgeship, has passed the House and has been referred to the State Judiciary Committee. The Board of Commissioners’ adopted resolution must be filed with the State Court Administrator. Dr. Gordon stated that the County Executive recommendation is that he s upports the addition of a judge in 2009, as long as funding is available. Commissioner Melton expressed his concern about whether or not the resolution, if adopted, would bind a future Board to the addition of a judge in 2009, not allowing the future Board to make the decision at that time. Commissioner Coulter expressed the same concern and asked that Judy Cunningham give an opinion to the Board, prior to the next Board meeting on October 5, about whether or not the language in the resolution is legally binding, and what the legal ramifications would be if the future Board chose not to add a judge in 2009, and if so, that Corporation Counsel could provide suggested language to the resolution. Hatchett moved approval of the attached suggested resolution. Supported by Crawford. Motion carried on a roll call vote with Patterson absent. COMMUNICATIONS A. Oakland County Friend of the Court Citizen Advisory Committee – Minutes of July 10, 2006 Crawford moved to receive and file the Communications. Supported by Kowall. Motion carried on a voice vote. OTHER BUSINESS/ADJOURNMENT GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE Page 4 September 25, 2006 There being no other business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at 2:51 p.m. ________________________ _______________________________ Pamela L. Worthington Lawrence Doyle Committee Coordinator Administrative Director NOTE: The foregoing minutes are subject to Committee approval.