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proposal and said he supports her plan. He feels the career growth is a COLA in disguise. He supports the <br />meritorious award idea that was submitted by Commissioner Gordon. He feels it is worth the effort. Commissioner <br />Halkiotis asked about the 3/4 position in the Register of Deeds office. He understands this is going to be funded <br />through lapsed salary which will not have an impact on the budget. Last week he asked about the two positions in <br />the Health Department which were previously funded with grant funds and he was told they were vacant and now he <br />understands that there are people in those positions who will lose their jobs. He hopes that if anyone is affected by <br />any action taken last week that they would be given an opportunity to apply for any vacancies that are available. <br />John Link clarified that there are not any permanent employees in these positions. There is one person in a <br />temporary position who has been there for over one year. This temporary status will end on July 31 and Ms. <br />McAdoo has not been promised a permanent position. If there is anything they can do to find her another position in <br />County government, they will do so. <br />Commissioner Crowther feels that employees do need a 401 K plan and he feels it should be included. <br />Chair Margaret Brown thanked Commissioner Gordon for her proposal. She agrees with the 2.5% COLA. She <br />likes Commissioner Gordon's suggestion for performance awards. She suggested a work session in October with a <br />clear understanding of what Orange County gives to their employees. She would like to see more information on <br />401K and if employees can do matching and how many are involved already. She agrees with the comments made <br />by Commissioner Halkiotis. She would like to see some way employees could be compensated for suggestions <br />which result in a savings to the County. She would like to understand how compression has impacted the present <br />work force and how many and what professions fall into this category. She agrees that the $614,040 for technology <br />should be kept in a reserve fund to be allocated as approved by the County Commissioners and she supports the <br />school funding as recommended by Commissioner Gordon. <br />Commissioner Carey said that the County Commissioners did have a work session on the employee <br />compensation plan last October and gave direction to the staff. Chair Margaret Brown said she did not remember <br />the details of that work session. He explained that when most new hires are coming in above the hiring range, other <br />employees who have been here for years end up making less than new employees. <br />Commissioner Gordon said that she does not feel that the concerns of the County Commissioners, as stated in <br />the October work session, were addressed. She feels that the compression problem may be with technical fields <br />and not with many of the other positions. <br />Commissioner Gordon emphasized that she wants to reward those employees who are outstanding and who <br />are in the top 5%. Her revision of the current pay plan would reward those 5% more than the present plan. She said <br />that there are some employees who are top notch and should be getting more. She wants to look at the whole <br />system of benefits. She would like to see the percent of pay we give in benefits. She wants a plan that costs <br />relatively the same over the years as the current plan. Commissioner Gordon stated that our compensation plan <br />should provide pay and benefits commensurate with the performance of the employees, thus providing more <br />differentiation in compensation than at present among the outstanding, effective and low performing employees. <br />John Link asked Commissioner Gordon about her suggestion of adding an additional $150,000 to the County <br />Commissioners Contingency fund which is now $100,000. He said that he would like to come back with a plan that <br />would consider all employees and a plan that would relate to the present workplan process. <br />Chair Brown asked that John Link also include targeting a certain group of employees below a certain salary <br />schedule. She feels there are various ways to do that and she would like to see something innovative. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis would like to give employees 3% COLA and nothing else. He does not feel that there <br />can be consistency in any merit program. <br />John Link said that the 3% COLA would suspend the WPPR. He would like to come back with proposals on <br />the merit program. <br />Commissioner Carey said that what he hears is that the County Commissioners are going to scrap any kind of <br />workplan process that is now in place. He feels we are moving in a direction that is detrimental to County <br />employees. He does not feel moving to a 3% COLA does anything for those who perform at the highest level on a <br />consistent basis.