SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- South Charleston City Council decided not to approve an ordinance Thursday that would have removed the option for police and fire employees to take a different day off for working a holiday with pay.
The council approved the first reading of the ordinance on August 19. It called for city police and fire employees scheduled to work holidays to be paid both holiday pay and time and a half to work holiday shifts. However, it reversed the approval of an additional day off in place of the holiday the employee was required to work.
Mayor Frank Mullens voiced concern at the August 19 meeting that when employees took an additional day off, another employee was required to cover the shift. For Mullens, this practice seemed fiscally irresponsible. He hoped the ordinance would correct what he called "double dipping" by no longer allowing employees to substitute a different day off for their holiday with pay.
But at Thursday's meeting, Mullens asked the council to rescind the ordinance, and said that misconceptions had led to its proposal, and no financial problems existed with the current system.
After a meeting with police and fire chiefs, as well as union representatives, it was clear that the practice of replacing a policeman or firefighter who took holiday hours on a different day with another employee had been discontinued, Mullens said.
"I've been assured that's not happening today," Mullens said. "It was a practice in the past, but it isn't now. As long as the chiefs do what they say they're going to do, I think we can do this administratively instead of passing an ordinance."
According to Mullens, the chiefs promised to rearrange the schedules to accommodate the hours off, a practice they have been following for some time. Chiefs will approve a day off in place of holiday hours only if the shift maintains the required minimum number of employees. If an additional employee would have to be called to work another employee's place, or if an additional shift of workers would cause overages of overtime, the chiefs will deny the time off.
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- South Charleston City Council decided not to approve an ordinance Thursday that would have removed the option for police and fire employees to take a different day off for working a holiday with pay.
The council approved the first reading of the ordinance on August 19. It called for city police and fire employees scheduled to work holidays to be paid both holiday pay and time and a half to work holiday shifts. However, it reversed the approval of an additional day off in place of the holiday the employee was required to work.
Mayor Frank Mullens voiced concern at the August 19 meeting that when employees took an additional day off, another employee was required to cover the shift. For Mullens, this practice seemed fiscally irresponsible. He hoped the ordinance would correct what he called "double dipping" by no longer allowing employees to substitute a different day off for their holiday with pay.
But at Thursday's meeting, Mullens asked the council to rescind the ordinance, and said that misconceptions had led to its proposal, and no financial problems existed with the current system.
After a meeting with police and fire chiefs, as well as union representatives, it was clear that the practice of replacing a policeman or firefighter who took holiday hours on a different day with another employee had been discontinued, Mullens said.
"I've been assured that's not happening today," Mullens said. "It was a practice in the past, but it isn't now. As long as the chiefs do what they say they're going to do, I think we can do this administratively instead of passing an ordinance."
According to Mullens, the chiefs promised to rearrange the schedules to accommodate the hours off, a practice they have been following for some time. Chiefs will approve a day off in place of holiday hours only if the shift maintains the required minimum number of employees. If an additional employee would have to be called to work another employee's place, or if an additional shift of workers would cause overages of overtime, the chiefs will deny the time off.
"I talked to fire and police and they said their days off are important because they have a stressful job and any time off they can take helps," Mullens said. "I don't know if I agree with that 100 percent, but if the administration is happy and employees are happy, everybody wins."
Mullens said that the agreement requires chiefs to give a monthly report on overtime given to employees, along with justification for the overtime hours.
"We'll try this for a year or so, and then we'll revisit the issue if we have to," Mullens said. "I will say that I will hold the chiefs responsible. They have been doing a good job of [avoiding overtime] lately."
In addition, council approved the spending of:
* $35,600 to Harris Brothers Roofing for roofing on firehouse number four.
* up to $157,000 to Compass Minerals, North American Salt Company for 2500 tons of road salt.
* up to $289,000 to West Virginia Paving for road paving.
* $35,000 in a sale of private property at 4814 Kentucky St., to be used for a parking lot for additional city parking.
