Employee Forum Meeting

Wednesday, February 26, 2003

9:00a.m. Library Meeting Room

 

 

Members Present:     Ann Brown, Felix Bloch, Amy Edwards, Iris Schwintzer, Deborah Squires, Mary Jean Williams, Bernard Leach, Traval Watkins, Susie Whaley, Maggie Burnett, Leanne Mikels, Than Austin, George Long, Kelly Stokes, Mona Malik, Jeff Clark

 

Members Absent: Rodney Watson, David Sasser, Amy Harvey, Brigid Cox, Chelsea Laws, Lisa Edwards

 

Ex-officio members present:  Pam Eastwood, Director of Human Resources, Anissa Graham-Davis, Assistant Director of Human Resources, Lindsay Wallace Employee Relations and Training Coordinator

 

The minutes of the last meeting were reviewed and accepted without change.

 

The group expressed appreciation for the light refreshments and Pam Eastwood stated that HR would continue to provide refreshments for the remaining portion of this fiscal year and that she has requested funds for the Employee Forum in the Human Resources budget for next year. 

 

A member proposed that staff from Human Resources continue taking minutes of the meetings for the short term.   A discussion followed concerning the role of the Human Resources Department staff with the Employee Forum.  Pam Eastwood noted that the Forum is intended to be a self-governing group and that the Manager has asked that the Department of Human Resources provide staff support to the group as requested. This support could include continuing to facilitate the meetings and take the minutes.  The members expressed their desire for both these actions to continue for the present.

 

The group discussed what roles for governing officers would be established and what the duties of the officers should be.  The group decided on three roles:  Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary/Treasurer.  The group decided the officers would serve a one-year term from January – December.  The duties of the officers are:

 

Chair

1. Convene and lead meetings
2. Present an agenda:

¨      To be decided by the group in advance

¨      That can be amended between the meetings

¨      To be approved by consensus majority at the beginning of the meeting

¨      That items can be added at the beginning of the meeting

¨      All items proposed will be approved by a majority before discussion

¨      Agendas will be distributed the Friday before the next meeting by email and/or office mail

     3.  Serve as spokesperson for the group to Manager, Council or other groups

     4.  Assist the group in considering whether items or topics are returned for discussion.                  

This includes the duty of keeping the group focused on resolutions and outcomes (Dead Mule Rule).

 

Vice Chair (must be a member appointed to a 2 year term)

1. Carry out duties of Chair in his/her absence or for Secretary/Treasurer in his/her absence
2. Other duties or tasks as requested by the group

 

Secretary/Treasurer

1. Take minutes of the meetings
2. Send draft minutes and draft agendas out by email. Human Resources will mail the paper copies and will post to the network.  Forum members will post minutes in their departments.
3. Be responsible for any financial transactions of the group and provide periodic reports on the status of funds
4. Serve as Chair in absence of Chair and Vice Chair (in these situations a volunteer will take the minutes)

 

The group agreed that the decision can be made by majority vote to hold new elections at any point.

 

The group voted unanimously to elect these three officers and accept their duties as listed.  Elections of officers will be held at the next meeting.

 

The meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m. 

 

The next meeting will be Thursday, March 13 at 9:00a.m. in the Library Meeting Room.