East Hampton Town PBA November 2014 meeting

Transcription

1 East Hampton Town PBA November 2014 meeting - President Anthony Bosco called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence on December 9th, 2014 at 1733 hrs. There were 20 members in attendance. - A motion was made by John Claflin to waive the reading of the October meeting minutes, seconded by Dave Martin. Treasurer s report: - Jay Diamond provided a summary of the PBA s financial state. 7-Day CD $107, CD Death Benefit $50, CD Perkin Fund $17, Legal and Dues $228, Youth Activities $16, General Checking $268, Investments $68, Donations $151, Bosco thanked Jay and gave Jay credit for all the donations received, to which Lamprecht made a motion that Jay can never retire. Bills and Communications: - Thank You notes read Tommy Miller, Steve Graboski, the East Hampton Food Pantry, Wounded Warrior Project, Chief of Police Michael Sarlo, the Nassau County PBA, and the Suffolk SOA. - Donation request from Kathleen Brown for her high school trip to Napal to fight poverty. A motion was made by Barry Johnson to donate $250.00, seconded by Kim Notel. - Donation request from East End Hospice. A motion was made by Ryan Balnis to donate $200.00, seconded by Pete Schmitt. Membership: - Michael Rodriguez and Tom Strong submitted identical letters requesting to become active members. A motion was made by Joe Kearney to accept both new members, seconded by Dave Orlando. Motion carried.

2 Dental Committee: - Rob Gurney explained that the committee is gathering a list of dentists used by the membership in order to solicit them to give us a preferred rate. - Bosco explained that the preferred rate will hopefully mirror rates that insurance companies utilize. - Gurney asked that if any member has an idea or thought, please forward to the committee. - Claflin suggested offering the preferred rates to retirees as a way of presenting more personnel to the prospective dentists and making the deal seem more enticing. Sickness and Distress: - Claflin reported that Tom Strong s mom, Nina Strong, is ill and a fund has been started. Jay further explained that the fund was started by Nina s sister Donna Andreassi. Jay read Donna s letter describing Nina s illness, which has been diagnosed as Cerebellum Ataxia and it is said to resemble ALS. As a result Nina is confined to a wheelchair. Claflin spoke with the Strong family who stated Tom Strong Sr will eventually need help. Bosco recommended a $ donation along with the possibility of a gas card. A motion was made by Dave Martin to donate $ , seconded by Barry Johnson. The board will continue to monitor the family s situation and it will remain open for future donations. **Any member who wishes to make a personal donation is able to do so at Gofundme.com, search key words help for Nina ** - Barry reported that Tommy Miller is doing well. He s back home and driving again. Unfinished Business: - Mike Rodriguez passed out the proposed amendments to the optical and dental plan. Bosco explained the amendments to the membership and stated the membership will vote whether or not to adopt it. There will be no cap on rolled over funds. Jay explained that at the end of this year, it is projected that each member will have a starting balance of approximately $ in addition to the 2015 allowance of $ Jay stated that members should note that the 2015 funds of $ will not be available to members until the town pays the allowances within the year. Jay s explanation was probably much more confusing then it really is. Wayne Mata asked who

3 would keep track of the funds and it was explained that Lloyd will manage all P.O. s while Seitz will manage the dispatchers. Members can also check their balance online through the PBA website. Bosco brought the amendment to a vote and it was voted yes unanimously. - Bosco reported that retro payment could be received by this Friday, however he has heard conflicting reports. Kim asked if there will be an audit done on the retro payment to determine its accuracy, Bosco stated if the members wish an accountant could be hired to perform an audit. - Bosco reported that Sokolowski and Shea s pay scale dilemma has been finalized and they are waiting for the agreement to take effect. - Bosco stated the schedule is still a work in progress. Toia suggested a Schedule Committee be formed by members with fresh ideas. Lamprecht inquired if Chief Sarlo could be invited to a meeting for a question and answer session, to which Bosco stated Chief Sarlo has been offered the opportunity to hold another chief s meeting. Gurney suggested researching for a department similar to EHTPD who has a different schedule in order to bounce ideas back and forth with the other agency. Dave Martin volunteered for the Schedule Committee along with Lamprecht and Joe Izzo. Pete Schmitt agreed to come out of retirement and also join the Schedule Committee. Bosco reminded the committee that when considering a schedule, the issues that are looked at are court appearances, staffing and training. - Bosco reported that the dispatchers contract is expired, and talks with Cantwell went in a positive direction. The Town is waiting for the CSEA to settle their contract first. As there were no dispatchers present at the PBA meeting, there was no further discussion on that topic. - Christmas Party signup sheets are posted. Please sign up by Friday 12/13. - The NAPO Top Cop Award will be decided between EHTPD police officer of the year and top cop. New Business: - The Chief is looking into a new uniform purchase order system. The new system being considered will allow members to go to an approved vendor and order approved uniform items that will be charged directly to the department. Approved uniform items may be minimal, and desired item brands may not be approved. Members will vote whether or not to instate this purchasing system.

4 - Car cameras are being installed next month. Bosco has asked that the union be involved in department policy regarding videos, such as how the videos are stored, how they are disseminated to the public, and how videos could lead to disciplinary action against members. Toia stated that body cameras are the hot topic in Albany. PCNY is pushing to have a negotiated policy towards cameras. Bosco believes body cameras could be implemented in EHTPD. Lamprecht inquired if officers can review video footage for criminal cases, such as reviewing SFST s to complete field notes, which Bosco stated it still needs to be worked out. Gurney explained his understanding of the video recordings - Gov. Cuomo vetoed the veteran bill which would have allowed noncombat veterans to buy back their service time. - Gov. Cuomo vetoed a bill that pertains to the language in Civil Service Law regarding officers being suspended. As per the law police officers who work for a state, city, county, or village department can only be suspended for up to 30 days without pay. After 30 days, officers can remain suspended but must be paid. The bill vetoed tried to add the word Town to the language. However, the East Hampton Town PBA bill of rights ensures that members can be suspended only up to 90 days without pay. - Gurney suggested that the union discuss the recent national events such as the Michael Brown shooting and Eric Garner case and how these cases can affect officer s families. Bosco stated that these events are not limited to shootings and that driving is the #1 liability while working. Officers should be careful all the time. Toia suggested additional training for officers to discuss concerns. - If you sign up for the Christmas Party make sure you pay. - Any optical or dental appointments after Dec. 26 th, please notify Jay or Nick Lloyd. - Meeting adjourned by Bosco at 1855 hrs. Respectfully submitted, Joseph Izzo

5 East Hampton Town PBA Proposed Amendments to the Trust Agreement and Trustee Plan of 1996 The Trustees of East Hampton Town PBA Trust Agreement hereby propose the following amendments pursuant to Article II 4 and Article VII of the Trustee Agreement and the Trustee Plan of 1996: 1. Effective January 1, 2015, the dental and optical benefits will be combined. Members shall utilize the combined benefit for dental and optical care as needed. Members will be allowed to utilize the entire benefit for either dental or optical. 2. Effective January 1, 2015, members who do not exhaust their dental and optical benefits for the year will be entitled to carry over the remaining amount to the next year and into future years. 3. The carried over amount will only be available to the member who originally received the benefits and will not be returned to the fund for general use. 4. Upon retirement retired members will be able to exhaust the remaining dental and optical benefits accrued through his/her service years. 5. Delete the following in the Trustee Plan of 1996: Effective for those enrolled members meeting eligibility requirements, the benefit limit shall be $1,000 per year for dental and $200 per year for optical. In the instance of enrolled retired member, the benefit limit shall be $45 per year. 6. Make any and all language changes in the Trustee Plan of 1996 to ensure consistency with the changes in paragraphs 1-4 above.