Housting authority OKs merit pay
In a split vote the Fayette County Housing Authority board has approved a long-awaited merit pay increase system for non-union FCHA employees that permits raises as high as 6.95 percent. In discussions prior to Thursday’s adoption of the salary matrix for merit increases, FCHA Executive Director Thomas L. Harkless said the average increases employees have been earning in the past few months using the calculations has been 2.3 percent.
Harkless said although the employees can potentially receive close to a 7 percent increase, the range will likely be between 2.45 and 3.45 percent. He said adopting the matrix is the last part of a merit system previously initiated by the board.
Board member James V. Bitonti, who along with William “Trip” Radcliffe and Nancy Sutton, approved the matrix, said he had some concerns about raises being above those that were negotiated with the union.
In a contract approved Thursday with the maintenance employees union, the average salary increase over the three-year contract is 2.2 percent annually. Bitonti did not vote on the contract because his son works in the unionized maintenance department.
Harkless said most employees at the authority make in the high $20,000 range. He said once the board approves the budget and salary matrix, any raises are earned by the employee based on evaluations. Harkless said the problem has been that the person who works hardest gets the same raise as those who “don’t do enough.” The executive director added, “Now those (employees) have potential to make more.”
Board member Beverly Beal, who along with Chairwoman Angela M. Zimmerlink voted against the matrix, said she believes in giving the low paid employees $1,000 raises across the board. “I don’t go by percentages of who’s doing what; it’s stupid,” Beal said. “I think most people work hard.”
Harkless said the matrix is part of the policy that was adopted by the board.
Zimmerlink pointed out that the board adopted the policy years ago, before Bitonti and Sutton were appointed. She said the issue is whether or not to go to merit increases as opposed to across- the-board raises.
Harkless earlier said determining raises based on calculations is actually a science, adding that students have done thesis work on the subject. The matrix is separated into three categories: employee exceeds expectations, meets expectations or performs below expectations. It is further broken down into the bottom, middle and top thirds of performances.
The authority budgeted $48,000 for raises this year.
In other action, the board voted 3-2 to charge the vacated accounts to collection lost for the period of July 1 through Sept. 30, in the amount of $21,501.23. Beal and Zimmerlink voted against the action.
Dennis Barclay, who oversees the housing management department, explained that the figure was higher than normal because of “pure lease enforcement.” He said he is cracking down on every facet, such as owing dogs, late rent and illegal boarders. Barclay said the goal is to get as many bad people as possible out of the projects. He said last quarter more tenants than ever were evicted, including four in South Hill Terrace.
Members of the tenant association accused the board of not seeking their input and criticized the board for no longer employing tenants to do repair work. “We do good work at a lower cost and it frees maintenance to do maintenance work,” Mary Wertz said. “I don’t understand why the (tenant employee) company has not been given contracts.”
Florabell Loverdi, the newly elected president of the tenant association, said it doesn’t seem that the board members care what happens to tenants’ homes. “We could all work together,” she said.
In response to the statements, Radcliffe said, “We want to be your advocates, not your adversaries.”
Bitonti told the tenants that he cares about what happens to their homes. “We want you to be a part of the solution,” Bitonti said.
Zimmerlink said she reads the monthly reports regarding the tenant council and she never read that any members were concerned about issues or upset. “I think the board members act in the best interest of the tenants, taxpayers and employees,” she said.
Zimmerlink explained that with 300 fewer housing units available and the same 24 maintenance employees, it makes sense that there is less work for residents. Zimmerlink urged the tenants to rely any concerns to Sutton, who is a FCHA tenant.
Donna Fike, who was furloughed at the end of last month as a homemaker service worker in the authority-run Services to Senior Citizens program, questioned why she lost her job when two individuals were hired after her. Fike said she was evaluated on a job that she wasn’t hired to do and doesn’t feel it is fair that she lost her job. Since she is seeking relief through the civil service commission, the board could not offer her any assistance.