[00:00:21]
OKAY. SO. THREE. SO LET'S GO BACK TO SEE THIS MEETING IS BEING TRANSCRIBED AND SUMMARIZED. THANKS. 200 YEARS OLD AND.
ALL RIGHT EVERYBODY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME, BUT YOU CAN'T STAY HERE. METRO TV 30S. NO, JUST.
[Call to Order]
ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO CRS 61.826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE A, WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY, AND THAT OR I'M JOINED IN CHAMBERS BY COUNCILMAN[Roll Call]
HERNDON. COUNCILWOMAN PURVIS, COUNCILMAN BENSON, COUNCILMAN BRATCHER. COUNCILWOMAN CHAPEL.I THINK COUNCILWOMAN MCCRANEY, DO WE HAVE ANYONE ONLINE? VICE CHAIR SHAMEKA PARRISH. WRIGHT HAS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE. OKAY. WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY, AND THAT IS A PRESENTATION OF PERSONNEL. I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT PERSONNEL BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY NOTES IN FRONT OF ME. AND I THINK IT'S OPEN ENDED. IF YOU'LL INTRODUCE YOURSELF FOR
[1. ID 25-0518 PERSONNEL AND TURN OVER UPDATE – Public Works]
THE RECORD, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M JULIE TOLER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PUBLIC WORKS. AND TODAY, WE ARE HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TURNOVER AND PERSONNEL FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. AS YOU'RE AWARE, THIS PAST YEAR WE HAVE[00:05:04]
IMPLEMENTED THE DOT UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. WE'VE ADDED MANY POSITIONS.KIND OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC WORKS. WE HAVE 531 POSITIONS CURRENTLY TOTAL. WE HAVE 370 UNION POSITIONS. WE HAVE FIVE BARGAINING UNITS THAT INCLUDE THE TEAMSTERS MASTER, IBEW FIREMEN AND OILERS, CARPENTERS, AND AFSCME. ALL FIVE OF THOSE CONTRACTS ARE NEWLY NEGOTIATED. MOST OF THEM WE HAVE THREE THAT ARE EXPIRING 2028. WITH THOSE CONTRACTS. WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN NEGOTIATING HIGHER, HIGHER SALARIES FOR UNION FOLKS. SO THAT HAS ASSISTED, I BELIEVE, IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS FOR RETAINING PEOPLE AS WELL. WE HAVE 161 UNION OR NONUNION POSITIONS. AND THEN OF THOSE 300 AND WELL OF THE 531, WE HAVE 254 CDL REQUIRED POSITIONS, THE CDL REQUIRED POSITIONS I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE LATER, BUT THEY CAN INCLUDE CLASS A, CLASS B, CDLS WITH TANKER ENDORSEMENTS, ETC. NEXT, THE TURNOVER RATE BY FISCAL YEAR IS LISTED. LAST YEAR OR THE PAST FEW YEARS IT HAS BEEN NORMALLY OR UNUSUALLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL. AT THIS POINT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE TRENDING DOWN FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, BUT THAT NUMBER IS ONLY FROM FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. SO SINCE JULY AND IT IT MATCHES OUR LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT TURNOVER RATE. WE'RE KIND OF TRENDING IN THE SAME WAY. IF YOU LOOK BELOW THEY'RE AT 8.1. AND WE'RE AT WE'RE AT 8%. THIS NEXT SLIDE IS POSITION SPECIFIC TURNOVER. THE PERCENTAGE OF TERMINATIONS BY LOCATION. IT'S NOT LABELED TOO GOOD. BUT IF YOU LOOK THE FIRST 630 MERRIWEATHER'S OUR WASTE COLLECTION DIVISION. 620 MERRIWEATHER'S OUR BULK WASTE DIVISION, 3507 NEWBURGH ROAD IS OUR SIGNS AND MARKINGS. AND CENTRAL DISTRICT ROAD, DIVISION 600 MERRIWEATHER IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDIN ON OUR MERRIWEATHER CAMPUS. THE METRO DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS A 444 BUILDING. 617 OUTER LOOP IS OUR WEST DISTRICT AND THEN 636 EAST GRAY IS OUR ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE DIVISION. 595 HUBBARDS LANE IS OUR EAST DISTRICT. AND THEN SIX, THREE, SIX MERRIWEATHER IS OUR WASTE REDUCTION CENTER. THE POSITION TERMINATION DETAIL TO THE RIGHT SHOWS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION THAT WE HAVE A COUNT OF FOUR. THAT IS ONE OF OUR ENTRY LEVEL POSITIONS. I WOULD ASSUME THAT'S WHY THE TURNOVER IS IS FAIRLY HIGH. IT DOES INCLUDE A POSITION AT OUR WASTE REDUCTION CENTER. AND THEN ALL THROUGHOUT OUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, THERE'S AN ADMIN ASSISTANT AT EACH OF THOSE FOR SUPPORT. AND IF YOU LOOK DOWN OUR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR POSITION, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ABOUT NINE SINCE JULY THAT HAVE TURNED OVER.
WITH THAT, AS I STATED, WE DID NEGOTIATE THE TEAMSTER CONTRACT SUCCESSFULLY AND THEY DID INCREASE THE RATE OF PAY FOR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS THROUGH THAT. SO HOPEFULLY MOVING FORWARD, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE MANY OF THOSE POSITIONS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOWER THAT TURNOVER RATE. ONE OF THE OTHER HIRE POSITIONS ARE THE SANITATION TIPPER CDOS. I WOULD PROBABLY SAY THAT WITH THAT. THAT'S A VERY HIGHLY PHYSICAL POSITION. AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, WORKING IN THE ELEMENTS, LONG HOURS AND ALSO REQUIRES A CDL TO OBTAIN A CDL WITHIN 90 DAYS. SO SOME OF THAT I WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THOSE THAT I JUST LISTED. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM, IT DOES LIST TERMINATIONS BY REASON. RESIGNATION. RESIGNATION DURING PROBATION. DISMISSED. NORMAL. RETIREMENT. DISMISSED. DURING PROBATION. DEATH. DECLINED JOB OFFER. DISABILITY. FAILURE TO RETURN FROM LEAVE. JOB ABANDONMENT AND THEN UNABLE TO ACCOMMODATE. THE NEXT SLIDE IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 AS WELL. IT'S OUR VACANCY, DATA SHOWS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 59 VACANCIES. TEN OF THOSE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE HIRING PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
HOPEFULLY WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THOSE TEN AND WE'LL BE AT 49. OUR HIRING DATA SHOWS
[00:10:01]
THAT WE HAVE HIRED 60 POSITIONS SINCE JULY 1ST. WE HAVE A GREAT HR TEAM THAT HAS WORKED REALLY HARD TO INTERVIEW AND FIND CANDIDATES AND RECRUIT OUR SOLID WASTE SUPERVISORS. WE'VE HIRED TWO WITHIN SINCE JULY. THE HIGHEST WOULD BE THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND THE TIPPER CDL AS WELL. SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE RECRUIT ARE THROUGH JOB FAIRS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. 24 WITHIN 2025. SINCE JANUARY IS WHAT WE HAVE ATTENDED, OUR HR TEAM AND OUR FRONTLINE STAFFING MANAGEMENT. WE ALL TEAM TOGETHER TO GO TO DIFFERENT CAREER FAIRS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT BE AT THE U OF L GOODWILL URBAN LEAGUE, YOUTHBUILD, JCPS. THEY GO TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT HIGH SCHOOLS, INCLUDING BUTLER, FAIRDALE AND THEN VARIOUS COLLEGES. WE ALSO PARTNER WITH DIFFERENT ASSOCIATIONS LIKE SWANA, THE INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SOCIETYF MIEST, AND WOMEN OF ASPHALT TO. POST OUR POSITIONS ON THOSE WEBSITES TO FIND SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES, WE UTILIZE FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, DIFFERENT BROCHURES. AND THEN WE H CREATED A VIDEO JOB DESCRIPTIONS THAT ARE POED ON OUR NEO GOV SITE. WHEN PEOPLE E LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS POSITIONS, TOUCH A TRUCK EVENTS AND THEN HER SPECIAEVEN THROUOUT E TERATURE FOR THEM TO TAKE TO TO REPRESENT. WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS, ONE WITH IBEW THAT WE HAVE TWO IN-HOUSE ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE APPRENTICES THAT THAT WAS CREATED IN 2020 FOR THEIR FULL TIME METRO EMPLOYEES WHO COMMIT TO COMPLETING THE FOUR YEAR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AT IBEW.WITH THAT, THEY AGREE THAT THEY'LL STAY WITH PUBLIC WORKS ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE DIVISION FOR TWO YEARS FOLLOWING THEIR COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM. WE ALSO HAVE TWO APPRENTICES THAT ARE TEMPORARY APPRENTICES FROM THE HALL THAT WE GET EVERY NINE MONTHS. AND AND THAT'S JUST A ROTATING BASIS. WE HAVE CO-OPS THAT COME TO OUR ROAD DIVISIONS. WE TYPICALLY HAVE DONE TWO EVERY SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN HIRING MANY OF THOSE OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL TO BE AT OUR EAST, WEST OR CENTRAL DISTRICT. I WOULD SAY PROBABLY 10 OR 15 IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS THAT WE HAVE HIRED HOLY CROSS. WE JUST STARTED THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVING SENIORS COME IN THAT ARE INTERESTED IN ENGINEERING. THEY COME ONCE A WEEK, TYPICALLY ON A THURSDAY FOR ABOUT SIX HOURS, AND SHADOW DIFFERENT TEAM MEMBERS OF THE ENGINEERING DIVISION. LIKE I SAID, OUR OUR SECOND ONE IS HE JUST STARTED LAST MONTH. SO THAT'S BEEN A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. WE DID MEET BILL, THE DOT DIRECTOR LAST WEEK WITH UOFL TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PRO WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WE COULD START WITH UOFL FOR THEIR ENGINEERING STUDENTS, MAYBE HAVE ONE CO-OP FOR ENGINEERING AND ONE FOR GIS, BUT THAT WE WILL HAVE TO REQUEST SOME FUNDING FOR IN THE FUTURE. THIS NEXT SLIDE IS ABOUT OUR SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT TRAINING TEAM. WE HAVE OVER 97 COURSES WITHIN THAT. I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE CHRIS SKIMMERHORN.
HE'S OUR SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT TRAINING MANAGER ALONG WITH FRED GREENWELL. HE IS OUR SUPERVISOR AND WE HAVE THREE OTHER SPECIALISTS THAT ARE THAT TRAIN OUR OUR STAFF AND TEAMS FOR VARIOUS DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. SO I'M GOING TO LET CHRIS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS PROGRAM.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON. HELLO EVERYONE. I'VE BEEN WITH LOUISVILLE METRO PUBLIC WORKS FOR A LITTLE OVER 16 YEARS NOW, AND PREVIOUS BEFORE THAT, WHEN I CAME IN, I CAME TO THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AND I COME IN HERE, THEY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A SAFETY PROGRAM. UNFORTUNATELY, MOST PEOPLE GET A JOB AFTER AN EVENT OCCURS AT THE WORKPLACE, RIGHT? SO WE CREATED EVERYTHING FROM EVACUATION MAPS TO SDS PROGRAMS TO AND IT KEEPS ACCUMULATING AT 97 COURSES NOW.
AND IN MY 16 PLUS YEARS, WE'VE TRAINED OVER 800 PEOPLE ON CDL, NOT JUST IN PUBLIC WORKS, BUT WE DO PARKS, FLEET FACILITIES, CODES AND REGS. HELP THEM ALL THEM OUT WITH THAT PROGRAM AS WELL. SO WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE WE CAN HELP THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. YOU ALWAYS GOT YOUR ANNUAL REFRESHER TRAININGS. THEN YOU HAVE YOUR TWO AND THREE YEAR ANNUAL REFRESHERS.
THEN YOU GET YOUR ONES FOR NEW HIRES AND PEOPLE TAKING JOBS AND PROMOTIONS FROM DIFFERENT AREAS. SO IT NEVER ENDS. CDL TRAINING'S PRETTY MUCH FIVE DAYS A WEEK. THEY JUST WE HAD
[00:15:03]
SOME HICCUPS THROUGH ALL THAT WITH GOING ON. THEY JUST MOVED THEIR LOCATION TO THE TOWN.THEY SHUT DOWN THE LOUISVILLE LOCATION. SO WE PUSHED THROUGH THAT. AND I'M ON A CDL ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH THE STATE, AND THEY MADE QUITE A FEW CHANGES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. AND EVERY 3 TO 5 YEARS, THEY'RE ALWAYS MAKING CHANGES, MAKING IT MORE STRINGENT VERSUS WAY BACK WHEN YOU COULD BE GRANDFATHERED IN AND ALL THAT. AND THAT'S A LOT OF THAT PROCESS IS OBSOLETE NOW. SO AS A TRAININGS KEEP THEY FLUCTUATE. EVERY YEAR IS GOING TO DEPENDS ON LIKE I SAID, WHAT REFRESHERS COME UP AND OUR NEW HIRES PEOPLE SINCE JULY 1ST. RIGHT.
60 PEOPLE SINCE JULY 1ST. SO AND THAT'S NEVER ENDS. WE HAVE CURRENTLY I THINK WE HAVE 17 PEOPLE ON THE LIST. NINE OF THOSE ARE IN TRAINING AND SIX ARE SCHEDULED FOR A TEST THIS MONTH ALONE. SO ROCK AND ROLL WITH THAT. WHEN IT COMES TO ALL THE TRAINING, WE DO EVERYTHING.
WE GOT SO MANY PIECES OF EQUIPMENT. WE DO BUCKET TRUCK, SKID STEER, EXCAVATOR, FLAGGER, WORK ZONE, SAFETY FROM YOUR LOCKOUT TAGOUT, CONFINED SPACES. AND MOST OF THAT IS FOR MOST EVERYBODY THAT IS DONE IN HOUSE BY ONE OF OUR INSTRUCTORS. I'M VERY FORTUNATE WITH FRED GREENWELL, HIS BACKGROUND, AND I HAVE A KAREN CONNOR. SHE'S A FIRE CAPTAIN WITH LOUISVILLE FIRE. AND SO AND EDDIE'S GREAT ASSET WITH EQUIPMENT. AND THEN COREY WEARS A TIPPER OVER AND DRIVER IN OUR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SIDE. SO WIDE KNOWLEDGE AND BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT PUBLIC WORKS, WE'RE PROBABLY THE MOST DIVERSE DEPARTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR WORK THAT WE DO. FROM TRASH TO ENGINEERS TO THE ROADSIDE MAINTENANCE, IT'S IT'S NEVER ENDING. IT'S A REVOLVING DOOR. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CDL REQUIRED POSITIONS, WE'RE NOT EXEMPT FROM ANY OF THAT, UNFORTUNATELY. SO IT'S WE GOT A LOT OF BIG EQUIPMENT. IT'S VERY DANGEROUS. IT'S IT'S SOMETHING THEY NEED TO BE TRAINED ON. SO WE SPEND NUMEROUS HOURS WORKING WITH OUR EMPLOYEES, MAKING SURE THEY'RE FIT FOR BEHIND THE WHEEL FOR THEY HIT THE ROAD. WHEN IT COMES TO THE CDL TRAINING PROCEDURES, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS. THAT PROCESS, LIKE I SAID, CHANGES EVERY COUPLE YEARS WHEN IT COMES TO OBTAIN A MEDICAL CARD. NOT EVERYBODY CAN OBTAIN A MEDICAL CARD, UNFORTUNATELY. SO THEY DO A PHYSICAL TEST FOR THAT AND YOU MAY NOT MEET THE CRITERIA AT THE FRONT DOOR.
THEN YOU GOT TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT. THEN YOU GOT TO GO THROUGH ELT. THAT'S SOMETHING THEY IMPLEMENTED LAST FEBRUARY LAST YEAR. ELT IS ENTRY LEVEL DRIVER TRAINING IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A THEORY CLASS IN CLASS WHERE YOU GOT TO PASS A SCORE WITH A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OR HIGHER. THEN YOU GOT TO HAVE BEHIND THE WHEEL WHAT THEY CALL ROAD AND RANGE.
BEFORE WE CAN EVEN SCHEDULE YOU FOR A TEST WITH A STATE TROOPER IN TOWN NOW. SO WHEN YOU GET REGISTERED THROUGH ALL THAT, THEN YOU GOT TO GO THROUGH A ORIENTATION WITH OUR HR TEAM, AND THEN YOU STILL GOT TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING YOUR PERMIT, AND THEN YOU GOT TO GO THROUGH THE ORIENTATION. AND ONCE YOU'RE COMPLETED WITH THAT, YOU GOT TO DO YOUR APPROVED TO COME TO OUR TEAM. AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY GETTING A SKILL SET THAT YOU NEED TO PASS THE TEST. YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MR. CHAIR? I'M IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR VACANCY DATA. DATA? HOW YOU SAY IT. I THINK YOU ARE IN NEED OF SEVEN CDL DRIVERS.
SANITATION, TIPPERS, DRIVERS. SO MY QUESTION IS, ONCE YOU HIRE THESE PEOPLE, DOES THE CITY PAY FOR THAT TRAINING? YES, WE COVER THAT TRAINING. BACK IN JANUARY OF 2024, WE IMPLEMENTED A REIMBURSEMENT OR AN AGREEMENT, A CDL AGREEMENT WHERE AS WHEN EMPLOYEES COME IN NEW HIRES THAT DON'T HAVE THEIR CDL, THEY SIGN A CONTRACT STATING THAT THEY'LL STAY WITH PUBLIC WORKS FOR TWO YEARS AFTER THEY OBTAIN THEIR CDL. AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY DO HAVE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PAY $3,669, I BELIEVE IS WHAT IT WAS, WHICH THAT WAS AN AVERAGE OF OUR COST. IF SOMEBODY GOES TO MR. P OR SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION TO GET IT, IT'S USUALLY ABOUT 8 OR $9000.
IF SOMEBODY MAKES IT PAST, IS IT HALFWAY THROUGH? THEY ONLY HAVE TO PAY HALF OF THAT. BUT YES, WE DO COVER THE COST BECAUSE OUR IN-HOUSE TEAM TRAINS, WE DO REIMBURSE FOR THEIR LICENSE COSTS AS WELL. YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS IS A VERY NEEDED PART OF GOVERNMENT.
I MEAN, WITHOUT IT, THE CITY WOULD JUST BE IN SHAMBLES. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, DO YOU ALL TRY TO CREATE ANY TYPE OF INCENTIVES TO KEEP THESE EMPLOYEES OR ARE TO RECRUIT NEW
[00:20:04]
EMPLOYEES? WHO ARE WE LOSING THEM TO? I LOOKED AT YOUR STATS AND I KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY SOME HAVE PASSED AWAY, SOME ARE RETIRING, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE. LET'S SEE. 21% RESIGNING.YES. WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES IF AN EMPLOYEE CANNOT GET THEIR CDL? THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE. AS CHRIS STATED, SOME MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THEIR DOT MEDICAL CARD DUE TO HEALTH REASONS.
OTHERS THEY JUST MIGHT NOT PASS THE TEST AND INSTEAD OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT BEING TERMINATED, SOME RESIGN BECAUSE OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS MAJORITY HAVE 90 DAYS TO OBTAIN YOUR CDL. THERE ARE A COUPLE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, I BELIEVE MECHANICS IN THE ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE JOURNEYMEN THAT ARE SIX MONTHS. SO WITH THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, WITH THE TEAMSTER NEGOTIATIONS AND THE INCREASED SALARIES, WE THINK THAT WILL HELP. ONCE SOMEONE DOES OBTAIN THEIR CDL, THEY GET AN INCENTIVE PAY OF $1.15 FOR A CLASS A LICENSE ON THE HOUR AND A DOLLAR FOR CLASS B, SO THAT IS PART OF THE INCENTIVE IN THAT CALL. SO OUR, OUR OUR SALARY IS COMPETITIVE LIKE WITH THE RUMPKE, THE SMALLER CITIES AROUND HERE LIKE SHIVELY. YES, I WOULD SAY SINCE THE NEGOTIATIONS, THEY DID A GREAT JOB ON THOSE WAGES AND THEY ARE COMPATIBLE. YEAH, COMPETITIVE ON THAT. OUR SANITATION TIPPER CDL NUMBERS THEY DRIVE BUT THEY TIP FOR PROBABLY SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET ON A ROUTE. I WOULD SAY THAT IS PART OF THE TURNOVER ISSUE THERE. AND WE EXPLAINED THAT IN OUR INTERVIEWS BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S JUST A DRIVING JOB. AND THAT'S THE SAME WITH THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR POSITION.
SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S JUST A THEY'RE JUST OPERATING EQUIPMENT AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE. THEY'RE OUT THERE FLAGGING, THEY'RE TIPPING, THEY'RE SHOVELING ASPHALT, THEY'RE CLEANING DITCHES, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT STUFF. AND IT'S NOT FANCY. IT'S NOT GREAT.
YOU'RE GETTING UP AT AT 5:00 TO BE AT WORK AT 6 A.M. SOME DAYS YOU'LL WORK, YOU KNOW, EIGHT HOURS, SOME DAYS YOU'LL WORK 14. YOU DON'T KNOW. AND YOU'RE IN THE HEAT, THE COLD, THE RAIN.
YOU KNOW, GARBAGE HAS TO BE PICKED UP. THEY DON'T JUST POSTPONE IT. SO THEY ARE PHYSICALLY HARD POSITIONS. I'D SAY I DID IT PROBABLY TEN YEARS AGO, BUT I BARELY MADE IT THROUGH A ROUTE. THEY CALL IT FOLLOWING THAT ORANGE PUMPKIN. SO THIS MAY BE A QUESTION FOR DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE. WHAT IS THE CHANCE OF A COUNCILPERSON JOINING ANY OF YOU ALL ON YOUR ROUTES OR HANGING ON THE BACK OF YOUR TRUCK? GOOD AFTERNOON, NICOLE GEORGE, DEPUTY MAYOR, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC SERVICES I WOULD SAY WE WOULD WELCOME ANY LEVEL OF JOB SHADOW THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER WANTS TO DO. I WON'T SPEAK SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT IS PERMITTED BASED ON SAFETY. WE'LL I'LL DEFER TO THAT. BUT IN TERMS OF COMING OUT, GETTING TO SEE THE EXPERIENCE, I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES IN SOLID WASTE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL AS ROADS. AND I KNOW WE'VE RECENTLY SEVERAL OF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHADOW AND DO A ROUTE FOR SNOW. AND THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. PEOPLE LIKE TO TO SHOW OFF WHAT WHAT THEY DO. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. I WILL BE FOLLOWING UP AND SENDING MR. LOGAN A, A REQUEST, AND I WANT HIM TO DRIVE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BRATCHER. WELL, THAT WAS THE QUESTION I HAD IS JUST SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF RESIGNATIONS. BUT YOU EXPLAINED IT AND SO. BUT YOU ARE SHORT 49 PEOPLE, RIGHT? YES. WE HAVE TEN IN THE HIRING PROCESS. I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE NEXT WEEK. WE HAVE OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS. WE HAVE PROBABLY FIVE DIFFERENT SCHEDULED SETS OF INTERVIEWS FOR JUST NEXT WEEK. LET'S SEE. YEAH, WE HAVE PACKER DRIVER ENGINEERS AND TIPPERS THIS WEEK THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD. NEXT WEEK IT'S TIPPER CDOS, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS, PUBLIC WORKS INSPECTOR, THREE EQUIPMENT OPERATORS. AND IN ADDITION TO THOSE WE HAVE JOB BIDS UNDER ALL OF OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, ESPECIALLY TEAMSTERS, BECAUSE IT'S OUR BIGGEST. ONCE A POSITION IS VACATED, SAY A SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, WE ARE REQUIRED TO POST IT WITHIN 48 HOURS, WHERE IT'S POSTED FOR 72 HOURS. ONCE IT'S POSTED, WE GO THROUGH THOSE NAMES AND THEN AWARD
[00:25:05]
POSITIONS BASED ON SENIORITY, DEPENDING UPON THE TITLE. ONCE THOSE ARE AWARDED TO OUR INTERNAL EMPLOYEES, THEY HAVE 45 DAYS TO PROVE THEIR ABILITY THAT THEY CAN DO THE JOB. AND THEN IF THEY CAN'T, THEY MOVE BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION. IT KIND OF GIVES THAT THAT PROCESS. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS, SO WE HAVE TO HOLD THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION FOR THAT 45 DAYS. THEY MAY HAVE TO PASS A AN EQUIPMENT ASSESSMENT. IF THEY DON'T THEN WE STICK THEM BACK IN THAT EQUIPMENT OPERATOR POSITION, AND THEN WE'D GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AGAIN. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT COME INTO FILLING THOSE POSITIONS, AND OUR ABILITY TO DO IT AS QUICKLY AS WE WOULD LIKE. THANK YOU. I NEED TO MAKE A CORRECTION. I, I SAID THAT MY CO-CHAIR HAD A EXCUSED ABSENCE, BUT SHE HAS JOINED US ONLINE.COUNCILWOMAN SHAMEKA PARRISH WRIGHT IS IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY NEXT. I HAVE COUNCILMAN BENSON. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THE CDL LICENSE WHO HAS IN PUBLIC WORKS WHO HAS TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SANITATION WORKERS OR ONLY OR ALL OF OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS ARE LISTED ON THE POWERPOINT, A CDL, FULLY AUTOMATIC TRUCK DRIVER, PACKER, DRIVER, WASTE COLLECTION, PACKER, LABORER, CDL, PACKER, WASHOUT LABORER OR ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE JOURNEYMAN. OUR FOREMAN, OUR GENERAL FOREMAN, SIGN ERECTOR PAINT MACHINE OPERATOR TUS WASTE REDUCTION OPERATORS. CREW LEADERS. SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS. EQUIPMENT OPERATORS. MECHANIC THREE'S AND OUR SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT TRAINING MANAGER, SUPERVISOR AND SPECIALIST. SO THERE'S 250. HAD TO HAVE A CDL LICENSE. YES. SO ELECTRICIAN HAS TO HAVE CDL LICENSE. MAINTENANCE PERSON NEEDS A CDL LICENSE. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET TOO OLD? YOU CAN'T DRIVE. I MEAN THAT CDL IS A IS A COMMERCIAL LICENSE RIGHT, FOR DRIVING HEAVY EQUIPMENT, COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE. YEAH. SO ELECTRICIAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND HE WOULDN'T BE QUALIFIED IF HE CAN'T DRIVE HEAVY EQUIPMENT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES. UNDER THE ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE CONTRACT, THERE ARE.
I THINK IT'S FOUR EXEMPTIONS FOR CDLS FOR HAVING A CDL. THEY OPERATE BUCKET TRUCKS AND THEN THEY HAVE TO PULL THE TRAILERS WITH THE POLES ON THEM, WHICH REQUIRE ELECTRICIANS DO LICENSE.
YES, SIR. BUT YOU GOTTA WORK HEAVY EQUIPMENT TOO. YES, SIR. WOW. THAT'S A OKAY. BUT THE ELECTRICIAN HAS RUN A CHERRY PICKER. I MEAN, I KNOW A LOT OF ELECTRICIANS I USED TO WORK WITH. THEY COULDN'T RUN A BIG EQUIPMENT, BUT THEY'RE STILL GOOD ELECTRICIANS, YOU KNOW, TO DO A TRADE, THEN BE SOMETHING ELSE. NOT BE ABLE TO QUALIFY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET A CDL LICENSE. WE WE DO HIRE THEM WITHOUT THE LICENSE AND THEN TRAIN THEM. THEY HAVE SIX MONTHS TO OBTAIN IT. SO WE DON'T REQUIRE IT COMING IN THE DOOR. IF YOU HAVE A HEARING PROBLEM OR SIGHT PROBLEM OR SOMETHING, YOU YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT YOU COULD STILL DO A TRADE. I'M A TOOLMAKER AND I'D HATE TO SEE SOMEBODY SAYS, WELL, IF YOU CAN'T DRIVE A BIG RIG, YOU CAN'T BE A TOOLMAKER. I SAID, YOU CAN'T DO WHAT I DO. EVEN IF YOU CAN DRIVE ONE, YOU KNOW? AND TO ME, I THINK THAT'S THE QUALIFICATION. NO, I KNOW YOU HAVE MADE SOME PROBLEMS GETTING SOME PEOPLE. YEAH. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WHO COULD QUALIFY? I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO QUALIFY. THANKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. ALL RIGHT.
COUNCILWOMAN CHAPEL. THANK YOU. CHAIR, JUST AS A REMINDER TO ALL THE COUNCIL FOLKS AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT MAY BE WATCHING, THAT THE CDL LICENSE IS CURRENTLY, THE TEST IS ONLY GIVEN IN TOWN, AND THAT'S BY KENTUCKY STATE POLICE. AND SO WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING THEM TO DO TESTING HERE IN LOUISVILLE. SO JUST WANTED TO PLUG THAT. TWO QUESTIONS.
FIRST OFF, THE FISCAL YEAR 26 CHART THAT YOU HAD PULLED UP, COULD YOU DISCUSS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VACANCY DATA AND HIRING DATA? I GUESS COMPARED TO EACH OTHER? THAT MEANS SINCE THE START OF FISCAL YEAR 26, SO JULY 1ST, 2025, THERE WERE EIGHT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS YOU'VE HIRED SIX, AND THEN YOU STILL HAVE TWO OPEN. IS THAT HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING? TRANSLATE THAT. THOSE CHARTS. NO. CURRENTLY RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT WE HAVE TWO VACANT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITIONS. WE SINCE JULY 1ST,
[00:30:03]
WE HAVE HIRED SIX. AND YOU STILL HAVE TWO POSITIONS OPEN? YES. ACTUALLY, THERE'S ONE THAT'S IN THE HIRING PROCESS. SO THERE IS ONE OPEN. SO ALTOGETHER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR THERE WERE EIGHT. AND SO LOOKING AT THIS DATA ALL GO THROUGH THE LET'S SEE SANITATION TIPPER IN THE VACANCY DATA. THERE'S SEVEN IN THE HIRING DATA. THERE IS.THREE. SO IS THAT TEN POSITIONS AT THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR. NO THIS THE VACANCY DATA IS AS OF TODAY. THAT'S WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE VACANT. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MOVING PARTS FROM JULY 1ST UNTIL NOW. IF THAT MAKES SENSE I THINK SO. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH. ONE LAST QUESTION. THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE STATUS OF THAT SEARCH AND WHERE WE ARE IN IT AND WHEN WE EXPECT TO HAVE A NEW PERSON APPOINTED? NICOLE GEORGE, DEPUTY MAYOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC SERVICES, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HIRING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND SHOULD HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT VERY SOON. I JUST HAD A11 QUESTION FURTHER, AND IT HAS TO DISCHARGE. GOOD FOR IT. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA ON. THE THE TIMELINE BETWEEN WHEN YOU FIRST INTERVIEW SOMEBODY AND WHEN YOU MAKE THEIR JOB OFFER AND GET THE ACCEPTANCE? I DO NOT HAVE THAT ON ME, BUT I COULD GET IT TO YOU IF YOU COULD. I'D APPRECIATE THAT. I DON'T THINK IT'S ANY SECRET THAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THE GAP THAT IT THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN METRO GOVERNMENT, AND I THINK THAT PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS ARE PROBABLY TWO OF THE BEST RUN DEPARTMENTS WE HAVE IN METRO GOVERNMENT. AND I'D LIKE TO USE THAT AS, AS, AS MAYBE A YARDSTICK. BUT IF WE CAN SHORTEN THAT, THAT GAP BETWEEN INTERVIEW AND OFFER TO SAME DAY THAT THAT THAT'S THAT'S MY MY EXPECTATION. YEAH I UNDERSTAND THAT'S THAT'S A TOUGH ONE. WILL YOU TRY TO DO SIX MONTHS IS WAY TOO FAR. YEAH. I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE FACING. OR YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THIS CHART RIGHT HERE. RIGHT. WE'RE WE'RE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB. LIKE I SAID, THE HR TEAM IN PUBLIC WORKS IS AWESOME. AND THEY WORK WELL WITH THE METRO HR AS WELL. SOMETIMES IT IS CHALLENGING TO GET SO MANY APPLICANTS IN, GET OUR HIRING MANAGERS TO REVIEW THOSE INTERVIEWS UP. SOMETIMES THERE'S JUST THERE'S SOME LAG.
AND THEN WITH THE BACKGROUND CHECKS BEING PROCESSED AS WELL. SO SO ONCE YOU IDENTIFY A CANDIDATE AND WANT TO MAKE THE OFFER, IS THERE ANY BUREAUCRACY THAT YOU'RE SEEING BETWEEN YOUR WANTING TO MAKE THAT OFFER AND GETTING APPROVAL TO MAKE THAT OFFER THROUGH METRO GOVERNMENT? NO. SAY WE DO INTERVIEWS AND DO A RECOMMENDATION ON TODAY. WE'LL SEND IT OVER. HR GETS THE BACKGROUND CHECK OUT TO THE CANDIDATE FAIRLY QUICK. SOMETIMES IT TAKES THE CANDIDATE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO ONLINE AND COMPLETE IT. AND THEN I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE RECOMMENDATION YOU MAKE, AS FAR AS SALARY, THERE MIGHT BE NEGOTIATION BETWEEN CNC AND THE EMPLOYEE OR CANDIDATE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE HAVE NOT REALLY HAD ANY ISSUES WITH LAG TIME. I SEE THAT COUNCILWOMAN PURVIS HAS REENTERED THE QUEUE.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I WANTED TO KNOW, HOW ARE YOU CLASSIFYING THE ALLEY CLEANUP CREW? WHAT CATEGORY DO THEY FALL UNDER? THE ALLEY ACTION CREW OR CLEAN CLUB? CLEAN COLLABORATIVE OR THE ALLEY ACTION ALLEY ACTION? I BELIEVE ALLEY ACTION IS PACKER LABOR, CDLS AND PACKER LABORS. PACKER. AND PACKER LABORS A SENIOR AND EQUIPMENT, A SENIOR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR AND A PACKER DRIVER. PACKER LABORERS. AND YOU ARE IN NEED OF THREE. WE ARE ACTUALLY AT FOUR VACANCIES OR. SORRY I WAS LOOKING AT. SO YOU SAID, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. THREE PACKER LABOR POSITIONS AND YOU HAVE FOUR, SO YOU NEED SEVEN. NO, WE HAVE THREE PACKER LABOR
[00:35:07]
VACANCIES CURRENTLY. YEAH. YOU HAVE THREE VACANT. AND YOU YOU HAVE HIRED FOUR, RIGHT? WE'VE HIRED FOUR SINCE JULY 1ST. OKAY. SO IS THAT SEVEN TOTAL OR SO. WHAT IS THE TOTAL NUMBER THREE VACANCIES CURRENTLY. NO I MEAN WHAT'S THE TOTAL STAFFING NUMBER. OH FOR ALLEY ACTION OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 1010 PEOPLE. TEN. OKAY. NOW I WANT TO ASK BECAUSE I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE. OFTENTIMES PEOPLE DO A LOT OF ILLEGAL DUMPING. THEY WILL DUMP BAGS OF TRASH NOT IN A CONTAINER. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYEES PICKING UP STUFF, NOT KNOWING WHAT'S IN IT. IF THERE'S SOME SOMETHING TOXIC OR NEEDLES OR WHAT HAVE YOU. SO AND I HAVE A LOT OF ALLEYS, A LOT OF ALLEYS WITH TRASH LIKE THAT JUST LYING AROUND. WELL, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN A VACANT LOT, WHO'S GOING TO PICK IT UP? NO CONSTITUENTS GOING TO PICK IT UP. AND YOU ALL ARE SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T PICK IT UP. SO WHEN DO WE FINALLY HOW DO WE GET RID OF THIS STUFF? IS IT JUST GOING TO STAY THERE FOREVER? I MEAN, WHAT IS THE PLAN? ARE YOU ALL WORKING ON A PLAN TO PICK UP STUFF THAT HAS JUST BEEN LAYING THERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, OR I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SOME VEHICLES WITH GRABBERS. DO YOU NOT HAVE VEHICLES WITH GRABBERS? NICOLE GEORGE, DEPUTY MAYOR, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC SERVICES COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION FOR DISTRICT FIVE RESIDENTS AS WELL AS NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE CITY WHERE YOU HAVE ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT OCCURS ON A VACANT PRIVATE LOT IN WHICH METRO SOLID WASTE IS NOT NECESSARILY ABLE TO LEGALLY PICK UP ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR DIRECTOR PRICE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY DO HAVE AN ACCELERATED WAY IN WHICH THEY CAN BOTH SEND NOTICE TO THAT PROPERTY OWNER THAT THERE IS A VIOLATION ON THEIR PROPERTY, AND IF THAT PROPERTY OWNER DOESN'T RESPOND TIMELY, THEN THEY CAN GO IN WITH THEIR VACANT LOTS CREW AND CLEAN THAT PROPERTY. SO I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A THERE'S A TIME FRAME IN WHICH THEY HAVE TO MEET AND TRY TO NOTIFY THE OWNER. I KNOW DIRECTOR PRICE IS WORKING ON A STRATEGY TO FURTHER. PREVENT DELAYS IN THAT, BUT IN THIS MOMENT, THAT IS THE STRATEGY. IT IS FOR NOTIFICATION AND THEN CODE ENFORCEMENT. VACANT LOTS. CREW CAN GO IN AND CLEAN. OKAY. SO I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU.ARE YOU ALL SHARING THESE EMPLOYEES. ARE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN STAFF. CODES AND REGS HAS THEIR OWN STAFF. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN STAFF. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THEIR VACANT LOTS DIVISION, JUST TO A LITTLE FYI THEY ARE UNDER THE SAME UNION TEAMSTER MASTER. AND AS OUR ROADS DIVISION AND SOLID WASTE DIVISION. IF I MAY, COUNCILWOMAN, I WOULD SAY THAT HAVING BEEN OUT TO THAT VACANT LOTS CREW, THAT TEAM WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE COUNCIL GOING OUT TO SEE THEIR WORK AND SHADOW. THEY'RE THEY'RE A MIGHTY BUNCH. THEY ALSO DO THE CUTTING. THEY DO GRASS CUTTING. THEY DO SEVERAL THINGS. I WOULD LOVE TO THANK YOU. MR. CHAIRMAN. ONE QUICK QUESTION. SORRY. YEP. REGARDING ILLEGAL DUMPING, I KNOW WE DISCUSSED IN THIS COMMITTEE OR PUBLIC SAFETY ONE, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE THAT CURRENTLY THAT IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF ILLEGAL DUMPING THAT THEY ARE, THEY CAN CONFISCATE THE VEHICLES, BUT THEN THEY GIVE THEM BACK. ONCE THEY PAY THE FINES, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF PURSUING A PERMANENT CONFISCATION AFTER SO MANY VIOLATIONS. SIMILAR DO WE DO WITH STREET RACING? I DON'T WANT TO CRUSH THEM, BUT I DON'T LIKE THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THAT. BUT I IF PEOPLE ARE OUT CONTINUALLY DISRESPECTING THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS AND NEIGHBORS BY DUMPING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM CONFISCATING THOSE VEHICLES PERMANENTLY. IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO PURSUE. WELL, I BELIEVE THAT WAS IN PUBLIC SAFETY, BUT I'D BE GLAD TO TO HELP WORK ON AN ORDINANCE WITH YOU ON THAT. COUNCILMAN PURVIS, I'M SORRY. LAST TIME. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING SO QUICKLY AND CONFISCATING THAT VEHICLE LAST
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WEEK. THAT WAS IN PORTLAND. I MEAN, THAT WAS JUST GREAT. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND, COUNCILMAN HERNDON, I HAVE BEEN A CHEERLEADER FOR THAT. I LIKE CRUSHING CARS, THOUGH. I ONLY SAY THAT I DON'T BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF FOLKS OUT THERE WHO NEED SOME VEHICLES, AND I'D RATHER RECYCLE THEM AND GIVE THEM TO SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS ONE THAN JUST CRUSH THEM PERFECTLY.GOOD. WELL, IF IF IT'S A FRANKENSTEIN CAR, YOU CAN'T REUSE IT ANYWAY. TRUE ENOUGH.
YEAH. SO. AND ON THAT NOTE, HAVING NO ONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE, WE STAND ADJOURNED. THANK YOU
[Adjournment Note: Agendas are followed at the discretion of the Chair. While an item may be listed, it does not mean all items will be heard and/or acted upon by the Committee.]
FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.