Item C: City Manager Evaluation - Laserfiche WebLink

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Date: June 17, 2005 To: Mayor Kitty Piercy and Eugene City Council From: AFSCME Local 1 724 Executive Board Dal Ollek, Roberta Pupilli, Steve DeMeritt, Don Lefkowith, Cindy Clarke, Deanna Kreger, Raudel Perezchica, Janis McDonald. Re: City Manager's Annual Evaluation Thank you for the opportunity to comment on Dennis Taylor's performance over the past year. These comments represent the collective feedback from the AFSCME Local 1 724 Executive Board, representing 670 City employees. As the City Manager, we believe Taylor should contribute to strengthening the working relationship between the City and it's largest employee union, AFSCME. From our perspective, Dennis Taylor has met few of our expectations over the past year. Overall we would give Taylor a ~D" grade in labor relations. In terms of trust and confidence in his leadership and vision, we give Taylor 4 points out of a total score of 10 points. Dennis has been willing to meet with us, the two times we have asked to meet with him. He has listened and has been polite and respectful. In addition he has not easily rattled and has shown some strength of character at times when our members have let their emotions get away from them at various meetings. It concerns us that Taylor chooses to focus the public on the cost of City employee PERS and health care benefits as the problem in public funding. First, our members have little control over these costs. Second, we are not responsible for the City choosing to budget more than is required to offset potential, future PERS payments. Third, he has simplified the PERS issue as an employee benefits issue while in fact PERS is a statutory retirement system that includes union and non-union public employees throughout the State. Our members are also frustrated by the high cost of quality health care, but, again, our members have little control over these escalating costs. We would recommend that, rather than publicly suggesting that City employees are responsible for the escalating costs for health care benefits and retirement, that we work collaboratively to effect positive change. These issues affect all communities across the state and national. We have a shared interest in managing these costs. We welcome the opportunity to work together to manage these costs. 1