News Brief: Committee Updates 12.06.2021

Published on December 07, 2021

Public Works & Safety Standing Committee

It was a short year-end agenda with an update from the Kansas City, Kansas Fire Department (KCKFD).

KCKFD Updates

Chief Callahan presented a quarterly update from the Fire Department, including:

• The recent compensation agreement with IAFF Local 64 for Firefighter-Paramedics to provide more competitive base pay with additional incentives for hiring, training and certification. This is a positive step forward in the ongoing labor discussions with the IAFF. Negotiations with IAFF Local 64 
• The new Turner Fire Station groundbreaking is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022.
• The most recent class of incoming firefighters is the most diverse class in KCKFD history. 56% of the recruitment class includes historically under-represented groups, including 31% female recruits. The recruits have received conditional offers of employment and will start January 17. Congratulations!
• The department submitted a multi-faceted application for a federal grant opportunity to develop a regional training facility with multiple community benefits. We will know more about the $500,000 grant as soon as December 8 for Phase I. If awarded, KCKFD will continue developing their application for Phase II which could result in up to $200M in funding from the federal government. More updates to come!  

Administration & Human Services Standing Committee

The Administration & Human Services Standing Committee agenda was a little longer tonight with several updates from different departments. 

• Mural Moratorium: The Department of Planning & Urban Design has requested a six month extension on the current mural moratorium (set to expire at the end of the calendar year). Under the moratorium, the Unified Government has stopped enforcement on pre-existing murals within certain zoning districts (mainly residential). The Committee approved the request which will allow the department the time to hire staff as part of a new ordinance study section to review ordinances and the zoning code and make a recommendation to the Commission by the end of June 2022. At this time, there have been no issues regarding murals during this moratorium which is a good sign (pun intended).
• COVID Emergency Ordinances: The Department of Planning & Urban Design requested the extension of the COVID-19 emergency ordinances passed by the Unified Government Board of Commissioners. The Committee approved the request to extend these ordinances for another six months while the Department of Planning & Urban Design investigates the implications of making these rules permanent. The emergency ordinances include:
  • Outdoor dining and retail
  • Mobile vending and farmer's markets
  • Semi-permanent structures amendment
  • Outdoor taverns amendment
  • Open streets
• HR Policy Update - Donated Sick Leave: The Department of Human Resources presented updates to the Unified Government donated sick leave policy, introducing a tiered approach for staff who wish to donate their sick leave and expanding the program to include catastrophic or major illnesses for not only staff but for their children. The Committee approved the proposed policy updates which will go to the full Commission for consideration on December 16. 
• HR New Policy Proposal - Paid Childbirth and Parental Leave: The Department of Human Resources has proposed a new paid childbirth (six weeks) and parental leave (four weeks) policy for Unified Government staff. By offering paid leave, the Unified Government will be more competitive in hiring and retention of employees. The Committee approved the resolution on condition that the Commission have further discussion on December 16 and to allow Human Resources the opportunity to amend the language to factor in exceptions for premature births. 
• Enterprise Resource Planning Project Implementation: This presentation provided an overview of the ongoing work to implement Workday, an enterprise resource planning technology that will integrate human resources, procurement and financial systems for a more streamlined, user-friendly tool to manage our operations. Scheduled to go live in July 2022, this initiative is improving internal processes, eliminating inefficiencies, and streamlining data-sharing between departments and various functions of the organization. You can watch the full update here.

That's all for this week!