COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES/INSURANCE
July 7, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Chairman Goonan called the meeting to order.
The Clerk called the roll.
Present: Aldermen Goonan, Sapienza, O’Neil, Burkush, Vincent
Messrs.: Mayor Ruais, Alderman Trisciani, S. Wickens
-
HR Reports submitted by Emily Rice, Interim Human Resources Director:
- SmartShopper Report
- Current Job Postings
(Note: Provided for informational purposes only; no action is required.)
-
Communication from the City Solicitor requesting the following changes to the department's complement:
- Add one (1) Attorney I position, grade 123;
- Add one (1) Legal Assistant I position, grade 107
On motion of Alderman O’Neil, duly seconded by Alderman Burkush, it was voted to approve and expedite the committee’s report to the full Board.
- Communication from Phil Croasdale, Water Works Director, requesting the addition of one (1) Assistant Water Works Director position, grade 130, to the department's complement.
On motion of Alderman Vincent, duly seconded by Alderman O’Neil, it was voted to approve.
Matthew Normand, City Clerk: Did the committee want to take the last item off the table?
Alderman Burkush: Well, there is not going to be an HR meeting for another month. I know there's some more work to be done on that.
Alderman O'Neil: Can't we give the new HR Director a chance to get settled first? I think that will be Director Corwin’s first job.
M. Normand: The mayor requested this get reported out this evening.
Alderman O’Neil: That’s news to me.
Chairman Goonan: Your Honor, are you requesting to have the purchasing manager taken off the table?
Mayor Ruais: Yes. It was approved in the budget. Take it off the table so that we can move it up tonight and start doing the hiring search for the position.
TABLED ITEM
- Communication from Sharon Wickens, Finance Officer, requesting the addition of one (1) Purchasing Manager position, grade 124, to the department's complement.
On motion of Alderman O’Neil, duly seconded by Alderman Burkush, it was voted to remove the item from the table.
Alderman O'Neil: Your Honor, wasn't there a concern during the process that the grade might have been too high, and it was going to end up potentially getting people from other departments that would apply and it would create an issue in the departments?
Mayor Ruais: I've not heard that concern. No one has raised that to me. I think the analysis that was done by the auditor and Director Wickens was that this was an appropriate place to start it. I can tell you that in my conversations with department heads, I don't know that anybody is going to be looking from within the city. It's not my intent to hire from within the city. We'll open it up to everybody, but there's not a specific individual that I'm looking to hire within the city that would put a department at a deficit.
Alderman O'Neil: That is what I understood during the budget process, and asking was there a concern about what it was going to do to people who were grades below it, and who are doing a lot of great work in the departments. Is it going to cause an issue that way?
Mayor Ruais: That's not been raised to me.
Alderman O'Neil: Well, the department heads need to speak up to you about that.
Mayor Ruais: We have our monthly department head meetings. It hasn't been raised there. I have regular communications with them. It hasn't been brought to my attention, but I'd be happy to allay any concerns that they might have about that if it were to be raised.
Alderman Burkush moved to approve.
Alderman O'Neil: I think there's an issue out there.
Alderman Vincent: I agree there might be an issue. Is this supposed to be reported out tonight?
Mayor Ruais: It was approved in the budget. The position itself has been approved in the budget. The job description is in there. We've had the conversations about it. I think this just allows us to begin that hiring process.
Alderman Vincent duly seconded the motion. Chairman Goonan called for a vote. The motion carried, with Aldermen Sapienza and O’Neil being duly recorded in opposition.
Alderman O'Neil: I’m not opposed to the position. Are we creating a problem that we don't need right now? Not with the position; with the pay grade. I know it's the first time we've had anybody say it was too high.
Alderman Trisciani: We set the pay grade when we did the budget and figuring it out based on what Director Wickens saw for market rate and also what she saw as the tasks of this individual who would be reporting in her department.
Alderman O'Neil: I'm not making up that this was discussed.
Mayor Ruais: I don't doubt that at all. I think my conversations with Director Wickens, to Alderman Trisciani's point, I think they did a market analysis of what was to be brought to bear for this type of position. I think the concern that I would have with not elevating it tonight, I understand it needs a unanimous consent from the committee, the concern I would have about not elevating it tonight would be it leaves us another month behind in hiring for this position. If there are concerns, Alderman, I'm more than happy to work with you and speak with the department heads and speak with Director Wickens and the Independent City Auditor to answer your concerns.
Alderman O'Neil: You're saying you'll do that if it does report up?
Mayor Ruais: Correct. I'm more than happy to commit to that.
Alderman O'Neil: I trust you on that, but I think this is an issue. I heard it from multiple departments. It was an issue that the grade is too high compared to other positions that they have.
Mayor Ruais: I did just get off the phone with Director Wickens about a different matter. You know, maybe we could pull her aside before the meeting tonight.
Alderman O'Neil: Can I rescind my no and see if we can get it unanimous and send it up? I trust the mayor is going to work on this.
M. Normand: You've already voted. It's already passed. So now it's a matter of voting to send it up tonight; that needs to be unanimous. You don't need to rescind anything. It's just a matter of if both Aldermen Sapienza and O'Neil will agree to send it up tonight.
Alderman Trisciani: I would also say reporting it out tonight, given that we're meeting once a month, that if we hold this and wait until August, then we're now creating a delay in this position. And if we are expected to see savings, as you know, we talked about during the budget process, I think the sooner we get this person on board, the better we are to move forward.
Alderman Burkush: We discussed this in the budget and we approved it in the budget and my opinion is we should move it up without further delay. It would be two months out before we could even get going.
Alderman O'Neil: Sharon, there was a discussion through the budget process, at least that I had, I don't recall if it was with you, but it was multiple department heads that had a concern that the grade might be too high. And would we end up losing people from within departments to this position?
Sharon Wickens, Finance Officer: Well, the grade was higher and I pulled it down to that. I mean, at the end of the day, that's probably going to be a division type manager. We're starting with the purchasing manager. But I think that the mayor envisions this person not only taking care of purchasing, but centralizing contracts, so they'll have a bigger role once this gets up and running. I would imagine they'll have 1 or 2 people under them. I think that it's an appropriate level.
Alderman O'Neil: Right. The employee classification study, it was actually higher?
S. Wickens: It was higher, but it was at my deputy level and I thought that was too high.
Alderman O'Neil: Maybe I am confusing that part of it, and then you brought it down.
S. Wickens: I brought it down to a manager level, the same as my financial manager.
Alderman O'Neil: I'm good with sending it up.
Alderman Trisciani: I think we also shouldn't be worrying about someone from another department wanting to try for a higher-level position than what they have. I think we should be promoting growth within the city and allowing these opportunities for our employees to move. It's the reality of any large business, any large organization. You want your employees to have something. If someone from another department does choose to move up and take the position, I would hope that they would have the support of their department head or supervisor to move and expand their career role.
Alderman O'Neil: What I recall was it was a large department, and if a person moved up, and this would be an increase for them, it then leaves a hole with that department.
S. Wickens: This happens all the time; I lose people from Finance. If they're the best fit for promotion, it's hard for me to say that someone shouldn't get that.
Alderman Trisciani: And we backfill their position.
Alderman O'Neil: You’re absolutely right. Most of the financial people in various departments came from Finance.
On motion of Alderman O’Neil, duly seconded by Alderman Burkush, it was voted to expedite the committee’s report to the full Board.
There being no further business, on motion of Alderman Sapienza, duly seconded by Alderman O’Neil, it was voted to adjourn.
A True Record. Attest.
Clerk of Committee
Meeting Start Time: 5:00PM
Meeting End Time: 5:11PM
Minutes Prepared By: Michael Intranuovo