Is there a requirement that a building engineer be on site when the heater is not on?
I understand in big buildings like this, the heat goes on at a certain time of year and goes off at a certain time of year. And the gymnasiums are sometimes cold anyway. I am just wondering has this become an accepted overtime perc for some of these individuals, or is this something that could be worked through for a cheaper cost? $30 an hour to sit on a chair with a set of keys seems to be a bit much.
Hi, Councilman Kenney, Pedro Ramos. We are getting, trying to get, specific answers for you. But in the last contract with Local 1201, one of the things that was changed in that contract was, it used to be for activities like this you necessarily had overtime. 127 BILL NOS. 000708 and 000709 One of the things we did was add shifts. So now I believe there are three shifts that greatly reduce the number of overtime, the need for overtime. Among other things in that contract was the reduction of the number of trades, I believe from to 8. It doesn't affect this issue, but it 9 was all, just to give you an idea of the nature of 10 that contract, also provides for the opportunity for 11 privatization. 12 With respect to your specific question, 13 and only from anecdotal experience of visiting 14 schools and visiting some of these after-school 15 programs, as you have, some of it is, at least in 16 the winter, like you said, about heating, most of 17 them, however, have, especially in a sizable school, 18 has a pretty complicated HVAC system that's 19 operating even in different temperatures. 20 And I think the issue that I have heard 21 about, as I have inquired about groups wanting to 22 use facilities, it is opening and shutting down the building, the hallways are cleaned and the doors are locked.
What happens when 128 BILL NOS. 000708 and 000709 the school is not in use? Is there someone there hours a day?
When the school is 6 not in use, closed, no school, no activities, is 7 there an engineer there 24 hours a day? 8
Isn't there the same 10 maintenance requirements of a large building that 11 heaters and boilers are operating? I mean, we don't 12 shut the heat off. 13
When people aren't in the 14 building, you are less concerned about air, how the 15 air is circulating. 16 They get there early. I don't know what 17 the standard hour is, but they get there early in 18 the day to get the HVAC going, to run the water if 19 it is in the lead program, to make sure that the 20 building is clean and ready to start the day. 21
As a response to my 22 initial questions about the numbers of people and 23 the classes of job and the hourly rates, I would 24 like to know what their duties are, too.
Of whoever is required to be in the building being paid for that period of time.
While people from the community are using the building after school hours.
Does the recreation department have overtime standards as it relates to the operation of their facilities for athletic and/or cultural events on a Saturday? How does the overtime in the recreation department work?
For our program people, when they work on Saturday, it is a regular day, and in many cases they adjust their schedule.
How about when the individual is involved in the recreation program that's being operated in a public school; same thing?
The staff that is deployed to the public schools is staff that we have in our rec centers that we then deploy to the schools, 130 BILL NOS. 000708 and 000709 usually from October until the first week of April. And it is no overtime.
Would that not seem an opportunity -- I think a recreation department Leader 1, Leader 2, whatever the title might be, could be as effective or maybe even more effective in having a set of keys to open up a building and lock it up at the end of the day. I wouldn't expect the rec Leader 2 to be operating the boilers and the HVAC system. But certainly from a supervisory and/or security standpoint, since these people apparently do their duties for a lot less overtime than 1201, perhaps there is some way we could eliminate the duplication of employee status? I mean, I trust the rec leader to have the responsibility and the maturity to lock a door at the end of the day, or to make sure that the gym is cleaned, and they are not making $30 an hour overtime.
As I said, Councilman, just to interject, my understanding from the last 1201 contract is that a shift has been added. So that at this point I would expect overtime to be the 131 BILL NOS. 000708 and 000709 exception rather than the rule. And, as you know, some of the schools that we are talking about are also pretty big schools. And I like the concept of just kind of having the keys and locking up. I am not sure that in some of our bigger schools that it is that simple. And I don't know how much of that discussion has been held. And I do suspect, as you do, that there is probably a jurisdictional issue on who ends up locking the building at the end of the day.
Well, if I have a choice between someone making $30 an hour and someone working on their normal shift, I think I could find a way to perhaps investigate whether or not that rec leader could in fact do the work.
When will the results of the study analyzing how much can be saved if the cluster system is eliminated be available? Is there an ongoing study relative to the costs of operating the cluster system as it exists today? 132 BILL NOS. 000708 and 000709 And in the event that there is such an analysis, when would the numbers be available on the potential of eliminating the cluster system or downsizing it in an effort to save costs?
At this point, our chief executive officer is looking at the whole organizational structure of the district, including the effectiveness and viability of the current cluster structure. And he has not put anything to the Board yet, but I do suspect that we will have some proposals that will reflect a change in the organizational structure of the district. And part of that is, you know -- and there may be cost savings, as you are pointing out. But I think an important part for us also is making sure that we are as effective as we can, and that services, our business instruction, and we are trying to provide the support the schools need, the teachers need, that those services are getting there. And to the extent that some of those services maybe at the cluster, then that is not proven to be the most effective way of getting the 133 BILL NOS. 000708 and 000709 supports to classes. Moving that, to the extent that we figure -- that we determine that having units 5 doesn't have the, you know, the marginal value that 6 we would want it to have, then there may be a look 7 at the number of units that we divide the district 8 into. 9
Has Mr. Goldsmith 10 indicated a ballpark timetable as to when that may 11 be available? 12
He has talked to the Board 13 about doing that now, as we go through our budget 14 process. 15 But we don't yet have a proposal in 16 writing that has numbers on it that has a proposed 17 structure to it. 18
Before we conclude, 21 can you just tell us how many schools have gyms 22 where we would be having summer programs or after-school programs? And I think somebody mentioned swimming pools? How many schools do we have with swimming 134 BILL NOS. 000708 and 000709 pools?
Council President, we use six indoor swimming pools. The Department of Recreation uses six sites. Gymnasiums, I don't have an exact number, but I think we are approaching 135.
Okay. Are there any further questions? The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Blackwell.
Thank you, Madam President. We just, in fact, I think I mentioned this to many people, for Turner School we are always fighting for summer programs. We just certainly ask for your support there. Thank you, Madam President.
Thank you. This committee will stand in recess until the call of the Chair. Thank you all very much. (Hearing adjourned at 1:20 p.m.) - - - 135 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing proceedings of the Council of the City of Philadelphia of Monday, March 26, 2001, were reported fully and accurately by me, and that this is a correct transcript of same. RE: COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE _____________________________________ DEBRA A. WHITEHEAD, RPR