Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBack Pay for City Workers-1995 Winter Springs told to give city City officials The federal probe began last spring after several city employees complained to the federal agency. workers back pay to consider The results of the study were re- leased late in a Monday night corn- By order won meeting that stretched into B Will Wellons Tuesday morning' 9 Commissioners questioned the Or TIESENaNEL STAR WAGES from C-1 call for back pay in the police de- partment because the police time WINTER SPRINGS — The federal gov- 3ti0 b per, owed in the _ sheets showed no problems. ernment wants the city to pay $184,358 in depart Police officers signed time sheets back pay to 65 current and former police ment accounted for $146,000 of the that they worked eight hours a day, and recreation department employees. charges. but in personal interviews with a However, Hankins told the corn- wage-and-hour investigator they A federal investigation found that during mission, the recreation department said they worked more hours be- the past two years the city did not pay po- actions were blatant. In addition to cause they were required to come in lice officers for all of the hours they managers falsifying time sheets, 15 minutes before each shift. Also, worked.It also discovered that former man- Hankins said someone purged corn- some stayed after their shifts to agers in the recreation department told puler records to cover up the error. write reports.to falsify time sheets in an attempt Time was not being recorded, "Even if it is voluntary, it has to to avoid overtime. overtime was not being paid,"Han- be reported;it has to be The U.S.Department of Labor settlement kins said of the recreation depart- Hankins said. would require the city to issue checks rang- ment. Police Detective Eric Fawn h to ing from$22.26 to$5,653. Last year, after a city investiga- be paid $4,265. He said the money City commissioners have set a special tion uncovered the pay problems in would be a windfall that will help meeting for Monday to decide if they will the recreation department,the man- with bills,but he considers working accept the settlement or fight in court. ager resigned and a top assistant extra time part of police work. Commissioner David McLeod questioned was fired. "Do I feel like Pm owed this?Not. the need. "What is the point of the special LI really,"Faron said. meeting?" he asked. "We are going to ap- City Manager Govomhk, prove this." former police chief,John has maintained the Investigator Cliff Hankins said problems that the city did nothing wrong. He found in the police departments were unin- Do I feel like I'm owed said police officers are not supposed tentional and not unusual. If he investigat- ed other police departments, Hankins pre- -fill$? Not reall y' to stick around the building after their replacement arrives. dieted he would find similar problems. —Police Detective Eric Peron Hankins complimented police managers for their cooperation dur- Please see WAGES, C4 ing the probe and said they are en- forcing the schedule to keep officers from working too many hours. cf5o1 11 Winter Springs told to make back pay award of $ 184,000 By Darrell Johnson Originally the plan westo put a modem downtown district behind City Hall, but Next Monday the Winter Springs City the construction of Winter Springstligh Commission will meet at 8 p.m. to decide School foiled that.There is no commercial whether to pay over$184,000 in back pay property Anywhere on Orange Avenue. to 65 city employees. Ms.Joyce is asking for intensive devel- It was almost a year ago that a group of opment in a restricted area,said Mi.Swai- police officers and recreation employees low,who lives on that northern section of complained to the U.S.Depanment of La- Tuskawilla Road. The only exit from the bor about missing pay, area is through Tuskawilla Road. A federal investigation discovered that "More paving will result in more runoff police officers were not always paid for the into nearby Lake Jesup. Please don't do number of hours they worked.Time sheets something to enrich one person while de- routinely recorded eight hours a day when, straying a community,"she urged commis- according to testimony given to investiga- sioners. tors,personnel often had to remain late to That's not entirely true, said finish paperwork or to work on active cases. Reischmann.There is no plan to add more The recreation department's transgres- buildings,just to convert the existing one sions were much more blatant.Employees to accommodate more residents.The new reportedly were told to falsify time sheets owner will still have to present land use and not report overtime.In addition some- plans and site plans. one attempted to alter computer files to Commissioners will consider the issue cover iq the incidents, again after the principals complete nego- The discovery of the altered records tiations. prompted the resignation ofthe recreation Cypress Club is drowning... manager and the firing of an assistant. • Charles McGinnis presented an update Next Monday's meeting will be an open Continued on Page 3 session to decide whether to pay the back wages or to appeal the decision. Group home decision delayed... The Winter Springs Commission held off on a decision involving eight acres of land between the CSX Railroad track and Orange AvenueMonday night.The owner has a contract to sell the property if a zoning change is made allowing the buyer to convert the existing building intoa group home. Current owner Clara Joyce has been vague on exactly what will become of her large facility if the purchase goes through. The building is spacious enough to house q 5 0/ I a large number of residents,but her attor- ney, Bill Reischmann, said it will not be used as a nursing home. - Members of the South Lake Jesup Homeowners Association are not in favor of more peopleliving in theirarea,whether they are in one building or a number of individual homes.The environment back there is precarious enough,they said,with- out more traffic on Orange Avenue and Tuskawilla Road(formerly Brantley Av- enue)north of SR 434. Winter Springs are not aware that,in the case ofan interruption of cable Continued from Page 1 service,customers can file a on the situation at Cypress Club,a claim for the value ofthe time community afabout 75 homes to the system wasnot operating. the Highlands which seems to be Commissioner Larry Conniff floating away. added,"Once I see a utility told commissioners rate increase ty get a last monththat the complex,which ease.I very rarely see a backs up onto WinterSprings later Club,isbuilton graded sand.When was The request by Time Warner Tropical Storm Gordon was dened. than two months ago the struck more a ravine eroded severely,creating a dangerous drop-off and threat- ening the foundations of homes. According to McGinnis, the damage is worse now. While the builder has attempted to shore up the embankment,residents say it is too little too late. "Before the flooding there was a steep drop-off, and dirt fell down," McGinnis said. So the builder added stakes along the bank."Now there's a steep drop- off,and dirt and stakes fall down." Commissioners asked City ManagerJohn Govoruhk to check into the situation in December. Following extensive research,the city and the residents are now ready to meet with the builder,probably within the next week. If violations continue and no relief is provided the city could ask thatall applicable permitsand Certificates of Occupancy be re- voked. Television franchise changes,,. CommissionerJohnFerring led the effort to deny Time Warner Entertainment Company a rate in- crease on cable services in Winter Springs. The 51.26 per month rate hike was part of a service revision pro- posed �� �'A i by the company. "Before we approve any changes we should get them (Time Warner) in here and renegotiate the contract.Give them a chance for accountability," Ferring said. He also said that most people City aims to settle pay issue L'• Commissioners are upset over having to dig into the city treasury ❑The Winter Springs City to pay the back wages.But most say Commission will decide • they are leaning toward settling. City Manager and former police whether to pay back wages Chief John Govoruhk said there or fight the bill in court were problems in the Recreation Department. But he maintains po- lice policy did not cheat workers. By Will Wellons Mayor John Bush is demanding L£THE S .FL STAFF aCaccountability.eo "The taxpayers deserve an expla- nation,"he said. WINTER SPRINGS — Faced Commissioner Cindy Gennell with a bill for $184,358 in back pay for city employees, the City Corn- geed. "I would not want to open mission will decide tonight whether my checkbook and pay $185,000 without knowing what went on." - to pay up or fight the issue in court. Commissioners are expected to Commissioner John Ferring decide at 8 pm at City Hall if they wants to hear legal options."Pm not want to compensate police officers convinced the city did anything and Recreation Department work- wrong—at least with the police De' ers, who the federal government Department," he said. Police officers says were shorted, or fight the would get$146,000 of the amount. charges and possibly spend even Federal investigator Cliff Hankins more tax dollars. told city leaders last week that po- If the city defends its pay prac- lice officers came in early and regC- tices in court,it could face a double- larly stayed late without compensa. or-nothing gamble, said city attor- lion. All of the officers interviewed ney Frank Kruppenbacher. If the by Hankins said they worked home city loses in court, it would have to without pay,he said. pay at least double the suggested Commissioner David McLeod settlement plus legal fees,he said. wants to make sure the city doe$ An investigation by the U.S. De- not get stung with a future bill. partment of labor found that the "How do we safeguard this from city did not pay police officers for all happening again?" the hours worked during the past two years. The investigation also found that former recreation man- agers told workers to falsify time Q// sheets to avoid overtime. The government says Winter Springs owes 65 former and current employees amounts ranging from- $22.26 to$5,653. City OKs back wages for some Kficher warned that if the city fights ghts the Labor payment in court and loses,the payment would employees se me t.ar double the proposed settlement. He said the city also would have to pay the federal gov- ernment's attorneys'fees. By Will Wellona The commission voted 3-2 to di- OF THE SENTINEL STAFF vide the case. Commissioner Mc- Leod, Cindy Gennell and Larry WINTER SPRINGS — City corn- maCob n workers if paying ederal ren gcw- missioners agreed grudgingly Mon- eminent would agree day night to pay 23 current and for- portion of the claim. to drop that mer recreation workers $38,178 in Commissioners John Fazing and lark wages that federal labor inves- John Lan ellotti were adamant tigators say the city mores. against making any payments to But they want to negotiate further employees because they had been concerning 91 former and current paid for all time marked on their police officers who claim they are time sheets. owed$146,180 in back pay. In a related matter,Govmuhk an- Commissioners were upset that a nounced Monday that he wants the proposed settlement with the U.S. Seminole-Brevard state attorney's Department of Labor involved pay- office or an independent police ing some officers with desk jobs agency to investigate whether corn who had no reason to work over- puter pay records in the recreation time. City Manager John the former police chief,Wd corn- review y department were destroyed to avoid missioners that$40,000 would go to An a wage and hour a alle- police officers who he believed did gatio Aa er review ngdtthe alle- police work any overtime. patios after reviewing the coin- not David McLeod plaints of recreation workers. called the proposed payment of money to some officers not fair at all to the taxpayers." The U.S. Department of Labor found that from April 1992 to April 1999, former managers in the rec- reation department told workers to falsify time sheets in an attempt to avoid paying overtime. Investigators also said police offi- cers had been asked to start their shifts 15 minutes early and were not paid for the time. Under the pro- posed settlement,each police officer would receive an extra four hours' worth of pay for each week during that two-year period. City Attorney Frank Kruppen- bather told commissioners it would be tough to defend charges concern- ing the recreation department be- muse he had no witnesses to dis- pute the government's claims. 9 .50/ / 7 He also said he doubted he could win the police case.But he thought further negotiation on wages was possible. cm oy aa .E ° 5 $ al A c. m ,-20,w m m9„Nt, 5 20mg r.:5PeR5. 4..ncla 1 4: 1 mfr' L'. <<�°+ F N1 .04,2- ;1 2 0) m 'Q S A/� ,ry ., G m ag� A5 ' a0n a. wmSEmE ° c5'S�o�Ty p.4i girl ^9 o ,I T:pm 0 Cl) 0 ao.-c . to 84b $ ° ; m:. co . sm` a .m.t< m •<m mP _ -. 5Q' O a ° gSgm'm t - 3 `` "'tl Rmoe Cs'a.. 8 c om mp,a 44.44. 5 2;A�°�.', 'o �p�oaaiaroi c� S' re m�' cy`<m a°Kew n� w o AA Fc5 g-1 to < m m m m ST<o.�e an d �' a- Em're :g5 °'' S'+oa gams m5+a ° '� 5▪' f�i. ^ R, C8wm mm om2r`m 942g-Nn co w mot O O mm nnu gC ° SO owwrmm° 0o ? S n ' ' S m ga 5 (Dag B. 2 o glwm^ mw O e ny8 om xaa 7a. Q m^ 5 d s a� a E E `/ £ aw _ S.Sn aEomC W.1 ar=m 'S° w : S.mmm- nn m 8 ° nOm.a mom • 8 R' m m eo,o Caw A`mwrri l ��/.�/�� '32 rt ' 4..."'S C. . . a m o• w n cif m< gas. m=m;"<ma ° a0sa < 07 Cn m" w .`.' ?yam •Y <5' mmc< 1paa. mmo .nn'45e CD CR , c, g'gn @. 2" m S amP CE Na Cm "EC 35re8 -..nn - iY p m Cm e;0.m-'T a A ^ ..- 1.-- w a o,2° S V r< = a:,...,,55-5, q��`ms ^s a g m a°w. „c�T.'EmE � B 2 V s �. amsy 0 m a * - mm 00 53� Oy$ E ,,w. ECm ..� � m fr z4 grim m▪ W 5g N. yta n CD ii66SLL m» = • b. a -ID.M aft 1 m Xw A m °.i-i 0c4 catw > n n- 0R0 -c v An SO`E � 'j SS � 00 V) N on ' ono La 3 C Y = U 5-00 ^C ° 'O R C 2:12 °. 41 -1. J Ma C p o.o�.. Q O X ry O £ n E N N X L pN PS CS9 rtR 'O O6O^ 'J' 9d dA0`, CD G w i rt a a rt o D F E ry 3 >o u o < In n n o '<o o ° . n 0 � - .. ° x iOi o c 3 oo 3 ° m n -' ♦A otio m o gm �' 0.a ,< w 0. c o0 m d E » N N PO-0 H o5 °i °' ^ H 0' oa g ' Hm0 t° #+'`gyp �■ 3 w y 0 it e ° r, Z� e r i :I a noonu, 0' NO o mo oT0 -0 r` m „^, ° S'< o o '^ u '< e = " % (in aka 0' ,, n ▪ m .°. cv c k' 0 o y it 8t'd9 'k 'S7 S. u4 £ d� ym ue`<rtm a x` .># p; . =?▪ � � � a .. P.ow to * fig', O C5. e °c = sa,a . tt ! a a �tr `§gm'P.. tl ,///I� ova P. RO -p a . Q FF ' 0 Q Eae 0 = „0 0 . _ oyo "a ale ' }� a• a. — et V mda> > ooNO 7 , aw*a \ � n 9 v7i O ono A O O' yt : `o-4, # w g O '.5• O n d o G * fat I , �. cm S m o.; G' two y .J ^. � °. .di. O 00 O o i O pr d n , N a 'o n ^ n 9 R t ° O 201 a smgg onHem � oc8 'd' y0ga000n0. 80 , caEoo . o e 'o a0 ^ = '0 F -^ , 5w n m < w o• n 0 o g S a y o w F a o n 0. 1. =-ww 0rv. mc' 0• < 8d To am n oo o o cc: d 0 „,�a5. .40. .. 08 a 'o' n- n) z o 0 " 5, 05 , m m9' a 8 a n '4 ao o o a co o ° E, t, Bo y 8 rot a 7.m w m o a ° ,. = .,.. ,1 °= I W ='R N 5 .J-. m O N , 7 P .i N. a n m d n n 0 '07 °e , rT H4y g° � °a o ofic - Ea 3 O .n a° .oea d_ o 2o'o ^ 2a c7c ^ n =e.'R on a , >ag a ^ F >^ Trt 0. tnc o'0 8 . _ ae — en Ail a >n < RFe � .H2. ° e• =oo° w^ aSen oEN'O "'eoo°' o.Qaa 54 =e n A 0 A p, o 4 G y 0 o.o G C. ^re a° ° `0 a`^7 '4'0 ° O ° S O w b y m e a ,9 ,.a _ � c7 A CI L Winter Springs back pay costs less than feared By Will Welton OF THE SENI1NEL STAFF WINTER SPRINGS — The final cost of a federal wage and hour investigation will be less than half what the city feared. City commissioners have approved spending up to $106,000 to settle an investigation that began nearly a year ago.The payment for back wages includes the city's cost for federal payroll taxes and Social Securi- ty. Earlier this year,federal investigator Cliff Hankins told city commissioners the city would have to pay $186,000 to 64 former and current employees in the recreation and police departments. With taxes and Social Security, the payment was expected to be more than$225,000. Commissioners balked at the payments to the po- lice department after City Manager John Govoruhk, a longtime police chief, said there was no way that some officers with desk jobs were entitled to back wages of up to$5,600. City Attorney Frank Kruppenbacher said the city 7: WINTER SPRINGS presented evidence that the back wages were too high in the police department and investigators low- Thefts/break-Ins ered their demands. Hankins could not be reached • Laurel Oaks Drive, between 920 for comment. p.m.March 18 and 10:30 am.Marsh 19. Kruppenbacher declined to release information in- Someone stole a Mg valued at $350 eluding how many workers will receive back pay, from•house. saying the issues are still under negotiation. ■ Lenexa Lane,1 W block between Kruppenbacher did say at a special meeting last 8 Someone broke tan apartment March 13.into week that the payments to 23 former and current rec- aParanent erM took S61rt idg coins. reT o Those workers will r not change. • 17.Someone Circle, 100 Mock;8 p.a- Those people will parive•an of Labor $38,178 n that March at$200 from the e ya a dirt bike e. back wages. The Department of Iabor Pound that tied at 52,500 from the yetl of a house. from April 1992 to April 1994 former managers told employees to falsify time sheets in an attempt not to pay overtime. As many as 41 police officers will receive more than$45,000 in back wages for working longer shifts than documented and making court appearances. Mayor John Bush applauded Govoruhk and Krup- penbacher for their negotiating. But after the meeting, Commissioner Cindy Gen- nell called the whole probe"a shame." "I don't feel good that our employees felt they had (� r n 3 to go to the federal government to get what they / thought they deserved."