2026-10-06 - Committee on Human Resources and Insurance

Summary

Built from the official minutes of this meeting; no video or agenda is on file.

Met 6:04 to 6:17 PM, immediately after Bills on Second Reading. Present: Goonan (chair), Sapienza, O'Neil, Burkush, Vincent; also Mayor Ruais, Corwin, Croasdale, Assistant Chief Loui and Solicitor Rice.
Approved nine staffing and organization items, mostly cost neutral reclassifications in Human Resources, Central Fleet, Water Works, Police and Information Systems.
Approved the Office of Youth Services reorganization and school district MOU unanimously (motion Vincent, second O'Neil).
Expedited the Water Works item (motion Vincent, second Burkush) and the Police Lieutenant item (same movers) to the full Board.
Adjourned (motion Sapienza, second Vincent).

Corwin: convert a vacant full time HR Generalist (grade 107) to a 32 hour part time position (grade 112) and eliminate a vacant Administrative Assistant II (grade 105). A part time Administrative Assistant II already does the generalist duties; she would move into the new role. Sapienza noted it is a downsizing. O'Neil asked about the budgeted Assistant Director; the class specification is in draft and should move forward within weeks. Approved (motion O'Neil, second Burkush).

Central Fleet Management: add a full time Accountant I (grade 108) and eliminate a full time Inventory Specialist I (grade 108). Approved (motion Vincent, second O'Neil).
Water Works (Croasdale): eliminate three Accounting Technician II positions (grade 107), add one Accountant I and two Customer Service Representative III (grade 108). The Accounting Technician II used to sit a grade above customer service and now sits below, so staff with accounting backgrounds were taking customer service jobs for a raise; the change makes the same grade for each area. Sapienza: not an increase in spending. Approved (motion O'Neil, second Vincent).

Police Department, per Chief Marr: create a full time Administrative Compliance Coordinator (grade 124) and leave the Grants Coordinator (grade 117) and Accreditation Coordinator (grade 116) vacant. Approved (motion Vincent, second Burkush).
Move two Computer Systems Specialist II positions (grade 114) from the Police Department to Information Systems. Approved (motion Burkush, second O'Neil).
Information Systems: add a Business Services Manager (grade 120) and eliminate an Office Administrator I (grade 111). Approved (motion O'Neil, second Burkush).

See Police Parking Division Transfer. Assistant Chief Loui: add a Police Financial Administrator (grade 121) and eliminate the Business Services Manager (grade 120), because the Parking Unit is a significant revenue enterprise and the current role is beyond a Business Services Manager; the Health Department has a counterpart. Approved (motion O'Neil, second Burkush); it did not need to report that night.
Add a Police Lieutenant (grade 126) to oversee the Parking Unit. Mayor Ruais said the Department had two months to learn the needs and that the unit is expected to raise revenue for the rest of the year with the added parking safety officers; Assistant Chief Loui agreed. Approved (motion O'Neil, second Sapienza).

Mayor's reorganization with a Memorandum of Understanding with the Manchester School District, approved unanimously. O'Neil asked whether workers would be in the field; the Mayor said the chart explicitly provides field time. Sapienza asked about the state police criminal investigation; Solicitor Rice said it was ongoing and she had no update.
The Mayor called it a pilot: if approved by the end of October it starts in January, running through June, summer work on the Leadership and Freshman Academies, and a further school year through June 2028, giving about 18 months of data. The department has had two full directors and one interim in five years.
The school MOU goes to the Board of School Committee the following week, so the report was not rushed. O'Neil thanked staff for door knocking before school started (the Mayor cited 209 referrals); both thanked Elaine Michaud of the Health Department for the 11 page operational assessment behind the 92 page packet.