Amid serious allegations of misconduct against the Administration, the Assembly has focused efforts to protect and rebuild the municipal workforce.
Long-Term Safeguards
At the March 7 meeting, the Anchorage Assembly took up several ordinances to bring forward long-term safeguards to protect municipal resources that were introduced as emergency ordinances (EOs) in January.
In a vote of 9-1, the Assembly approved AO 2023-23(S), As Amended, to codify several of the protections temporarily enacted by an EO to lower the monetary thresholds for competitively awarded contracts to be approved by the Assembly from $500,000 to $150,000 (the EO temporality lowered this threshold to $10,000), lower thresholds for amendments to large dollar contracts and require approval of amendments for work not described in the original contract memorandum, with exemptions available for emergency purchases necessary for life and safety.
AO 2023-27, which is also based on a January EO, is scheduled for public testimony at the March 21 meeting to codify the authority of the Ombudsman. The ordinance establishes in code the charter-granted authority of the Ombudsman to investigate personnel matters within the Municipality, similar to the state's ombudsman's investigative authority, while prohibiting the duplication or relocation of personnel files accessed by the Office of the Ombudsman.
AKOSH Violations
Earlier this month, a letter from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement Section (AKOSH) issued citations totaling $627,637 based on multiple health and safety inspections.
On March 2, the Assembly held a worksession with the Administration to discuss how the municipality plans to respond to the letter before the 30-day deadline.
Paid Parental Leave Policy
At the March 7 meeting, the Anchorage Assembly took a step to increase the competitiveness of municipal employment by approving AO 2023-20, As Amended, to enact a four-week paid parental leave benefit for municipal employees.
The ordinance offers municipal employees four weeks of parental leave to be taken within 12 months of a qualifying event, including the arrival of biological and adoptive children as well as the placement of foster children.
While the new policy is effective immediately for executive and non-represented positions, the ordinance urged the Administration to coordinate administrative agreements with bargaining units to implement the policy for union-represented positions as soon as possible.
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