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Home My WebLink AboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 08G_11/18/1993 �[ ,. l � � VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA � ; , � Post Officc Box 3273 • 357 Tcqucsta Drive ^'.. Tcyucsta, Florida 33469-0273 • (407) 575-6200 . � � Fax: (407) 575-6203 i o �� i � C9UM�� . MEMORANDUM: TO: Village Council FROM Thomas G. Bradford, Village Manager � DATE: November 10, 1993 SUBJECT: Employee Flex-Time Policy for Local School Events; Aqenda Item Councilmember Liz Schauer recently attended a Press Conference wherein the concept of encouraging local government employees to get involved with their children's schools was discussed. More specifically, the concept of adopting a flex-time policy to allow parents the opportunity for more active involvement with their children and school activities was encouraged. Being the cynic that I am, I inquired of my secretaries as to whether or not they would attend more school functions if their leave entitlement were not impacted, and, to my surprise, they said yes. Apparently, there are many opportunities for parents to get involved with their children in the school environment. Examples cited by my employees were field trips and special student presentations where the parents are invited to the classroom to see first hand the accomplishments of their children. Therefore, I think we should adopt a flex-time policy that will allow employees to attend school functions of their children, or dependents, with no loss of leave time, provided that the employee makes up the time within a reasonable period of time, to be determined. Regrettably, certain key public safety personnel, such as patrol officers, dispatchers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, water treatment plant operators and, in some circumstances, building inspectors, cannot be granted flex- time in that the Village would incur unnecessary overtime expenses. G,.,.._,,a n,.... M u Page 2- However, this is not to say that the flex-time policy ahould not include a statement encouraging supervisors to allow such personnel to swap or substitute work schedules to accommodate employees wishing to participate or volunteer in school activities of their children, so long as such schedule amendments do not incur overtime expenditures. � It is recommended that the Village Council authorize the Village Manager to prepare an Administrative Policy allowing flex-time work schedules for applicable employees to accommodate their desires to attend, participate or volunteer in school activities involving their children as generally outlined herein. TGB/krb . A ood 1 esson lan g p harging kids as adults is one dramatic step to fight juvenile gosses in Palm Beach crime. Assigning extra officers to schools is another. A third proposal County are urging n coming from northern Palm Beach ,�` County, is less dramatic. Ultimately, it employees to get � can be more effective. � Last week, the Palm Beach County � nvolved in the sehools ` Commission adopted a policy encourag- ing county employees to get involved in get in the way, rigid school bureaucrats �, their children's schools. Workers will did, too. Sometimes more. � get time off for parent-teacher confer- �orth county officials at a news �., ences, to volunteer as cafeteria moni- conference last week — County Com- ` tors, to attend school meetings — all missioner Karen Niarcus, Palm Beach kinds of school activities. This is flexi- Gardens council member Lauren Fur- �( �bility, not a freebie. Employees will tado, Jupiter council member Babs '� , make up time spent away from work. Henderson and Tequesta council mem- Palm Beach Gardens has a similar ber Liz Schauer — said they have been �• policy. Jupiter and Tequesta will soon. assured by Superintendent Alonica t;hl- �.=And of5cials �om those cides and the horn and School Board Chairman Gail ��county will be encouraging chambers of Bjork that parents are welcome. Princi- •�• commerce to push the flex-time idea pals can prove it — as some already do �� their members. T'he county also — b}� making sure parents know about �;�vill ask the shPriff, clerk of court and school advisory committees, parent- �?�ther constitutional officers to join up. teacher organizations and other school � The school board will be asked, too. functions. (Hint: New•sletters mailed to ' This hardly sounds controversial. the home have proved more reliable ;Calling for parental involvement is not than notices handed out to students.) -�politically risky. Why not support moth- Things are bad enough that dramat- erhood and apple pie, while they're at ic steps may still be necessary. But �.at? To be blunt, several of the elected harsh penalties and added security are :officials pushing this idea found from reactions to a crisis. Parents who want `'personal experience that schools did to be involved, along with employers _hot always welcome parental involve- who let them and schools that welcome �ment. Not only did rigid work schedules them, are the solution. ^ `�'irn�e for scho�►1 v - . . olue�t�er,ng �s a�rged :� By Jeff Alexander Thurscla durin J Stan wrder Y g, a press confer- , cnce. Alsu attend�ng were Lauren PALM Rt:ACH C;ARDl:NS 1=urtado, Barbara Hendersun and � Schr��is necJ hel� fmm �arcnts, Liz Schauer, council members �y� �,� �;,� I�k:ii ��cnimcnt ��ili�•i,ils say, un�1 frum Gardcns. Jupiter and Te- �� j � � bu�incsse` ran assist by letting yuesta, respectively. '+�!''°< � �«<�rkin � irents ��lunteer thcir One of the biggest issues, Fur- ��'` R � P� � :,�. J ii�ii� at .ir�r� schools. tado said, is safety: whether it is � ,� ,,,, �' �nc��lulr� uf "flc� time," to al- rea) or perceived. :;�, ''" s • s /,� � ��w U111� lt�f (�dt'Cltl� ltt vO�U11ICCf l0 �� st�dents can't learn in a class �.;° Y � e �,�� '�`g�� r ,,, � t �' �;�:I �.0 l��al , ch�,ulti �iuring thr Ja�- room because of fear, or leachers �° '� �""` � g '��. a •,+' k` 'h •u�� thci� ��rk I<itcr c,r earlier can't teach, Fhen it doesn'[ matter ,��k "�► � � ��`� � � '� � .�_� ��' �!�.�ur: �,n ih�ir �,�h:. ��ill h� cnrour- what kind of programs you have,•• .;,.#� �':; t , � irrJ ;� am.in,� c� aii I alm shc sa , r� ' �,=< ° ,, ��l'd1�1 ��:1�1i111� l'111�1�U��ll�. .)11111�1� ��1 Fl arcnts go back IIItO IhC JEfFALE%�NOER/TMJUpi�srCouri�r ��r,�r� arn c�in� <<in.i.l�rc�1 in u:hu��ls, ma �x th y cy won't nccd an �eft to right, County Commissioner Karen Marcus, Jupiter Coun Ju�ner anJ Tcyucst,�. extra sec;urity oflicer." Marcus sug- cilmember Barbara Henderson, Tequesta eouneilmember Liz "��'c ncc�i t�� Lc� �arrn�s hark in- gcs�cd. Schauer and (not shown) Palm Beach Gardens councilmember ��h«i �n I��I .cl,��ul.." ('uunty Lauren Furtado held a press conference, Thursday, to encourage C�ummissi�,ncr Karcn M,ircus said Piease see Marous on A6 school involvement by parents and business. NL�ar�cus � ■ CONTINUED FROM A1 ! Icn�la•s�,n sai�i that �hc ahu ��•ants scnic,r ritircn, wh�� :irc rr- tir��1 t�a�hrn ��r busincsz�rums �u � �ct back intu th� fi►Icl. Ju��itcr'` f ��wn ('c�uiiril Jisru�sc�l �hc Ilr.� timc issuc I:i,t �fuc,Jay, hut nc� �c�ii- clusicros wcrc rc,irhrd. "Wc'rc trying t<� cncouragc ticx � timc within thc c so wc can brcak a�u ��I'this attcrn c>f8 t�� S. Monday thnni�h �riclay." Jupi- tcr l'own ManaLrr Lcr livclt s,iiJ at Tucsday's mcrting. But purcnts wh�i �,tn't fincl timc in thc cvenings ta attcnd PTO or � PTA mcctings prub�ibly will not hc; swayed by thc "flcx timc" pra- gram, Muyor Karcn Golonk�� sai�l ' ' at thc mccting. � "l agrce (with) how littic timc parcnts are spcndin�t, cvcn whcn they can go and their t�me is frcc and it's outside work," she saie�. "Sa now we're saying (sincc) you won't go whcn you havc your own ' free time, wc'll allow them to go : wliile at work." (Stalr' wrilcr Jim Turner corr- ' tributed to this rcport). ,