HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Workshop_Tab 03D_07/10/2007McWilliams, Lori
From: Reid, Merlene
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 5:36 PM
To: Couzzo, Michael
Cc: McWilliams, Lori
Subject: FW: PRESS RELEASE: Palm Beach Gardens to provide basic domestic partner benefits ---
6/28/07
Mike,
I was contacted by Rand Hoch, President of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, who sent the attached press
release and is asking that Tequesta considers implementing "noncost" benefits for domestic partners. I will ask Lori to
add this as an item for the Policy Workshop. Our sick leave is only for the use of the employee for his/her own illness and
so would not qualify, however EAP for eg would not incur any additional cost. I will prepare a list of "noncost" benefits
for consideration.
Merlene
From: Rand [mailto:flagler400@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 5:23 PM
To: Reid, Merlene
Subject: PRESS RELEASE: Palm Beach Gardens to provide basic domestic partner benefits --- 6/28/07
FYI
0
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release:
June 29, 2007
For further information contact:
Rand Hoch,
PBCHRC President and Founder
561-804-9399 (office)
561-358-0105 (mobile)
rand-hochCa~usa.net
Ron Ferris,
City Manager
(561)799-4110
PALM BEACH GARDENS TO PROVIDE DOMESTIC PARTNER
BENEFITS
(Palm Beach Gardens, Florida) At last night's budget meeting the Palm Beach Gardens City Council directed the City Manager
to provide the same sick leave and bereavement leave benefits to employees with domestic partners as have long been provided to
married employees. In addition, all employees' families will soon have the same access to the city's Employee Assistance Program -
- regardless of whether the family is based on a marriage or a domestic partnership.
"This is a good start for Palm Beach Gardens in the City's effort to provide equal employee benefits for all families," said Rand
Hoch, Founder and President of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council ("PBCHRC").
Last October, Hoch asked the City Council to consider providing City employees with the full range of domestic partner benefits,
including health insurance. The City Council directed City Manager Ron Ferris to look into the cost of domestic partner benefits
and include his findings in his budget recommendations.
Throughout last night's meeting, it was apparent that the City Council was conscious of every dollar in the proposed budget. The
consensus of the City Council was there was no room in the budget for new cost items for employee benefits.
"Because of budget constraints, Palm Beach Gardens must now increase the premiums employees pay for their insurance," said Vice
Mayor David Levy. "I t is hard to add a benefit when we're subtracting benefits."
Levy has been a strong supporter of providing City employees with domestic partners all of the same employee benefits as are
provided to married employees.
As a compromise measure, the City Commission unanimously directed the City Manager to implement "noncost" benefits such as
sick leave and bereavement leave.
"Although there is a trend in Palm Beach County for public employers to enact policies to treat all of their
employees equally, municipalities throughout Florida are now facing severe budget constraints, "said Hoch.
"Matters will clearly get worse if voters approve the Legislature's proposed changes to Florida's property tax
system next year."
Over the years, PBCHRC has assisted public employers throughout Palm Beach County with the
implementation of domestic partner benefits. These employers include Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach
County Sheriff s Office, the Office of the Clerk and Comptroller, the Office of the Tax Collector, the Office of
the Property Appraiser, the Port of Palm Beach, the Office of the Supervisor of Elections, the Solid Waste
Authority, Palm Tran, the cities of Delray Beach, Lake Worth and West Palm Beach, and the Town of Jupiter.
PBCHRC is currently working with other local public employers, urging them to consider providing domestic
partner benefits. These include the Cities of Boca Raton and South Bay, the Towns of Lake Park and Palm
Beach, the Villages of North Palm Beach and Tequesta, the Health Care District of Palm Beach County, the
Palm Beach County School District, Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach Community College.
###
The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Inc. is dedicated to
ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
The Council promotes equality through education, advocacy, direct action,
impact litigation, and community outreach.
To keep informed of our activities, click on the logo at the top of this press release to
be directed to our website www.pbchrc.org
k.,<~~*~-+x**++~~++w~ IMPO`t?TANT ~ +-k~~-s++xxxk+~-A+~k~-~++++~~..~~~+~t
Tree content of this emair taas iounci *o
cc>ntain potentially hostile or malic.ioizs content.
r'or your protect inn, eSafe`:, CurtE~r~.t. 'ecurity Ser-.rer has
CSC"`.'i.{'._eC'1 ~_~11° ('P1ai:L ,ai?l~ rFIitOVeC~ rr;e ~'%ir'.:Jc'rUS CCnterit.
A-t+~l # A~k ~!-+~-~;4 -ki :F#-k~F*~-~; ~k is 1-ir -F k~*d- rx*.w }f -A-~ . x x ~-k *,r+ L~ k k~: k k it*;4 ;F k-k y: f: *~-~~k-k 'k ;k*
~~I li'I,.~ '~~C_'_1 JP, (~'>Lte.n't : FOllPC~ Weh-~~ '3corr, ~Ih] E. -_ ~~ !v~.~1 .e~ : ~ ~ 1P'lq ~
3
McWilliams, Lori
From: Pat Watkins [watkins_william@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 10:10 AM
To: Couzzo, Michael
Subject: Business reception
Mike,
I spoke to Louise Murtaugh with the Chamber yesterday and told her that we were thinking
about doing this business reception and she was very supportive of the idea. I told her we
were in the early stages of this and would need Council support for the idea. If we go
forward, she expressed interest in the Chamber possibly co-sponsoring the event and certainly
would want to be included. She also offered the Chambers' assistance with names of businesses
by zip code.
Please contact her for any additional information that we may need if we decide as a group to
go ahead with this.
I am really excited to pusue this and I hope the Concil will embrace the idea as well.
Thanks,
Pat
1