Yes, thank you, everyone, for allowing combo for you.

Um, this is our first time in twelve years since a clerk has addressed the council in such a presentation.

So I am extremely nervous.

I am extremely grateful.

I am uh grateful that um I presented an executive summary to the chairman, and he said bring this before the council.

And uh because he felt like this was strong enough.

Um for you all to hear the things that I will I do have an ask.

It is coming at the end.

Um but I again I just want to say how grateful I am to be here.

Uh this presents the 5D strategic modernization plan.

Umernization.

We're still using paper around here.

And we're still scanning things behaviorally, but um this presentation marks the total uh turning point.

Um the early statutory role of the clerk, which did not exist until the 1900s, even though the city itself existed.

Um but we have become a fully modern technical and able government institution.

So if you see my beautiful slide there, apparently departments use this, and I didn't know that.

So everything beyond this looks nothing like that.

Okay.

I'm going to start with uh going over from the uh 1900s to 2026, and uh it's important to know where we were to where we are today in order to know where we need to go in the future, and the past is extremely important, and the only person who was here to actually, and I should thank you, uh Councilman Henderson because you were here during the restructure of this office.

I was just quite a different way.

I'm like oh history in Teddy Roosevelt's administration.

Okay, restructure of 2014.

Okay, all right.

Sorry, I had to work that with the yeah, I set myself up for that one.

Uh so I should thank you because there were things that uh took place that I don't know if you necessarily saw it back then, but it has come full full term.

It is it is you set up something that I don't think you even realize.

Oh uh, you were one of the people who were uh a part of the restructure of the office, and I'm I'm thank you right now for that.

And I hopefully you all understand what I'm talking about.

Um the uh 1900s.

I'm starting at the 1900s, even though the city was founded, charter long uh in the 1800s after the civil war, but I'm starting with the 1900s just because that's the first time you will start seeing references.

1911, for instance, when the city uh became a commission.

Um, you start seeing references to a clerk.

You never see a reference to a council clerk, clerk to council.

You don't even see anything secretary to the uh administrative office.

You see, no reference, the only references at that point you see to a clerk were all for the from my research.

Um, and I did send a historical preface to the uh attorney to perhaps he could find uh some information about this.

My only references were that I found were for the city uh court clerk.

Whenever you see clerk, it's always in reference to the court and the person who's handling the judicial documents, and for the most part, definitely through the 1800s through the early and maybe possibly 1930s.

The auditor did a lot of what you consider to be the work of a clerk, and then but but it started uh after the Chattanooga became uh commission form of government.

Yes, you did start seeing the duties filtering out more towards what we now call the clerk to council.

Um it was um called City Call, it was 813 formally established the duty to preserve the legislative records, major city reorganizations during the era that is 1900s through 2002, and that's a lot of that's a century right there, where there's no reference to the clerk, and that's why it looks strange, but that's true, all the way through 2002, and then when City Code eight uh section 813 formally established the duties, um uh I'm sorry, major city reorganizations had happened during that time.

Um, it left the office, the council office administratively undefined.

So uh there was somebody groups of somebody that were working, but there was not an official clerk technically, and I shouldn't say there was not a code, there was a clerk.

I I make it was here in the 1990s or whatever.

I knew, but actually represented in the city code, that as far as I can tell did not exist.

And that's actual charter provision.

So the charter was amended to include that.

So that 8.13 is a charter section.

It gives you charter official author.

Thank you.

So that's from 2002, though.

And the city was started in 91.

Well, the charter was actually in 89, I believe was the first year of the first elections were in 1990.

And uh they were at that point in time, there was a charter that was in effect at that point, and it was amended in 2002.

I believe it's the last amendments to the full charter.

I apologize, Mr.

Chair.

I was not shut out.

I apologize.

Councilman Henderson was a part of the restructure that took place during this time.

It began in the end of 2013.

It uh was completed at the end of 2004.

The uh first modern activation occurred at this time when the council formally appointed Sandra Freeman was the clerk.

I was deputy clerk at the time in 2013.

I became clerk in 2014.

Shortly afterwards, uh a City Y HR restructuring formally classified the roles in the office, including the clerk position and the two three other positions that were there at the time.

The shift to the office away from informal over sight towards standardized HR governance and established a contemporary foundation for our operations.

So saying that we were not a part of the HR structure uh as other employees were.

In fact, when I came in 2013, uh somebody uh mentioned, oh I think the clerk was because she was considering asking for a raise, and one of the employees who had been here for decades said we never had to go to HR for a race.

And I said, Well, how did you get a race?

He said, We just had the chairperson.

And you know, at the time I just brushed it off until just recently I found an old email from the uh I think it was 19 no, it might have been 2003 around that time, um, where the chairperson wrote HR and asked that the council employees be included in whatever bonus they were giving out that particular year because that did not happen.

Uh we were an office that was here.

Uh what that means, I have no idea legally how that was happening, but uh it's just that as far as my research, I have not been able to find how we were defined as far as our job descriptions, and I think that was one of the main things you were very hands-on about getting uh uh job descriptions for the positions in the office, uh 2014 through 2019.

This is um under my leadership.

Uh I began in 2014 as clerk to council um achievements and uh achievements under my leadership, hopefully over um offices achieved strong institutional standing over a decade.

I'm sorry, I um well I should talk about myself at this point.

I am 21 years with the city of Chattanooga.

I've been with this office for uh 13 years, yeah, yeah, about 13 years.

So um I'm dedicated to public service, and this is something that um hopefully the work that I produce for this office that you all see that you know that you understand um in the individual relationships that I have each have with each one of you is because I am fully invested in the city of Chattanooga and I try to help my employees feel the same way.

I want them to, I want them to stay here, and the ones who left me back there was both of them too.

Both yes, but um you know I tell everybody coming in, one of my first conversations is that you know, do what's best for you and your family.

You know, I love the city of Chattanooga and I want you to stay, and we have great benefits.

You know, that's what I always say to what's best for you and your family.

She did that, uh, went out into the world uh because I trained her so well.

Yeah, yes.

Let's get on.

Okay, this is the digital transition that we went through in 2020, 2021.

I consider that a horrible time.

It was hard for everybody, so I cannot pretend that my life was harder than anybody else's, but uh this is a time when we went into crisis response where we um began virtual council meetings where we had um and if you would see the note at the bottom, June 9th, 2020.

City council held a 7.5 hour virtual meeting.

It ended at off.

It was almost 1.38.

And certain people were here during that time.

That's wild.

I remember being usually chat.

I was chilling.

I was checking out.

Yes.

Yeah, it was it was a budget public hearing.

Mind you, we had um 146 people that spoke.

We had over 500 people and came in the first go round, and I think the system started shutting down because our account wasn't for it, you know, that involved uh participants.

And I think at some point there the technical difficulty wasn't, but we had to keep it at 500 just because the type of count that we have.

So it was it was it was an amazing memory.

I never want to go through that again.

Um you decided to start signing off at public comments.

Yes.

During that time is when we actually went the city, went to budgeting for outcomes.

Uh, the BFO process.

That was very, that was a difficult process.

That first year, my budget was returned to me by the team.

They said they gave me points, do better on this and that, and I did better.

So they did accept the budget, but that was very difficult for an office that does not have programs to explain how the outcomes we have for what we do.

And I was not uh explaining it well enough the first go round, and the team that was reviewing the budget was kind enough to send it back to me and say this is what we need.

Um stuff, but that was a very difficult time learning how to do a BFO for an office that does not have programs with uh initiatives outcome and other protocols you can see that uh maintain the central operational continuity.

Um we went through remote work schedules, even though we had executive orders, you know, telling us when we could come back to work.

I would have to come in and make appointments with the GIS division down in regional planning just to make a large format scan.

Oh, we have some maps that are half as big as the table, and I would make an appointment with the GIS specialist at regional planning in order to get those copies to uh um to um answer open records request because that did not stop.

Executive order did not stop.

You should have gotten in touch with our lobbyist or somebody about this.

No, the open records request did not stop during the pandemic, and I came in with my mask and gloves and did the work that had to be done to fulfill those requests.

We did not have any of them that were late, did not have any excuses, maps or anything for why we could not complete those requests that were coming.

Okay, I think I just went back to the same one, didn't it?

Okay, the institutional development.

This is 2014 through 2024.

Just to go through uh reflecting on a full decade of growth from that time period.

The team transformed the office into three in three major ways.

We expanded the operational workflows, uh administrative team, and the uh budget management.

We fully integrated the statutory duties of a modern HR um of modern HR structure, digital preservation tools.

We standardized the standard operating procedures, daily readiness, um, and the um I had the civil rights compliance we which included for instance the ADA and all of our complaints related to that to set clear predictable operational expectations during this time frame.

We ended the codification era 2024 through 2026 and of course beyond.

Uh when I say codification, I mean bringing the office into the city of Chattanooga first as a uh fully operational office of the clerk.

Um bringing us to the present day.

Um we have fully documented operational manuals, we have workstation manuals, we have a legislative operations manual.

We have uh codified our statutory guardrails, formalized um all of our uh ADA and other compliances, um, our title six duties.

I am the Title Six liaison for the department.

Um today, 2026, the office of the clerk to council stands as a fully mature, clear and accountable municipal institution, is what I would call it.

So the future begins from this point, 2026 through 2031.

Why am I saying a five-year plan?

Is because uh one of the main things within the next five years, we we've already begun working on this, but this office needs a secession plan.

Five years from now, I won't be the clerk.

If y'all are kind of if you're kind enough to have me until then, absolutely.

I am preparing for retirement within the next five years, and um I am I'm looking at five years out.

Um, but I know people do not talk publicly about these things, but I have to because I don't have the legally, I don't have the right to show up and say, here's my two weeks notice.

Um we had a clerk, and and I want to show you this, the heart of clerks.

We had our clerk in 2000 when I became clerk in 2014, the past clerk, her last day of work.

The one thing she did, she sent an email to everybody saying it's been great working with you.

The second email she sent was to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

She sent the rezoning notice for that next the council's meetings the next morning.

Oh she was walking out the door.

I had took her job sitting in her chair.

That was the last thing she the last act she did on half of this city, and that is the heart of clerks.

But as we're going out the door, I'm not leaving this office unmanned.

Amen.

I'm not leaving and hoping feeling his uh team can take over the duties.

Um, so I'm I'm I hate putting my future out like that, but I do want to prepare not only the council, I want to prepare my staff, and one of the things that I have not mentioned between 2026 and 2031, there's a thing called an election coming.

There's an election that's coming.

This council may look different before 2031.

I need to prepare my team for that.

It takes us several months to prepare for that.

I know Phil's office much longer because they're the ones who make contact with the election commission and ensure that the council has whatever ordinances and everything in place for the election.

That is a process.

It takes a lot out of my office, it takes a lot out of his office.

Um, it's a great process though.

Being on the inside, seeing how it works, it's a great process.

It's a great process working with the office of city attorney, working with the uh election commission, uh, the administrator.

It's it's a wonderful process that I look forward to, not people leaving the council.

I just look forward to the election.

The whole is just a different vibe at that time.

And so uh we're I'm trying now to prepare the office for that.

What we'll need to do, what we'll need to have in place.

For instance, we will need training for uh newly elected council persons.

I know that was a big issue this time around.

Things that worked, but a lot of things that failed.

So we're working now to try to ensure that those who are coming, the new council members that they will have a better experience than the ones who were before them.

So uh and and yes, yes, I don't try.

Yes, that uh so we have we have been working on uh documents, um somewhat of a roadmap on how to get them through the first whatever days.

Um it's a the process that I just look so forward to.

You know, I really do, and I know for all of you it's one of those bittersweet things because you're like, do I do I want to do it or not?

But if I do, go to the um, but the modernization vision.

Let me to summarize the operational posture.

July 21, 2026.

The office of the clerk to council stands as fully articulated, highly capable, highly capable governance division.

We are ready to execute the strategic plan to deliver the next generation of transparent public service to the people of Chattanooga.

I mentioned a strategic plan in your folders.

You should have a copy of the um the executive summary of it.

The actual plan is many more pages than this.

But some of the things that I plan to do within this next the next um five years.

Leadership development is a big part of it.

A lot of the leadership development requires um it requires uh not necessarily creating budget line items, but we do need funding for training, and uh now that we are moving into uh secession planning, we have I have to maintain my continuous state certification.

I am also working on my international certification, almost finished with that, but we also have someone else in the office who is very close to becoming a certified municipal clerk as well, and uh that yes, very close, she's very close.

So uh, and that's that is part of the success succession planning, ensuring that that you always have a clerk available, even though I'm in the role of clerk, the legal responsibility, the statutory duties of clerk, we have someone who can step into that role to complete those duties when if I leave.

Can you ask a question?

Uh I think this is amazing.

Um, you know, it's you you've given us like a five-year warning, so my heart is like right under the table right now.

I'm like, why would you put that on us on a Tuesday?

Um because I do in working with you, and I'll don't mean to interrupt this uh presentation.

I know that you are very meticulous, and we rest well at night knowing that this when we leave here, it is done correctly, and when I hear succession, I noticed that we there was a deputy clerk's position, and I guess my question to you would be when someone in our office becomes close to being certified.

Can we reclassify their position as the deputy clerk?

Uh, since it did exist, um, still same roles in the council support whatever stuff, but is that possible or something that you would consider in your strategic plan?

Um the council would fund that position to a deputy clerk's classification.

I think that would chair actually.

Probably uh yes, I I would rather the council tell me the same way you said we need a director of legislative affairs.

I would rather you all tell me that you need that position.

Gotcha.

I don't think in order to uh perform to step into the role of the clerk, for instance, if I go on a two-week vacation, those legal things need to be done.

I don't I don't think that person needs to be a deputy clerk in order to do that once they have a state certification.

Um, but yes, if the council is interested, is uh looking at a deputy clerk position, I would have no problem with that.

But that is something you would recommend as a part of a succession player.

I would not recommend a deputy clerk necessarily, just because I believe that person could in the past.

Um just from what I the research I did, I don't even know if we had a deputy clerk in the past.

We had assistant clerks, and they were part-time, but you were deputy.

I was a deputy, and I wanted to say I don't know if I was the only one, but I believe possibly I was.

Okay, yeah, I don't think that was um, I think that might have been the only time, and the reason why that was phased out is because of um when we did the job, we did desk audits and the job analysis.

Um the deputy clerk position was too close to the job description of the clerk, and so it's it's it just felt really redundant.

Gotcha.

And the and then I'm repeating things.

The council members were saying that when they discussed this during the restructuring.

Yes, but you are sure about it.

Oh, I think Council Anderson.

Well, your service so I follow up and Nicole hit on um 20 started for the end of 2013, 2014, reorganizing an office.

Part of the reason we reorganized because HR said deputy clerk was it near it with duplication related and part of that problem then was that it put the deputy clerk in a lower classification pay scale.

And we were trying to raise that position up.

So what we did was reorganized and separated the duties out.

So we had a distinction between clerk and administrative system.

So that actually put that position in our classification.

Which position?

The administrative council support special support special.

Thank you.

But it it separated and clearly made a distinction between the two so that we were able to raise that pay scale.

Yeah, I mean, I think you can finesse the language.

I mean, we have deputies all throughout our city departments.

I mean a deputy is what it is, right?

It's the number two who can even though it may be classified differently with a different job description, but the purpose of a deputy um is to have a secondary support that can do the job not doing the job there.

Well, I think what we could do is a success.

Yeah, cross-trust term.

Cross-train um all the positions that here so that sometimes we'll see crystal out there taking them.

Yeah, that's part of the cost training that we set up so that really any of the three could do that position.

Now, obviously, in order to have uh you need your clerk certification in order to um I guess be have legal ability to recruit and to follow all the time.

Execute certain uh statutory duties, yes.

Yeah, yeah.

And of course, if you have a if you have someone in that other office that now has their clerk certification, you in essence have a deputy clerk.

Right, yeah, in essence, yeah.

That was that was my point.

I mean, I don't think that's wrong with having deputies.

I mean, but just as I'm looking through these focus areas and the strategic succession plan sounds like now, is that I'm just curious.

I think because of the statutory specific duties of the clerk, that's not something you pick up overnight.

Um and it keeps us, it keeps our council within legal standing, even when we have to do like our utility trainings.

Um, and so I just I was just curious.

I I believe in growing the council staff.

I know some of my colleagues are conservative in that way.

Uh shouldn't I understand?

Um, but I believe that we do a lot of work on this side of the house, and that when we can grow the support, because you do so much, like Nicole does a lot, um, that sometimes support helps improve and enhance the job duties and so anyway.

That's just my two cents on that.

Sorry, Nicole.

I know if you got some more slides.

Oh no, no, I'm I'm finished.

I do want to close.

Um, every initiative in this modernization plan is anchored by the core values of integrity, transparency, accessibility, continuous improvement, community stewardship, and I just thank you for um your leadership, your leadership of me individually, uh new chairpersons, uh always.

I look forward to new chairpersons each year because that's when if you don't know me, that's when you'll get to know me.

I told you that today.

I'm sorry, you gotta get to know me.

Um so um that that's an opportunity for me, but I I really appreciate the continued leadership of this council.

I appreciate the uh process you went through with the new employee that's coming, the director of legislative affairs.

Um I look forward to working with that individual.

Um I've already got their workstation manual written up, and they will have to tell me from that point what they do, but uh I'm I'm ready for them.

Um and I thank you for this opportunity to address you.

I do want to, and one of the main reasons why I I gave the executive summary initially to the chairman is because I told him that uh we have an identity crisis.

People think we are an administrative office because the sign outside the door says administrative office basically, and because as I told you, the history of the clerk, the clerk didn't exist technically, not even in the HR structure.

So there's an identity crisis where people think we are basically secretaries, um and we do those things that a secretary would do.

I have great um I I know many secretaries, many executive assistants, even and uh their work is um amazing.

Very diverse work.

What we do as what I do as a clerk is very monotonous, is the same thing every day, same way, and I love it.

I I get excited about that doing the same thing over and over again.

Um but um I I felt like there's an identity crisis where because people say it just had me people, there's a disrespect.

There's a great disrespect for my authority as the manager of the office.

There's uh and and this is part, it's an identity crisis.

No one in the city of Chattanooga can blame anybody except for me if I have not established the identity enough, but I need the backing of the council.

The one thing I am asking is they give me a formal name for this office.

I'm asking that we be recognized as a formal division.

I am not stepping into the mayor's territory, he's the one who creates departments.

I'm not asking that.

I'm asking this council to recognize what the office of clerk to council has been doing since I've been clerk.

I'm asking you to recognize it officially that we become a division of the city council.

We are not I am not asking for a budget, a cost center.

I am not asking for a title.

I'm not asking for anyone to call me administrator.

I am clerk to council.

I'm very proud of that title.

What I am asking for is that I need that title for the authority, even if it's just the prestige, I need it.

I'm asking for it.

And I have written up a resolution here.

I sent this to the attorney, such short notice that he has not had time to go through it, probably.

But uh I did send it to the attorney.

I have spoken to the chairman about this resolution.

Um, it's just basically saying that we will be known as a division of the city council, the office of clerk to council.

I want you all to when you see that at the top of my letter head that no one questions what does that mean.

We'll have a resolution explaining it.

Mr.

Chairman.

Yeah.

Is that on the call?

Yes.

Okay.

Um, so I know we have I saw first uh Vice Chair Elliott and then Councilman Henderson and Councilwoman Donner.

I'm good.

Oh, you're good.

Okay, she answered my question.

Okay, okay.

Uh Councilman Henderson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I can certainly support this, be happy to sponsor it.

I I'm gonna ask the um chair if he'll go ahead and put it on the agenda.

Um of the things that I remember 13 years ago or whatever it was, um, there were seven seven new council members coming into this office with a new clerk that had been here for 20 years prior, sure, had decided to retire at the end of that previous council's term.

So we were literally all the blind leading the blind, and uh I mean it to me it became obvious that we need to we needed to do some restructuring, and when we restructured, we decided to put it out uh for hire.

Uh and and we got several candidates.

The lady that was serving as the clerk at the time applied, and there were several others that applied, but but Nicole, I'll tell you, Nicole stood out head and shoulders above everybody else.

I mean, she and from the time that we hired her and placed her in that position, she took control of that office, she organized, she made sure that we had the things that we needed as a council.

Uh all I can tell, I I don't know if it was almost like you had been doing that job for 20 years, like you started you started day one with experience that I don't think anybody else had or could have had.

Uh and I've seen the job that you've done over the years, and the way that you've kept the records, you know, we've we have we've done an audit on ourselves, uh come back with Lord Reports.

Um you have you have really been the face of that office, and and and I remember one of the things, one of the first things that you asked me uh whenever we hired you is um or when we were interviewing, we were interviewing for several other positions, and and I don't know if you remember this or not.

And and I remember one of the things, one of the first things that you asked me uh whenever we hired you is um or when we were interviewing, we were interviewing for several other positions, and and I don't know if you remember this or not.

If you said uh uh let me let me get in the clerk's office and be established before we begin hiring anybody else.

And and that really I think worked out well.

I I mean, like I said, you came in knowing how to do this job, and it has shown down through the years, you've done a great job, and and I certainly, if this if this helps you and this is what you need, then I'm more than willing to like it, have help make it happen.

Here councilwoman Dotley.

Yeah, uh, thank you so much, Mr.

Chair, and I echo the sentiments of uh councilman Henderson.

You do a great job, especially for newcomers coming in.

Well no, anything.

So I appreciate you and the work that you've done, and I I do support this wholeheartedly.

I had a question about uh I think Councilman Henderson mentioned audited, and I know thinking I was Shin Chair, I think it was an audit, and we had talked about some of these things.

So did some of these things come out of that audit, or um how did you how did you kind of come to this?

I guess for me, like I just you gave a backstory of the clerk, and even coming now, realizing it's not a division, it's like we should have probably already did that.

Uh, but kind of how did you come to did it come, did some of that come out of the audit that was done?

Because I think I remember Councilwoman Hill asking when the audit was done, you you asked what's next, like what do we do?

Do we audit ourselves after this?

Do we who keeps track of these things?

Um, so I guess from that, and that was three years ago or so or something.

We're after we audited that again, right?

Yes.

So what happens, and how does that track or what what what happens there?

Yes, we were audited uh for the first time in 2019.

Um there were I think maybe two things that were called out, and they weren't um they weren't negative at all.

They just said you need workstation manuals.

That's something we did not have.

We had documents spread all over the place, how to do things because they say you need workstation manual.

So we completed that.

Uh there were some other um, I think it might have been one or two other things that were called out, and we've we had a post-audit, and we successfully completed the things that were recommended in 2019.

We had the next audit in 2024.

Um I can't remember if there was any.

I I'm really not sure there was anything major that came out of that um as far as things that we needed to correct.

I I don't even remember the details on it, but from that point on, I believe we will probably be on possibly a three-year um audit schedule.

So I am anticipating an audit uh in 2027.

Um and I it might be in the document on that document.

It may be in the full um strategic plan document.

But um, yes, the information in the executive summary that you have, other than the fact that we are moving, we now have the workstation manuals.

We have advanced to um the standard operating procedure.

We have that document now, and we also have the legislative operations manual, and that particular manual is going to be the most important with the new employee that's coming.

You have an employee that's uh GS17, that's a higher rank than the manager of the office.

This person needs to know that word direct in their title, what does that mean?

Now the job description says it's very clear what their position is as far as the office, but um the legislative operations manual is our I call our no-fly zone document.

I'm not getting any of your legislative affairs, your community affairs, your constituent affairs, you're not getting into my statutory duties type document.

Okay, and that way the administrative support office will be able to have a document they can go to and say, now who do I go to for this?

And um, and I'm I'm glad I mentioned that because one of the things that I talked to the chairman about when I met with him in April was that um I felt that the clerk, the office of clerks to council is the foundation of these.

We have the legislative body, we have the legislative branch.

I feel that the clerk position is the foundation of all of that.

It's the one position that is it is an appointed position.

My job description still says an appointed position.

Um it is one that does not change with elections, it does not change with the uh uh mayoral um term.

So I feel that the office clerk to council is your foundation.

Not the most important.

I'm not saying that, but it's the foundation, the thing that stays that remains steady, the continuity of government that is needed.

I feel that, and the reason why I was asking for the resolution that uh with a new director of legislative affairs coming.

I feel you're looking towards different divisions in the council, the office.

You're looking for that legislative, that policy research component, that uh whatever the constituent community affairs component, you're looking for those different divisions.

Those will come, but they cannot come until your basis uh correctly.

The foundation has been wobbly because it hasn't been recognized in the right way.

It hasn't been established in the right way.

That's what this resolution is trying to do.

And that's what all these documents, the legislative operations manual, the workstation manuals, the uh standard operating person, all of that is to give the foundation a really firm base.

You can bring up that division, your legislative affairs division.

You can stand on our backs.

That's what the clerk is here for.

For these people to come into the office and stand on our backs.

Well, you know, I'm talking, it may be five, ten years out when you bring in the next employee.

I don't know.

If you're bringing in AIDS, things of that nature, you know, we're we're we're not as big as an Atlanta, so you won't have you know 30 employees, but I'm just saying I do not believe you will have success with other employees, other divisions, until you get the base right.

And that is the officer clerk to council.

Thank you so much, I appreciate that.

And then my last one is I know that you are a state certified municipal clerk, almost an international clerk.

Okay.

Um, but could you tell us what other certifications you have or what other organizations?

You're like the secretary of yes, I am the secretary for the Tennessee Association of Municipal Clerks and Recorders.

Call it TamCar.

I have been the secretary for I I went in and filled the an unexpired term, and then I was elected to two consecutive terms.

So I I'm termed out.

Um turned out.

So yes, I will leave that position in uh September is when I we have our annual meeting.

But um, yes, I have been the secretary for TAMCAR, and I it's one of my honors, one of my joys.

I am also the chair of the communications committee.

Whenever you look at the TAMCAR website and see a newsletter, that I did it.

So that's me.

So um yes, uh, when you look at TamCar's Facebook and Instagram page, those things, and um my committee is responsible for all of that.

Um I am and just to brag a little bit, I am about to participate in the and this is something you're I think both of you may be aware.

Last year I I was invited to the uh local government leadership program.

Uh UTE NAFA, I think that's the uh organization that does this.

And I was not able to attend that because we had uh flash flooding, and I was afraid to travel.

And so, and it just so happened we became the Office of Clark Council became one of the intake organizations for uh FEMA.

We were taking applications, and I can thank you for that because we I woke up and I was like, oh, I'm doing this.

So yes, that that was a very good, that was a wonderful experience.

Um so um, but I am going to participate in that again because I didn't have an opportunity last time.

They invited me again uh to participate this year.

So I'm happy with it.

Well, congratulations, Nicole, and thank you for all the hard work that you do.

We appreciate you so much.

And that is it, Mr.

Chairman.

Okay, Councilwoman Noel and Councilwoman Hill.

Okay, thank you.

You know, I appreciate you a thousand and one percent.

Um, you and Karen, Karen is over there when I first was appointed and then elected, you all held my hand and you walked me through a lot of different um scenarios and situations that was really, really good.

I have always advocated, even not so far in uh uh well, had been that long in the past that you know the question was brought up as to what's the job description or what do you all do?

And can we you should be able to do this, add this to you, add that to you, which I have never ever felt that that was anything that needed to be done.

Uh you do an amazing job.

Very efficient, the all of y'all do here, and adding on to you does not.

I mean, I don't know what that was about to maybe um establish what you're being paid, but you know, I've always advocated, don't put no extra work, give them extra money.

That's what they need.

So uh I'm a hundred percent on board with you with this, and uh I appreciate you on you.

I mean, you react on drop of a dime.

I can call, boom, and it's just like that with no problem at all.

But I I try not to tax you so much.

Um, when I can do it myself, I do it, but sometimes I do need your expertise, and maybe to even check something for me.

But I appreciate you and just never know what you did and the work that you have done has never been a question in my mind that you could not and should not, and still right to this day, Kevin needs an increase in pay.

Thank you.

Councilwoman.

Um Nicole, I want to thank you for the strategic plan executive summary.

I've been excited to read it and in studying it.

There's a lot here that I do see is gonna modernize our office.

I mean, you talked about the foundation, and you and I try to, you know, my deep respects for for how you do what you do.

Um, and it shows with this document.

And so I I don't want it to be 12 years before we all sit down at his table again.

Um, I think it's important for council to know the work that you're working on, and especially as we're moving into additional technology, um, I anticipate there may be some budget apps related to that because of the MOU you're looking at with DTS.

Um, but the digitizing of those, it seems like there's always something being digitized, but also um the standardization of the legislative document templates.

Um I thought it was a really useful thing.

The legislative uh the library finalized the way that you're planning the public to be able to get to those records themselves is a really smart move.

Um and I think will will be a win for everybody.

Yes.

Um, because how many times has somebody won that ordinance that was passed in Hawaii, right?

Um and if they'd be able to get it themselves, that that would be terrific.

Um the the other thing I wanted to just comment on was um the council member orientation packet.

Um when something that I appreciate about you as a leader is this way that you walk this fine line between um running a steady office while also dealing with elected leaders, all of whom are individually elected and and have no boss, right?

Um and the I I think that some of our institutional hesitation about having some type of council orientation is speaking to that.

You're like, I'm not your boss, but but you know how things run well, and as we and and we know what has worked well, right?

So this um looks like we're headed in a cool direction with some of the information in here and how how different things work, and I'm excited to see how that evolves and how to help as as you need counsel input.

So thanks so much.

And I neglected to tell you all about this.

Council 101.

This is uh um, it's almost a civic education program that uh I came up with because we have people who will call us on the phone and they say, Where do I go to pay my taxes?

Then we'll tell them where and and give them the phone number directions, and they'll say, Well, what do you do?

And then we'll tell them, Well, this is the officer clerk, and we'll go through what we do, and then they'll start asking more questions.

So um Crystal was very helpful with this because she's the person who answers the phone from the public most of the time.

Uh, and she gets calls all the time.

People will call for one thing, and then they'll go into, well, well, what do you do?

And what is that?

And then what happened last night?

Explain that to me.

So that's what council 101 is about.

I've been doing a soft launch on the landing with this.

But uh where I explain different things.

Uh that I take those questions that Crystal is giving me, and I just explained them.

I explain um, I think the last one I did, I was explaining the administrative law judge, that whole process of notice of appeals.

Um, and it wasn't about the appeal process, that's the HR function, but it was about um, and I shouldn't say that, the appeals come to me.

So I spoke on that part, and that's just something I've been doing just then, like I said, a soft launch just to see if I can get more questions, what what people need to know about the office, what we do.

Um the things that people don't know about, uh, I think one of the I did a post about um ordinances, the difference between the ordinances and the resolutions, and just that type of education.

And so that's what that is.

This is about this is something that if I choose to go to, I know I'm invited to high school sometimes to uh they have um different fairs, job fairs or uh fairs where you know you're teaching students about different professions, and I wish I had this back then, but this is something I can take with me with when I am going uh into uh community settings, yes.

And that one uh this is I actually created this comparing the clerk uh position to Lieutenant Wahura from Star Trek.

That's what they had to mean.

Yes, yeah, I saw this.

I saw your connection.

So I love that you kind of councilwoman.

Yes, sir.

Okay, we have councilman Harvey and Councilman Clark.

Yeah, uh, thanks, Nicole.

Uh, you are the epitome of professionalism, as is your staff.

Um, so thank you.

Um it's been just a great experience for me since I've been on the council just a little over a year, so thank you.

I don't know if this needs a second to get on the agenda, but I second and support it wholeheartedly.

So thank you for what you do.

Yeah, I just have technical question.

I first of all I support this.

I think anything that we can do to raise the prestige of the office, um, because I think it's I I think it's worthy of that.

I think of what you do and the foundation.

But I do have some technical questions as it relates to the charter and the resolution language.

Maybe this is a question for Phil.

Um, are we allowed to introduce resolution language that's not in the charter when it comes to the supervision of authority?

Because it's outlined in there is my first question, and maybe that's a research item.

Yeah, I'll be glad to look at it.

I was looking as we were speaking, okay.

I was speaking to 8.10, uh, which is the quorum and majority section of the charter, and then uh 8.13, which talks about committees and clerks as well.

And uh clearly the authority, uh at least uh regarding committees and clerks, is that the clerk is responsible and it's her duty to preserve and retain all the records of the council and to certify the correctness of such records when necessary or requested by a citizen.

So that's a uh I guess the charter requirement here in the code that uh that you can't get away from.

We are clearly in an electronic world, which is dramatically different than 2002 when the last amendments were made to the charter.

But any changes to the charter will also have to come in by uh charter amendment, but a resolution here just certifying that you have an office.

I think that's already established in the code that there is a there is an office.

By the charter establishing the position itself, that in itself is the establishment of the office of the clerk.

Is that correct?

It could be, but it doesn't hurt to have it doesn't hurt to back this up.

Okay, is this in the code?

Maybe you know this, but is this uh similar to what other municipalities have done?

Like for instance, we have the off we have the city court clerk, Anthony Byrd, and I that would be the office of the city court clerk, like that is an office, so that's kind of this would be a replica of that that they established at the judicial branch, but we have not established that at the legislative branch, correct?

Or like would you would you say that his office that that he is an established office of the city court clerk of the judicial branch?

He's actually an employee of the mayor.

Gotcha.

Okay.

So he's an employee of the mayor, but the judicial branch is separate from the executive branch.

Okay, because of the collection of funds for the city to keep the city operating.

Okay.

And that leads to my last question.

And and this is, you know, you're one of your, I think you I love this type of work when it comes to like different language and policy stuff, because it references city council as a department, as if we are the use of the word department means that we are an auxiliary of and city council is not.

So we have the executive branch, the legislative branch, which we are, and then you have the judicial branch.

So it's the three branches of government, not a department.

And so my question, and this is just a technicality field, but as with us being listed as a city council department, which I don't think we're a department or an auxiliary of you, I would like you know, maybe for that to be considered for some language change, but as the legislative branch and establishing a division of the legislative branch of the clerk's office, would does that open the door to create other offices?

Because there's a a distinction.

I think you mentioned this part of this is in the sec the third whereas is whereas the responsibilities of the clerk to the council have evolved to require a highly specialized operational identity distinct from the general municipal administration.

So we there's the clerk portion, which is the legislative indexing, the record keeping, but we still have the administrative functions that we use to support us as council with legislative stuff.

So with this, if we're establishing an office for the office of the clerk, does this open up the door to establish other offices within the city council legislative branch, or is that kind of how the language reads or what's your opinion?

It just specifically talks about the clerk position here in the charter.

It was broader than that under 8.15, but those provisions were repealed in 2016 and were approved by the City of Electron.

So that you did have a position at that point talked about management analysts here in our office that was removed and was posted on that would be and I do also want to know in the first stanza when it referenced a strong mayor council form of government.

That language is not in our city charter.

So I just want to reference that.

But I support this.

I think this is great.

The other last but not least, where I want to mention, I think this could be the opportunity to really talk about count the pay for this office.

I know other council members have brought it up, but I have in the past raised concern about what the pay is for the office in general for the support staff and the clerk, and there has been no movement on that.

And so I think this will be an opportunity for us to discuss that.

And I'll be honest with you, I like I support this, but I want to support this and the rest establishing the rest of the foundation for this office.

And I have been on the record several times, and saying I believe that the pay for our council administrative staff and our council support staff is low, but we use the HR governing system for this office.

But I'd be curious to see what that HR governance looks like as we establish this office, and to if that would be something you would be considered, but that's something I would like to help champion uh in support of this resolution.

So Vice Chair Elliott and then councilwoman doctor.

I'm a brief, this is great.

Got my support all day every day.

I want to give kudos to feel I never again cease to be amazed how you can just ramble off sections that uh scratched away, or this is created, like with no hesitation.

So who knows about y'all, but I thought that was in the electronic world.

Oh, okay.

She should just keep it.

I thought you just had that in your head.

Uh lived through a lot of it.

Yeah, I know you probably wrote a lot of it too.

So all right, but this is great, Nicole.

Thank you.

Okay.

Okay.

Councilwoman.

Yeah, I guess I had a question kind of leaning into what councilman Clark was mentioning about City Council listed as a department, which then lends itself to the division language.

So I think uh that's a valid point in that if shifted the right way, you will be considered an administrator, which would then change the pay.

No, you don't want the titles administrator, doesn't mean that that doesn't apply to the department.

So I guess in essence, I guess we just have to figure out some language in that because right now technically chairman is our administrator, and he's the chair's administrator.

Uh so just looking at that and maybe working kind of with me and seeing how does that language shift in that in that way, so that it the then the pay alliance differently.

Uh so that's my only comment, I guess, moving forward.

Is this how to what does the language look like based on the charter?

And based on because I went to section 8.13 since you brought her up.

Uh and so I think I was a lawyer in my pay as like legislative branch of government.

Is that worse?

The legislative branch of government, okay.

The legislative branch of government, and then we have that that role.

I don't know.

I I just getting a little bit too much for me.

But uh just wanted to kind of lean into what councilman Clark mentioned because that's valid point in that in that sense, especially when we're looking at okay, right.

Yeah, and then I think then that moves to the adjustment of those faces.

So yeah, so thank you, Council Clark for that.

And that's it.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Thank you for yield.

Okay.

Council, any other questions.

The charter, I believe the only thing the charter states is that is that a the council will hire clerk, yeah.

And it gives the responsibilities for the clerk there as well.

Yeah, but I mean it it gives responsibilities, but it just says council will hire clerk, it doesn't say what the responsibility how to set up that division.

I mean, we're just we're just establishing, I think.

You're establishing things that are showing people if they have questions about what y'all have done, they actually get copies of it, and that certification is dramatically enforced in that regard, yeah, because that's the official records of what y'all have done, either by resolution or by ordinance here in this box.

But I but I do agree with changing the uh from department to legislative legislative branch.

I'll do that and any other changes all have so maybe the thing to do uh because we certainly want to get this right, and um it's important to do that.

So um, if everybody just wants to give a real good close look at the language of the resolution over the next week.

Um, and if you have any I stick it in the fold and electronic copy of it, if you have any proposed uh edits to get those to fill, um and let him sure council.

I'm so sorry, uh Chairman Davis.

I hate to do this, but Mandy is in a room.

Uh as it becomes to HR, because I think this is important that while we're establishing authority, um maybe this could be another clause in here because I'm real finicky about our distinction between the legislative and the executive branch.

You are yes, I am sure what I mean.

Um, but because I believe that although we function through our payroll system, I do believe that your authority is based in the legislative branch, but yet we are tied to their GIG what it would that system that I'm fanning, yes, right.

Whatever uh Mandy, my question to you, because I think in in transition authority to our office administrator of the clerk to the council, once it's established, can we establish our own HR pay scale that's separate?

And everybody's gonna like and then Mandy goes, I mean my point is that I would I'm trying to figure out how to ask this more directly.

I think I've answered your question.

I just mentioned this to Phil.

So when we're looking at administrators, they're in an NPAP, which is basically an operated appointed person.

So you would be turning your clerk's positions and support staff into appointed positions because when they're appointed, you can turn in your own salary.

So you don't have to use the grading system with the assistant.

So when we so we determine Nicole's salary because she's appointed.

If you decide to go this way, you would be able to do that.

What way someone this way the resolution currently she would be under civil service employment?

Then you would be changing her position to an appointed position, so she would be serving questions.

But her position is appointed currently.

Oh, it's not.

I don't think you're at the AP, you're I think you have a GS, don't you?

No, the Ghislayer.

Oh, I thought I thought her position was appointed.

I think under the legal definition, though she does serve at the will of the council.

She serves the will of the council, but she's considered in the HR system as a civil service employee.

So she would go on the GSL.

If you change her to an appointed employee, then council chair, whoever it is, would determine the salary based upon whatever you all agree.

Appointed salaries can be set, whatever appointed salary set up, just like upstairs.

Then would the clerk and other positions lose those benefits that come along with being a civil service employees?

She already doesn't have none because she serves at the local council.

Oh so right now, like what civil service, what what that does for you is it provides a due process, which means that if something happens, you can't just terminate like like the mayor today can terminate me because he doesn't like my outfit.

That's his right to do, right?

So that's what an appointed position can do.

But y'all already have that right if you're unhappy with what she does, you can still okay.

If you're unhappy with what she does, you can still but our civil service have a due process, which means they have a ladder mail hearing, so they go through a process to defend themselves and say good stuff that isn't so bad.

And I can say why were today and whatever else, and so that's and that's a terrible example.

I'm just giving you examples of what's cute.

She kind of already follows along with that, so it doesn't really matter.

Okay.

So that's why I just said a fill before you asked that question.

We should just turn them into appointed positions.

Okay.

I'd like to get more uh your opinion on that before we I'd like for that to be added into this resolution, but after we have had some conferences with Nicole on that, because I would like for us to retain more authority and what they get paid.

That's what I mean.

That's where we were before we restructured and put y'all under the pay scale.

It was similar to that.

I could not find a resolution appointing the past clerks.

That was the only thing.

But I mean, it was essentially that you know that that the staff was operating outside of the HR system.

So let me just clear it, because I heard you say that you were appointed, correct?

My job description says appointed.

Uh there is a resolution that was done when I was deputy clerk as well as when I became clerk.

It does not contain the word appoint, but my job description still does.

Okay, but in our charter, it does not use the word that the clerk is appointed.

Is that correct?

Did not use that word specifically.

It is a person that is in this position.

Okay, so for the record, Mandy, if we chose to convert this position to an official appointment position, that gives us more authority to move to scale.

And just so you know, I've already asked HR to perform on a hop setting just for your formation.

May not look the way you want it to, but we'll do a comp of what our cops will currently have, so I know you guys are talking about comps, and I don't want to change those, but we'll get you just sort of a baseline of what it looks like.

But you don't have to use that, that's just for knowledge.

Gotcha, understood.

But the appointment, yes, gives you 100% flexibility to determine salaries.

Yeah, I'm interested in including that language in the resolution, Mr.

Chair.

I'll try to put that in a version of section two and send it back to you.

But uh Nicole, if you like, if you could individually if you have an opinion on that, if you don't mind uh sharing that with us, maybe like an opinion statement that you can email to each council person.

I'd like to I like to understand your perspective and opinion on that, those because it directly impacts you.

Uh but if you could if you don't mind sending maybe your opinion, like a opinion op ed or something.

I don't know.

Like your opinion.

So it and I don't think that violates any of our rules as far as deliberation.

She's our council clerk.

No, not as long as any decisions made in public meeting on this road.

But educationally, she can send us her opinion about that move, correct?

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

Thanks so much.

All right, I'm done, Jeff.

That's it.

I don't think she does.

Okay, I'll give you it.

All right.

So council, we'll um again work out kind of the letter of the law, but I think we all agree the spirit of the law, and we all support your and look forward to adopting it just as soon as we iron out those those details.

Um, and just Nicole to echo everything everybody has said, uh, certainly highly value what you do.

Um I I did before, but in this role, I I certainly do have a greater appreciation.

Um and I remember probably you may not remember this.

Has been probably seven or eight years ago when I was leading a Boy Scout troop, and we um wanted to come and lead the Pledge of Allegiance as one of their requirements, and called office and and you answered, and um, and and that's not something I'm sure that's in your job description, but um you were very helpful that met us outside and welcomed us and showed us where to go, and and that's just the sort of character and quality of work I think that we want in this office, and that we we all see on a on a daily basis.

So I'm glad that you had this opportunity to share with us today.

Um and thank you very much for uh in particular all those policies and procedures that you mentioned.

That's very important.

Um you know, much in the same way that a court speaks through its orders.

Uh legislative branch speaks through its resolutions and ordinances and minutes.

Um and as you know, I go through those minutes every week and fine tooth comb and they're always uh impeccable, and so there's not there's not a whole lot of changes need to be made.

Um and again, that just speaks to the quality of work that you do.

Uh so thank you, and we look forward to to moving into the future with you.

I'll I'll admit all the Star Trek references went right over my head.

I'm wearing my Star Trek dress.

There you go.

Oh yes I actually I was like I had two of them I was I was so excited to get into Nicole's presentation I forgot to ask for a motion on the minutes for our last meeting all right the minutes will stand as published and we will be adjourned until 15 minutes.