MINUTES

SERVICE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

June 25, 1997 -- Second Meeting of the 1997-1998 Biennium

MEMBERS PRESENT

MEETING IN BRIEF

Minutes prepared by Ed Cook, Legal Counsel
Organizational staffing by Diane Bolender, Director

1. Procedural Business.
2. Personnel Reports.
3. Legislative Computer Support Bureau - Mission Statement.
4. Americans With Disabilities Act Complaint.
5. Internet Access.
6. IowAccess Steering Committee.
7. Personnel Guidelines for the Central Legislative Staff Agencies.
8. Written Materials Filed With the Legislative Service Bureau.

COMMITTEE BUSINESS

1. Procedural Business.

Call to order. The Service Committee of the Legislative Council was called to order by Chairperson Representative Brent Siegrist at 11:41 a.m., Wednesday, June 25, 1997, in Room 24, State Capitol, Des Moines, Iowa.

The Service Committee approved the minutes of the May 21, 1997, meeting of the Committee.

Adjournment. The Service Committee adjourned at 12:19 p.m.

2. Personnel Reports.

a. Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The Service Committee received and filed the June 1997 and the annual personnel report from Dennis Prouty, Director of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

b. Legislative Service Bureau. The Service Committee received and filed the June 1997 and the annual personnel report from Diane Bolender, Director of the Legislative Service Bureau, and recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that the following employees be promoted:

• Mr. Gary Rudicil, from Computer Systems Analyst 3, grade 32, step 6, to Senior Computer Systems Analyst, grade 35, step 4, effective June 1997.
• Mr. Roger Karns, from Document Processor 1, grade 16, step 2, to Document Processor 2, grade 19, step 1, effective August 1997.
• Ms. Gina Garrett, from Proofreader 1, grade 16, step 3, to Proofreader 2, grade 19, step 2, effective June 1997.
• Mr. Danny Degen, from Proofreader 1, grade 16, step 5, to Proofreader 2, grade 19, step 3, effective June 1997.
• Ms. Betty Snuggs, from Document Processor 2, grade 19, step 6, to Senior Document Processor, grade 22, step 5, effective June 1997.
• Ms. Katharine Olah, from Proofreader 1, grade 16, step 3, to Proofreader 2, grade 19, step 1, effective June 1997.
• Ms. Betty Shea, from Proofreader 1, grade 16, step 3, to Proofreader 2, grade 19, step 1, effective June 1997.

The Service Committee also recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that Ms. Cindy Lewis, Proofreader 1, be reassigned from a temporary to a full-time, year-round position effective June 1997.
The Service Committee and Ms. Bolender agreed to defer action concerning the proposal that the Capitol Tour Guide job series be changed by creating a new position, Senior Capitol Tour Guide, and by increasing the pay grade for Capitol Tour Guide Supervisor. Ms. Bolender indicated that additional information concerning the proposal and the duties of the tour guides would be presented to the Service Committee for consideration at its next meeting.

c. Legislative Computer Support Bureau. The Service Committee received and filed the June 1997 and the annual personnel report from Sanford Scharf, Director of the Legislative Computer Support Bureau, and recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that the following employees be promoted:

• Mr. Bryan Boyd, from Computer Systems Engineer II, grade 32, step 3, to Division Administrator I, grade 35, step 2, effective June 1997.
• Mr. Roel Campos, from Computer Systems Analyst III, grade 32, step 3, to Senior Computer Systems Analyst, grade 35, step 2, effective June 1997.
• Ms. Cheryl Ritter, from Computer Systems Analyst II, grade 29, step 6, to Computer Systems Analyst III, grade 32, step 5, effective June 1997.

d. Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman. The Service Committee received and filed the June 1997 and the annual personnel report from William Angrick of the Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman.

e. Promotion Policy. Senator Gronstal informed the Committee that the Senate Rules and Administration Committee had recently approved a proposal to limit pay increases for certain Senate employees to one step per year. Senator Iverson also indicated support for such a policy.

3. Legislative Computer Support Bureau - Mission Statement.

The Service Committee received and filed the following proposed mission statement for the Legislative Computer Support Bureau and, upon motion and unanimous vote, recommended it be approved by the Legislative Council:

The Legislative Computer Support Bureau supports the Iowa General Assembly and operates under the direction and control of the Iowa Legislative Council. The mission of the Legislative Computer Support Bureau is to provide information technology support and services in an efficient, effective and reliable way to Legislators, Legislative Staff, and Central Staff Agencies in a non-partisan manner. The Legislative Computer Support Bureau should guide the Iowa Legislature through new emerging information technologies and recommend technology standards for the Legislature to implement and follow.

Mr. Scharf also agreed to inform legislators by letter of upcoming computer use training opportunities.

4. Americans With Disabilities Act Complaint.

In 1996, a complaint was filed with the United States Department of Justice alleging possible violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act as it relates to accessibility to legislative facilities and activities. Mr. Grant Dugdale, Assistant Attorney General, responded to the complaint. In January 1997, the U.S. Department of Justice investigator indicated the need for additional clarification on three issues, two of which dealt with accessibility to legislative floor debate. Upon review by the Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the House, and representatives of the Legislative Service Bureau and the Legislative Fiscal Bureau and Mr. Dugdale, it was recommended that the final sentence of the physical access portion of the policy for accessibility for persons with disabilities, adopted by the Legislative Council on June 15, 1994, be amended to read as follows:

Pursuant to rules adopted by the Senate and the House of Representatives, access to the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives chambers shall be allowed during debate of interest to persons with physical disabilities, including such persons who are registered lobbyists, if those persons are unable to access the galleries.

The Service Committee received and filed the proposed response to the U.S. Department of Justice's Americans With Disabilities Act complaint. Members of the Committee expressed concern about allowing access to the floor of the House and Senate to disabled lobbyists and about legislator-lobbyist communication on the floor, and expressed hope that the remodeling of the State Capitol may present an opportunity to address this issue in another manner. The Service Committee recommended, upon motion and unanimous vote, that the policy for accessibility for persons with disabilities be amended as recommended and that this policy change be referred to the Rules and Administration Committee of the Senate and the Administration and Rules Committee of the House for appropriate action.

5. Internet Access.

Senator Gronstal expressed concern about the inability of legislators to access the Internet while conducting legislative business at home. Mr. Scharf, Director of the Legislative Computer Support Bureau, indicated that allowing Internet access through the State Capitol computer system mighty be costly since dialing the system in Des Moines to obtain access would be a long distance call for many legislators. Representative Siegrist requested that Mr. Scharf look at various options concerning access to the Internet by legislators and to report to the Service Committee at its next meeting. The Committee agreed.

6. IowAccess Steering Committee.

The Service Committee approved the request of Mr. Scharf to be a member of the IowAccess steering committee. IowAccess is an initiative to provide citizens with a single electronic gateway to a wide variety of government services and information.

7. Personnel Guidelines for the Central Legislative Staff Agencies.

The Service Committee agreed to meet in the future concerning proposed changes to personnel guidelines for the central legislative staff agencies.

8. Written Materials Filed With the Legislative Service Bureau.

a. June 1997 and annual personnel report from the Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

b. June 1997 and annual personnel report from the Legislative Service Bureau.

c. June 1997 and annual personnel report from the Legislative Computer Support Bureau.

d. June 1997 and annual personnel report from the Office of Citizens' Aide/Ombudsman.

e. June 1997 memorandum concerning accessibility for persons with disabilities. (Includes recommended change to the final sentence of the physical access portion of the policy for accessibility for persons with disabilities, adopted by the Legislative Council on June 15, 1994.)

f. June 1997 memorandum containing the proposed mission statement of the Legislative Computer Support Bureau.

OTHER INFORMATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE:

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