08/01/2023

Meeting Minutes for:
Elections and Personnel Committee Meeting
Yuma International Airport, Conference Room
Tuesday, August 01, 2023 at 02:02 PM

    Call to Order:
    The Yuma County Airport Authority, Inc. (YCAA) Elections and Personnel Committee Meeting of the Board of Directors was called to order at 2:02PM on August 1, 2023, in the Yuma International Airport Conference Room, 2191 E. 32nd Street, Suite 218, Yuma, Arizona 85365. The Presiding officer was Reetika Dhawan, Committee Chairwoman.

    YCAA ELECTIONS AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT WERE:
    Reetika Dhawan, Chairwoman & YCAA Director
    Dean Hager, 1st Vice President (joined the meeting at 2:22PM)
    William Fox, Director

    YCAA ELECTIONS AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT WERE:
    None

    ALSO PRESENT WERE:
    Bill Craft, President
    Ken Scott, Director
    Gladys Brown, Airport Director
    Gabby Reyes, Finance and HR Manager

    CALL TO THE PUBLIC
    There were no Public Comments.

    REGULAR AGENDA

    1) Discussion regarding the performance evaluation of the Airport Director.

    Ms. Brown, Airport Director, explained the performance evaluation process as stipulated in the Airport Director’s employment agreement. The evaluation, performed by the Board of Directors as a whole, involves the utilization of an evaluation form.

    Ms. Brown, Airport Director, gave a presentation to the Committee that detailed accomplishments during this past year. Subsequent to this presentation, there was discussion regarding the Committees responsibilities in compiling the evaluation form responses and coming to a consensus regarding a recommendation to the Board of Directors at the September 2023 meeting.

    Ms. Brown, Airport Director, then described the nature of the Airport Director’s employment agreement as well as language existing within the agreement related to the evaluation process and options available to the Board of Directors regarding the possibility of amending the salary structure or providing supplementary payments with Board action. Ms. Brown also provided the Committee with a summary of the Airport Director’s salary structure contained within the agreement, as well as historical supplementary payments distributed in previous years.

    Ms. Reyes then informed the Committee of their ability to go into Executive Session if desired. The Committee came to a consensus that going into Executive Session was not necessary and soon after Ms. Reyes left the meeting.

    The Committee discussed the results of the performance evaluation forms received, as well as the performance of Ms. Brown, the Airport Director in several areas. Ms. Dhawan reported that not a single performance metric was scored below the highest rating available which she deemed as absolute evidence of the entire Board’s satisfaction with her performance. After a detailed discussion regarding Ms. Brown’s existing salary structure and the existence of significant inflationary pressure in our region that could not have been contemplated when the employment agreement was negotiated came to a consensus to recommend to the Board of Directors that a supplementary payment be provided to Ms. Brown, in an amount determined by the Board of Directors at the August 8, 2023, Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors.

    2) Airport Director Evaluation Process and Format

    Ms. Brown explained the Airport Director’s employment agreement, as well as Article II Section D (4) of the YCAA’s bylaws, address the periodic evaluation of the Airport Director’s performance. Specifically, regarding the performance evaluation process, Section 4, (A) of the Airport Director’s employment agreement reads:

    The Board shall review and evaluate the performance of Brown annually, prior to the June Personnel and Election Committee meeting. Said review and evaluation shall be in accordance with specific criteria developed by the Board, using as a guide the Airport Director Evaluation Form, as may be adopted by the Board. The Airport Director Evaluation Form may be amended by the Board from time to time, and the Board shall provide notice of such amendments to Brown within a reasonable time.

    The Committee will evaluate the Airport Director’s Evaluation Form itself to determine if it is in the best interest of the YCAA to consider updating the content of the form which was developed several years ago, as well as the nature of the form itself. Considerations include updating the inquiries, the format of the form itself, and possibility of automation through a fillable PDF format or other improvements.

    The Committee will also consider stipulating, in some specifics, the process of the Airport Evaluation Forms dissemination, collection, and archiving. Currently YCAA staff are directly involved in the process which has resulted in occasional loss of anonymity. Careful consideration and documentation of the process including the following may be considered:

    · Date of annual dissemination.
    · Method of dissemination and person responsible.
    · Method of collection and person responsible.
    · Method used to summarize information collected and the person responsible.
    · Method used to disseminate results to the Board of Directors and the person responsible.
    · Method used to archive forms collected and related summary.

    There was discussion regarding the evaluation sheet used by the Board of Directors and staff was instructed to send it out for any revisions AFTER the monthly Board of Directors meeting in August. This will allow for revision in the next annual performance review.

    The discussion on having the YCAA Human Resources personnel to disseminate, receive and summarize the Directors reviews for the committee and provide the report prior to the meeting was well received and will be the process from this meeting forward. The Committee shared this new process will eliminate any other staff from receiving the Airport Director’s reviews.

    Ms. Dhawan, Chairwoman & YCAA Director, called for a motion to enter into executive session for discussion and/or consideration regarding the performance evaluation of the Airport Director, and related personnel matters under the provision of A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(1). Mr. Hager so moved. Mr. Fox seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

    Votes in Favor:
    Ms. Dhawan
    Mr. Hager
    Mr. Fox

    Votes Opposed: None

    Ms. Dhawan excused the Public at 2:50PM so the Committee could enter into Executive Session.

    The Committee remained in Executive Session from 2:52PM, excusing all YCAA airport staff at 3:22pm and remained in executive session until 3:55PM.

    RECONVENE REGULAR BOARD SESSION
    The Board reconvened its regular session at 3:55PM.

    The consensus of the Committee is to provide a recommendation for Board direction as discussion in Executive Session regarding the performance evaluation of the Airport Director, the Airport Director’s financial compensation and related personnel matters.

    CALL TO THE PUBLIC
    There were no Public Comments.

    ADJOURNMENT
    There being no further business before the Committee the meeting adjourned at 3:56PM.



    // Approved //
    Reetika Dhawan
    Election and Personnel Committee Chairwoman
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