Scope of the Study

To merge the pay plans of the PTCOG and NWPCOG
and to produce an Assignment of Classes to Grades for
the new organization effective July 1, 2011

To prepare an employee allocation list assigning each
employee to a title and salary grade and to calculate
costs associated with bringing all employees to the
minimum of the assigned grade

To recommend an organizational structure under which
the new regional council could begin operations

Subsequently added, make recommendations on a
benefits package
Pay Comparisons

Data was collected from both COGs

Salary data was collected from the four largest and
most relevant COGs in the state: Charlotte,
Raleigh/Durham, Asheville and Hickory

The local government labor market of Greensboro,
High Point, Winston-Salem, Guilford County and
Forsyth County was also a factor

Recommendations were vetted with several
departments heads in both organizations and with
the two executive directors
Results of the Study

PTCOG’s pay plan has been competitive with the
urban, local government labor market and with the
largest urban COGs; NWPCOG’s pay plan was
competitive in some areas but lagged significantly
behind in most classes ( Workforce, Housing, Aging
and Criminal Justice)

The adoption of the recommended pay plan and the
proposed organizational structure will result in many
employees getting salary increases in order to come
to the new minimum – all but three of those
employees are currently employed with the
NWPCOG
Example

Recommended starting salary for Long-Term Care
Ombudsman - $ 39,883

Actual salary for NWPCOG Ombudsman - $33,912

Increase needed to come to the minimum of the new
range - $5,971
Results of the Study Implementation


Implement the recommendations all at one time:

Costly for one year

Too late for most programs to absorb the increases for
next year
Implement over two years:

If someone fails to meet the minimum qualifications for
the new job, increases with come when the requirements
have been met, i.e. master’s degree

If someone meets the qualifications but is below the
minimum, that employee will be brought to the
minimum in two years
Results of the Study –
Alternative?

An alternative that will result in lower
implementation costs is to decrease the minimum
starting salary for each classification

Will not be competitive with other large NC COGs

Will not be competitive with urban local governments
who are the primary competition for good employees

Will not recognize the significance of the work that the
regional council will be performing
Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Structure

Three meetings were held with the two executive directors to
discuss organizational issues

These recommendations are based on 36 years working in a
COG and 18 of those years as executive director

It would be the structure I would want if I were to be the new
executive director

Has been reviewed and agreed upon by both executive
directors

Has retained or improved the position of almost every
employee

Does not recommend an assistant director now; there is an
assistant director in the pay plan
Piedmont Triad Regional Council –
Executive Management Team
Executive Director
Kim Dawkins Berry
Aging Director
Paul Kron
Planning Director
Althea Hairston
Workforce
Development
Director
Matt Reece
Administration and
Member Services
Director
Robin Howell
Criminal Justice
Program Director
Robin Shelton
Finance Director
Rebecca Kassner
Housing Director
Benefits
Recommended Vacation
Accrual Rate
Years of Service
NWPCOG
PTCOG
Recommended
<2
11.75
12.0
12
2 to 4
13.75
12.0
13
5 to 9
16.75
15.0
16
10 to 14
19.75
18.0
19
15 to 19
22.75
21.0
22
20 +
25.75
24.0
25
Recommended Holidays
Holiday Observed
NWPCOG
PTCOG
Recommended
New Year's Day
1
1
1
MLK's Birthday
1
1
1
Good Friday
1
1
1
Memorial Day
1
1
1
Independence Day
1
1
1
Labor Day
1
1
1
Veterans Day
1
0
1
Thanksgiving
2
2
2
2.5
3
2/3
Christmas
Recommended Sick Leave
Accrual Rate

Both NWPCOG and PTCOG give one day per
month for sick leave which is standard local
government practice.

It is recommended the sick leave accrual rate remain
at one day per month.
Supplemental Deferred
Compensation – 401(K)
NWPCOG
PTCOG
Recommended
2.5%
2.0%
2.5%
Recommended Longevity
Pay Plan
Years of Service
NWPCOG
PTCOG
Recommended
0 to 4
0.00%
0.00%
0
5 to 9
0.00%
2.00%
2.00%
10 to 14
1.50%
2.75%
2.75%
15 to 19
2.25%
3.50%
3.50%
20 to 24
3.25%
4.50%
4.50%
25+
4.50%
4.50%
4.50%
Longevity Facts

84 employees will be coming into the new organization
with total salaries of $3,711,000

Average length of service of all employees is 13.2 years

75% of the employees will qualify for longevity under the
proposed recommendation (more than five years of
service)

12% of the employees will have greater than 20 years of
service; 26% have greater than 15 years of service
Recommended Life
Insurance
NWPCOG
PTCOG
Recommended
$30,000
$25,000
$30,000 *
* Retain the life insurance provision under the NC Local
Governmental Employees’ Retirement System
Health Insurance

The two COGs have significantly different approaches
to providing health insurance:


PTCOG – traditional BCBS, premium based program,
good benefits, $500 employee deductible, $636 per month
premium
NWPCOG – high deductible that is underwritten by an
insurance reserve, $250 employee deductible, $433 per
month premium

Staffs of two COGs have been working on health
insurance and will very likely recommend the
NWPCOG model be adopted

Current PTCOG COBRA employees WILL NOT be
allowed to continue under new plan
Retiree Access to Health
Insurance

Not addressed as a recommendation

Most state and local governments offer some type of
free retiree health insurance or at least access to
purchase

Neither PTCOG or NWPCOG offer retiree health
insurance currently

Is a major gap in a competitive benefits package