Title
Ordinance rescinding Ordinance Number 20-1069, passed on August 11, 2020, changing the last three fixed holidays for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 to unpaid holidays for Lake County employees.
Staff Summary
• The County Board on August 11, 2020, passed Ordinance Number 20-1069 making a one-time change for Fiscal Year 2020 to the fixed holidays found in Section 4.1 of the Lake County Employee Policies and Procedures in that the last three holidays in FY 2020 were to be unpaid.
• On September 2, 2020 U.S. Treasury Department provided guidance that clarifies and expands CARES Act reimbursement of COVID-19 related expenses.
• This new U.S. Treasury Department guidance provides the opportunity to fully reimburse various County employee positions supporting COVID-19 response and decreases the negative impact on the County’s FY 2020 budget.
• With County Board approval to re-allocate CARES Act funds based on the newest U.S. Treasury Department guidance, it is the County Administrator’s assessment that it is no longer necessary to proceed with this pay reduction and rescinding Ordinance Number 20-1069 is in the best interest of Lake County.
Body
ORDINANCE
WHEREAS, the County Board on August 11, 2020, passed Ordinance Number 20-1069 making a one-time change for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY 2020) to the fixed holidays found in Section 4.1 of the Lake County Employee Policies and Procedures in that the last three holidays in FY 2020 were to be unpaid; and
WHEREAS, the September 2, 2020 changes in the guidance provided by the U.S. Treasury Department regarding use of CARES Act funds clarifies and expands reimbursement of COVID-19 related expenses; and
WHEREAS, the County Board, after careful consideration of this new U.S. Treasury Department guidance and the impact on the County’s FY 2020 budget, determined that it is no longer necessary to proceed with this pay reduction and it is therefore in the best interest of Lake County to rescind Ordinance Number 20-1069; and
WHEREAS, the County Board wishes to reinstate the remaining two holidays at the end of FY 2020 and restore them as paid holidays; and
WHEREAS, the County Board wishes to retroactively reimburse the compensation that would have been paid to Lake County employees for the Labor Day Holiday on September 7, 2020 that went unpaid pursuant to Ordinance Number 20-1069 that was in effect at the time.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, that the remaining two fixed holidays of FY 2020, as set forth in the list of holidays approved by the County Board and found in Section 4.1 of the Lake County Employee Policies and Procedures, will be reinstated as paid holidays for Lake County employees. Those holidays are:
• Thanksgiving (November 26, 2020)
• The day after Thanksgiving (November 27, 2020); and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that the Human Resources Director is directed to retroactively reimburse employees who did not receive pay for the Labor Day Holiday (September 7, 2020) that they would have received if Ordinance Number 20-1069 had not been adopted; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, the Human Resources Director is authorized to negotiate amendments to existing agreements with unions who have agreed to three unpaid holidays thereby rescinding the earlier action taken in FY 2020; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED, that Ordinance Number 20-1069 is rescinded in its entirety and is no longer in full force and effect.
DATED and APPROVED this 29th day of September 2020, by the County Board of County of Lake, Illinois.