Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: So they have part of the increase at the beginning of the year and part of the increase halfway through the year, and that can save some money and also achieve some ends for the the employees as well. Great, thank you. Sure.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Robert Hinsonault.

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: Is this a starting salary or is this a range?

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: No, so thank you. And thank you for interrupting me and slowing me down here. So the crossed out salaries is the base salary. So I called these statutory salaries because these are the salaries for executive branch employees that are set by statute. So that is the base salary you see that's crossed out because that will be replaced with the new numbers that we're going to get from DHR within the coming days. So it's not a range. It's the salary for 20 so for example, in column to the far left, that was the base salary of the governor, $222,371 in fiscal year what was that? Fiscal year '25. So 07/14/2024. Right? And then the increase was $234,379

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: for the following year. So my question then is, so in 2027, let's just round it off, it's $245,000 And then 2028, we elect a new governor. Does that new governor start at the two hundred where that base left off at?

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: No, it will be the annual salary that is provided for that year. So on July, I believe it's gonna be July 14 because it's always the beginning of a pay period. So I think it will be 07/14/2026. The governor at that time will earn that salary that's set in statute.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: It becomes even Florida. It'll carry into whoever wins the election next because it's assigned to the

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: That's what I'm saying. So somebody can be in office for twelve years and get X, and then the ex owner gets elected, he starts at X. Correct. With no experience.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: That's what's gonna happen. Depends on the candidate.

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: It could be the 18 year old.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: It's the role

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: at the end of the row.

[Unidentified committee member]: And point of inquiry, because we do have the fourth highest paying governor in the land, and this is not political. I don't care if they run at the Mickey Mouse party. I think it's pretty wild that we pay someone in our state that much money. Historically, when this was put in a statute, do you know I've heard rumors that it was because of a cost of living adjustment. Just wonder, for historical context, why these salaries are set in statute? Yes, and why they're so high. I've heard anecdotally that it's because he doesn't have a residence or they don't have a residence in the state of Vermont like other states do for their governors, and that's why. But I didn't know. I wasn't here when that was written in statute.

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: So I

[Unidentified committee member]: was wondering if you could give some historical context.

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: I don't have a great answer to that. I have heard the same thing that you've heard about, that there is not a governor's mansion, but I don't have a great historical knowledge of why the governor's salary is set in statute. I believe that the other statutory salaries are because these are appointed positions. But I can definitely look into it and see what I can find. And I'm sure that there may be other folks in the

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: room that have some better answers than I do at this

[Unidentified committee member]: be helpful to know because it is so skewed compared to other positions in our state government. And again, I do not care what party you come from. Would just be helpful to be able to explain as to why that is and see if that really is factual. Why the salary

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: is set in statute?

[Unidentified committee member]: Why it's set in statute and if it was set the way that it is to offset the fact that we don't have a governor's mansion. I just keep hearing that and I'm like

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I think you're just seeing the fact that it's notably higher than the average governor's.

[Unidentified committee member]: In the higher yeah, especially to the size of our state.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Because most states, if I recall, have them set in statute, the conversation is always around it being on the higher end On the

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: higher end. 50 state.

[Unidentified committee member]: Like it's Gavin Newsom in California as of 2024 being paid $242,295 and then our governor. And so it would be useful to explain that to my constituents to say, why are we selected that? And if it really is true that we voted that way in statute because he doesn't have a mansion.

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: I'll see what I can find. I'm going to move on to section five. So, I've moved through all of the executive branch statutory salaries for these appointed positions within the executive branch. Unless there are any questions about any of that language, I'll move on to the next section, which starts on page nine. You see the reader assistance heading there provides that now we're moving into the next branch of government, which is the judicial branch. So Section five provides base salaries for the chief justice, each associate justice, the chief superior judge, and the magistrate judges, and each judicial bureau hearing officer. So same concept here, that the former two fiscal years are crossed out and we will have new numbers for the next three distinct periods of increase. So, the next section is with respect to assistant judges. And the probate judges is in section seven. So, section seven provides for those statutory base salaries for the probate judges in each distinct county. And I would just note that you will see that there are some broad swings in salaries across the different districts. And that my understanding I is know that Terrence is here, so she talk as well. But my understanding is that that reflects part time versus full time work. The judges in those counties, depending on their workload, are either full time or part time judges.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: Okay.

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: So next section is section eight, and this is dealing with the sheriffs. Statutory salaries for the sheriffs. The salaries there you'll see are crossed out. And I think I've an error here on page 13. There's some salaries that need to be crossed out, and we've to put some blanks in there for what's to come. I don't believe that the final negotiations for this group have been completed yet. So I know we don't have numbers yet for these guys. Section nine is the state's attorneys, statutory salaries for the state's attorneys.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: And then

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: finally, Section 10. This is the language on appropriations. So this sets forth the PAY Act appropriations for FY '27 and '28. So the language provides that the executive branch, is funded for the first and second years of the two year agreements between the VSEA and the state, and also for the Defender General, non management supervisory and corrections bargaining units, and the State's Attorney's Bargaining Unit, and the Vermont Troopers Association. So the language that you see page 15 provides that the general fund, an amount of blank is appropriated from the general fund to the Secretary of Administration for distribution to the departments to fund fiscal year twenty seven collective bargaining agreements. Same language as for the transportation fund. A certain amount is appropriated from the transportation fund for the Secretary of Administration to distribute to the agency of transportation, the Department of Public Safety to fund the collective bargaining agreements. And then other funds provides the administration to provide additional spending authority to departments through the existing process of excess receipts. This is all sort of standard language that you see each year in the Pay Act. And then you'll see the same language for fiscal year twenty eight on page 16. Starting on page 17, it moves to the judicial branch. So same sort of language about funding, or the Chief Justice, who is authorized to extend the provisions of the judiciary's collective bargaining agreement to the judiciary employees who are not covered by the bargaining agreement. And then lastly, on page 18, subsection C, is the legislative branch. So, general assembly, including all all of your staff, all of your legislative branch staff, is funded from an appropriation from the general fund. And that is true for fiscal year 2728.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Okay. Questions for council? No, I know I said this to committee heading into this week, we're going to put a very notable amount of time into this, of course, the next few days. So, nothing for Council? Thank you so much. Up next, we are gonna, move over to our friends from the judiciary. See you, Terry? Yes. You guys doing a duet? That's something That is wonderful. Get those down here.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: They're all gone.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: We have addiction issues now.

[Lucy Boyden (Committee Clerk) [tentative]]: Judiciary, the table is yours.

[Teri Corsones (State Court Administrator, Vermont Judiciary)]: Thank you, Chair. Terri Corso, I'm the State Court Administrator. I'm Prince Louis, our Chief of Finance and Administration. I wasn't sure in terms of the timing. Greg is going to do the bulk of the presentation, and then I will answer questions and also do kind of a final part. We weren't sure what information you'd like covered, so Greg has in mind, first, do

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: you want to explain, I guess?

[Greg (Chief of Finance and Administration, Vermont Judiciary) [last name unknown]]: Yeah. So we've, determined our pay act through negotiation with the VSEA. We have a separate bargaining unit for the judiciary. And we have negotiated a across the board increase in addition to steps, which I think you'll be very familiar with that type of structure. And, we have followed, what the executive branch will be testifying about, which is a 2% increase in July '26 and a 2% increase in January '27. And then in the next fiscal year, a, a July increase 2027 of 3%. So it's two, two, and three, and steps included in there. And then the unique piece to the judiciary that's a little bit different is, we negotiated a retitling of some of our positions. So we have four job descriptions that make up the bulk, about 75% of our bargaining unit. And we haven't been experiencing turnover in the 25 to 30% range. And in many cases, people were leaving for other jobs in government, particularly in the executive branch. And we had a couple of reclassification group reclassification, cases that were sitting at the VLRB, the Vermont Labor Relations Board. And one of those decisions came back where we're bargaining, it was not in favor of the judiciary. So we knew that we had to address the turnover, and the VLRB decisions. So what we negotiated was to change the job descriptions that would allow me to put up two pay grades for our judicial assistance, which is the primary backbone of the court houses, along with, the probate registers and the security positions. That all adds up to $1,500,000 in addition to the across the board increase. And then there was a retro pay for, one job description that went back two years, and that adds 97,000, to that. So all told, for year number one would be about 4,100,000.0, and then in year number two would be about 2,650,000.00. So the two year total for the judiciary that we're requesting is 6.724.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: 07/24? 06/2024, two years. Thank you.

[Greg (Chief of Finance and Administration, Vermont Judiciary) [last name unknown]]: And I can go into detail, with, any of that. I assume there'll be questions of least about the unique pieces, that pertain to the judiciary.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Do you have that, like, broken down? Possibly for something that's, as something you'd submit as, like, written testimony at some point? We can. Yeah. We have it.

[Greg (Chief of Finance and Administration, Vermont Judiciary) [last name unknown]]: If you could We submitted our our calculations to CFO, so they have the numbers. We can put a memo together that explains, more detail about why, we were suffering from a lack of competitiveness.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Think that could be a helpful tool for the committee. And I do understand that you need to be somewhere else soon.

[Teri Corsones (State Court Administrator, Vermont Judiciary)]: Oh, there's an invest iture ceremony for one of our new associate chests I'm involved in, but it's at three, so I can Oh, okay. See until quarter up.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha. I didn't know what type of time constraints you might Do be operating we have questions for our two guests? I mean, know this is a lot for the committee to start to digest right now. There's a lot of moving parts and a lot of numbers. So, please ask questions. All right, seeing no hands. I guess, we'll just use this as the primer moving into the rest of the week.

[Teri Corsones (State Court Administrator, Vermont Judiciary)]: The memo, when would you like the memo?

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Tomorrow? Sure, yes. That's an achievable goal.

[Teri Corsones (State Court Administrator, Vermont Judiciary)]: End of day tomorrow?

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Is totally fine. Yes. Great. End of day tomorrow. Fabulous goal. Thank you. Thank you.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: Thank you.

[Legislative Counsel (unidentified)]: Know. Up

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: next, I have the, Commissioner. How are doing, Commissioner?

[Teri Corsones (State Court Administrator, Vermont Judiciary)]: Great. We have one of our containers.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Oh, yeah. Terry, hold on. Let's cycle through these. Good idea. Do you want us just We can't ourselves in the rotation. How are you?

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: I'm Beth Pastigie, I'm the Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources. I'm here today to ask the committee and the legislature to support the PAY Act, support the salary increases that fund our collective bargaining agreements, as well as send those to the rest of our employees to approve that. And I think that Legis Council has been through this, but this does will provide pay increases for fiscal year 2728 and including just in the past, the pay act is either a standalone bill or sometimes it's incorporated in the big bill. So, last year it was discussed separately, but at the end, they put it into the big bill and they do that at times. That's As long as our language is there, we're happy. And our employees are happy. Finance and management reserves funding as part of budgeting process, but the appropriation for it is actually contained in this language. So there haven't been funds set aside for employee raises the big bill. It's just base salaries. PAY Act is generally based on the biennium, so that's why we didn't see it last year. And yet, we typically negotiate two year collective bargaining agreements rather than one year. And that's been more recent history. Again, on behalf of the Department of Human Resources and the administration, we encourage you all to support the PAY Act. And that will just as far as a status update, where we are, we've completed negotiations with the Vermont State Employees Association. Department of Human Resources negotiates three of those contracts. We've completed the negotiations for the non management and supervisory bargaining units. And the agreement in the corrections bargaining unit has not been completed. So, we haven't completed bargaining there. But we have an agreement in principle with the Vermont Troopers Association as well. But it hasn't been finalized or ratified yet.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: So, the troopers are not finalized?

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: The troopers are not finalized because they haven't been ratified. We are still in negotiations with the corrections department.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: With DMC. Okay. That's what I understood from chatter. Is that a hand reference now?

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: It is. Please. So, I currently serve also serve on the Vermont Veterans Home Board of Trustees. And every meeting we hear about how we're losing our nursing staff because we can't compete with. The hospitals in the area. Are they part of this? Yes. So, they negotiated and they've come to us. Know they were in negotiation. Yes.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: So, the nursing staff, most of the nurses are in our non management bargaining unit, but then supervisors would be in our supervisory bargaining unit. So this would cover the raises for them as well. And in addition to our regular pay charts, you probably know this, but our nurses have what's called a market factor. So they actually get a percentage above those collective bargaining rooms, and that's to adjust their pay to what is more market based so that we can hire and retain. I do know we've been having much better success in recent years, in the past year, than we had in the past about hiring nursing staff for the veterans' home. And I think that you probably know that as a member of the board of trustees. So we're excited to see it going in the right direction. And traveling nurses, they cost us so much. Right, we're happy to see it going in a positive direction there. So that's great.

[Unidentified committee member]: Thank you.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: So you heard from the judiciary, and also the state's attorneys and sheriffs, they conduct their own bargaining with their VSCA units separately. But all the contracts, and the contracts of all those, it's all wrapped up into Pay Act. And we are working on the We have the numbers, and we're working with Ledge Council to provide them with the numbers so they can insert that all into the draft.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Any idea what the timeline on that looks like?

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: Hopefully. Any idea of the timeline? So I have Jaren Foster here. He is a person at DHR that is working on doing that project. And I know that he's got a lot of the numbers, but we just got the template. And because we already talked about a little bit, it's not the exact template from last year. It was a little bit different. So we have two raises. It's later in my testimony, but we have a planned 2% increase this July and then a planned increase in January, which creates an additional column in there. Was a little We wanted to make sure we had the right template and putting it into the right thing. So we are working on that. And it's just how much time we have to manage that this week. So as soon as we get it, I'm expecting we're working on it this week, we'll get it back over to Legis Council so they can see the numbers. And also, simultaneously, and in the past, and previously, the Joint Pinsonault hospitals have been working with us as well. I've had a hard time talking today.

[Lucy Boyden (Committee Clerk) [tentative]]: So as soon as possible is the answer.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: Yeah. Gotcha.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: We are working.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: So just to go over some of the terms of our collective bargaining agreements, if you'd like to hear them at this point, two year contracts, 07/01/2026 to 06/30/2028. And here are just some of the highlights. It's not all of the details, but for our salaries and wages, 2% across the board increase plus continuation of steps in July 2026. In January, 2% across the board increase plus continuation of steps in January 2027. And then in July 2027, a 3% across the board increase plus the continuation of steps. Holidays. Juneteenth and Indigenous Peoples' Day become official premium pay holidays for state employees in those two bargaining units. Previously, in the last collective bargaining agreement, troopers in the corrections bargaining units already made that switch. So, this will be helpful for operations because all of our employees would be having the same holiday schedule. And then Bennington Battle Day will be eliminated from the list of paid state holidays. So it's a two for one.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Bennington Battle Day, putting the Bring Juneteenth and Native indigenous people. Sorry, Updrade. Or premium. So, I guess for newer members, define premium.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: Premium holiday would be if you had to work on that holiday this is a simplified version and it's not exactly correct, but I think it's a way you can understand that the employees, for example, in corrections or the troopers that have to be working on those days would get time and a half pay rather than straight time for those working on those holidays. And I think they also get a day off. So they get extra, it's not just a straight size. If they work that day, they don't get another day off at another time. They get paid time and half. And they get the day off.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: Enhanced compensation.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: So it's an enhanced compensation for working on a holiday. Whereas on Bennington Battletale, it was a straight time holiday. So it wasn't quite as difficult for the employees that are having to work during those periods. Thank you. And of course, providing the services we do, there are people that have to work on holidays. Additional benefits or benefits enhancements. So we did make enhancements to the non medical vision benefits to $200 annually. Previously, was $100 that could pay for eye appointment or glasses. And then, no deductible for dental services. And then a maximum lifetime orthodontia benefit has increased to $3,750 which is a lot better than it was. And then, the maximum amount for dental services during the plan year has been increased to $2,000 and we raised the cap on annual leave by twenty hours. And I. That just means that they. They can pull like it does. They accumulate too much leave, they don't lose it if they don't use it, so they can hold twenty more hours in their bank. That's really it from my perspective. In the testimony, I did put links to our website that does have our current collective bargaining agreement, if anyone's interested in looking at those. Also our workforce report, which has a lot of information about the state workforce.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Questions for Tricia or SDG.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: And just as far as when you're looking at the salaries that are in statute, in the information that alleged counsel put around, she said that some of the people or some of the positions in here, it's the salary itself is set in statute. And for the commissioners and secretaries, folks like me, their salary is set. The base is in the statute and we can provide up to 50% of the base or for the Commissioner of Health, 100% of the base. So, what you're seeing, these salaries are of the minimum for those salaries. And those are amounts that we've calculated and budgeted for would be the amounts that are on the line with the increases in the collective bargaining agreements. But of course, the legislature has the ability to determine what those salaries would be.

[Unidentified committee member]: Great ask question. I'm just confused because obviously I can't even talk. You fine?

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: I'm

[Unidentified committee member]: sorry. Fault. Some of it seems like a skill and I'm just wondering, I'm looking, I guess, for, like, itemized list for everything, and some of that seems a little bit vague in the language. Like, it could be up to the smell. Does that make sense? Like, in a tight budgeting year, I'm just

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Well, it's a base with a With a scale. Correct.

[Unidentified committee member]: And that is kind of strange to me, the scale being in there.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: The historical context of that scale is interesting.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: It's not unusual for all of our so the salaries you're seeing here are called employees that are they're not classified employees. They're exempt employees. So most of our classified employees and some of our employees that are exempt from the classified service have a pay plan. So even though attorneys, for example, are not in the classified service, there is an attorney pay plan. And within that pay plan, there are maximum amounts and there's some flexibility in there for management to be able to provide raises based on employee's performance. And so the statutory salaries are going to have, there's no pay plan for those folks. And the secretary and administration all of those salaries. If So, I could Let's say I make $50,000 a year. And the secretary didn't feel like I was performing well. Even though they had the ability to give me a raise, she would not have to give me a raise. So management flexibility can be based on performance as well. So it unusual for there to be some flexibility there. In executive compensation, all over the place and within state government here, certainly. And what we budget for, and what we put is in line with what's happening in the classified service. Because while some people in leadership roles are appointed and come in from somewhere else, there are also employees that rise up through the classified service into those roles. And you want to make some kind of an incentive for somebody to take on a leadership role. And so that's why we also want to keep it in line with what the classified pay plan is doing.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Pranujan.

[Unidentified committee member]: So just clarifying, so there's space and there's cost of living and there are steps, and then there's also this negotiation.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: So there's what people's current salaries And people's current salaries would potentially get the same percentage increase as our classified employees are getting. But employees without pay plans don't get steps. So what's included in Pay Act is what we've calculated as the average value of a step. So all the employees don't get steps every year. It depends on where they are on the paycheck. So the financial value of all the employees' per year is an additional 1.9%. And that's the average that we put in. The allowable increase for those exempt employees, for those employees that aren't in the classified service and not on the pay plan.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Anything else for the Commissioner right now? Like I said, this is just a big primer on a big conversation today. We're going to do a lot of work on this this week. All right, thank you, Commissioner.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: Thank for taking up this really important piece for every employee in state government.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Up next, VSEA. Yay. Mister chairman, sorry.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: I'm gonna have Adam Norton, our strategic analyst, join me, if that's okay. Strategic. Yes. He's very strategic. He's the brains behind the operation. First of all, happy Saint Patrick's Day to all of us celebrate. To all of

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: us celebrate.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: We don't have a ton, more to add. I think I wanna begin by just saying that we are here to support governor Scott's pay act. We are grateful for his support for this bill, and we are, supportive of the additional compensation. As you know, I've come to this committee many times to talk about the nearly I can't compete with this. This is unfair. We are we are, eager to see the vacancy rate in state government come down, both because it enhances the services to your constituents, but also because it brings down the the cost of overtime and it and reduces the stress, that our members experience, their families experience by excessive amounts of overtime. We share the member from Dorset's concern about the traveling nurses. We are grateful for the market factor adjustment. And, of course, we'd be enthusiastic if there were another look at that market factor, to see if it is truly, reflective of the market. I know it's tough down there because it incorporates Albany, which sometimes, makes it a little bit more bumps it up a bit. But, it's not that the the travelers are are bad, folks. God bless them. You know, they do good work. There is something to be said for nursing staff that that live in the community that have a commitment, a lifelong commitment to the institution. So we would like to see that, explored as well. And so I think, I won't say much more. I will say that just to be clear, the payment plan, the attorney payment plan and the kind of convoluted situation that the commissioner described, that does not apply to the classified employees. She was talking about the statutory employees there. So just wanna make sure that's clear to everybody. And I don't know. We're happy to take any questions or any advice you have.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: The DOC negotiations? Oh, right. Yeah. That thing.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: I'm sorry? How's it looking? Well, if the governor would just listen to our great ideas and I would say there's two things. Yeah. So there's two there's actually two, units that are still out. One is the corrections unit, and the other is the transport deputies. Okay. So, the corrections unit is late this year, because there was a decertification election, which happily the SEA won. And that caused negotiations to stop, during the campaign. So that's why it's late. I it's unclear. I don't know how to answer that. I would say that, we're probably likely headed to fact finding. And sometimes a deal comes out of that, but, we don't we're not a 100% sure. It is a the staffing in the corrections department, you've heard me say before, is at a crisis level, and people are, exhausted. Mhmm. So compensation is a major part of what, attracts people to to that very difficult and challenging work and keeps them there, despite how difficult it is. So just sort of like that being said with, like,

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: the order of operations with this bill, it sounds like we're probably gonna move forward with that as a placeholder with no defined sum.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: Yes. My guess is and Adam can correct me if I'm wrong. My guess is if you were eager to move this bill, my prediction is that the corrections unit probably will get added in and satisfied. That's what

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I was alluding to. Yeah.

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: Yeah. That's just I don't know. A 100% sure.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Time of year and where we're at, which is seeing this for the

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: first language for the first time and everything. I understand that we need to move it reasonably quickly. But unless I convince the commissioner to go back and say to John Burrard, Steve Howard is not I do not get an idea. Board. Yes. To go out. I'm not gonna hold my breath, but

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Questions for mister Howard, mister Norton? Okay. Seeing no hands. Alright. Thank you very much. And I have joining us via Zoom, sergeant O'Neill, director of Vermont State Troopers Association. Good to see you again, sir.

[Sgt. Michael O’Neil (Director, Vermont State Troopers Association)]: Good afternoon. Thanks for the opportunity to join you today, and I apologize I'm not more appropriately appropriately addressed, dressed. I was in Florida and delayed and can't get home.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: Too bad.

[Sgt. Michael O’Neil (Director, Vermont State Troopers Association)]: So this is what I have. Yes.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: It sounds like a real tough assignment.

[Sgt. Michael O’Neil (Director, Vermont State Troopers Association)]: Cool cooler down here than I expected today, though, so I'm not out in the sun. Thank you again. And I I'm here to support the pay act as well.

[Unidentified committee member]: That's best.

[Sgt. Michael O’Neil (Director, Vermont State Troopers Association)]: We we appreciate the agreement we've been able to reach with the administration. We have not formally signed the agreement yet. It needs to go out to our members for ratification, but we are just waiting for that formal draft, to get out to our people. I do expect strong support from our members on the agreement. We don't anticipate any issues with getting the ratification completed with our membership. Other than that, I don't know if I have a lot to add. Are there any questions?

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I mean, just hearing your satisfaction with the way this is laid out for the people you're representing gives me comfort. From the table. Alright. Seeing no hands. You can get back to Florida.

[Sgt. Michael O’Neil (Director, Vermont State Troopers Association)]: Great. Thank you. Have a good day.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Alright. Appreciate the time. All right, we have a little bit of clock here. Anything else from the gallery? Seeing no. Want to get the rest of the

[Joint Fiscal Office analyst (unidentified)]: From the joint fiscal office. So I'll be here sort of as a liaison Oh, to

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: we're in that room. Look forward to work. Yeah.

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: All right, team. So we have a multitude of bills moving around right now. This is something that we're gonna, for the third time, take up a lot of, dedicate a lot of time to this week to get this out. With that, everybody understands the bills they're following and monitoring. So let's just stay on top of those. And with that, I will take us off live until we meet again tomorrow morning at 9AM for an agenda that is yet to be determined.

[Greg (Chief of Finance and Administration, Vermont Judiciary) [last name unknown]]: Yeah.

[Beth Fastiggi (Commissioner, Department of Human Resources)]: All

[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: right. Thank you and take us

[Steve Howard (Executive Director, VSEA)]: off Nick.