By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

A hearing will be conducted during tonight’s Hays City Commission meeting in which representatives of Service Employees International (SEIU) Union Local 513 and city staff will explain their positions regarding the 2016-2018 employment contract.

Three items remain to be agreed upon, according to City Manager Toby Dougherty. Those are health insurance, paid time off, and termination of the agreement, as listed in the factfinding report.

Impasse was declared on June 3; a mediator was brought in with no success.

“According to the Public Employee/Employer Relations Act, we then requested that the director of PERB request a factfinder to be appointed,” Dougherty said.

The factfinder, Rex Wiant of Kansas City, was appointed, a hearing was held Sept. 17 and the factfinding report was submitted to Dougherty’s office Sept. 28.

“By state law, the factfinding report remains confidential for 14 days to allow the parties to come to agreement. If the parties don’t come to agreement, the report is made public and the city commission by statute is required to hold a hearing on the matter,” Dougherty explained.

The factfinding report and the complete Oct. 22, 2015, meeting agenda can be seen here.