Today's Feature
Worker Safety
To Be Reviewed.
The City Finance/Personnel
Committee, during their regular meeting last
week, requested that City Administrator Tom Short
review the worker safety program for City
employees.
Figures show that within the
past two years the City has seen an increase in
worker's compensation costs. In 1998 $100,024 in
Worker's Comp. claims were filed, and as of April
1999, $121,097 claims were filed.
The question was raised whether
the figures could be cause for concern. However,
according to City Clerk Barbara Welch, there is
no reason to think the increases will necessarily
continue. The City paid a total of less than
$50,000 in claims the previous three years
combined, from 1995 to 1997.
"We've just had a bad
experience the past couple of years with worker's
comp," Short told the committee.
After reviewing the worker's
compensation reports, committee members agreed
that a safety program could be the way to save
expenses.
Committee member Lujene Clark
pointed out that workers in one department have
been given overtime pay within the last 12 to 18
months because of employees that have been
injured on the job.
"Number one, we need to
address this problem," said committee member
Trisha Burgi-Brewer of the overtime pay.
"And number two, we need to address all
future problems by implementing a minimum
physical fitness level that avoids a lot of these
problems that people get into."
Clark suggested that the safety
guidelines should be the responsibility of
department heads. She thought the plan should
include minimum physical fitness guidelines,
along with an annual training and review session.
"We need to pinpoint the
scope of the kind of injuries we are suffering
and do some continuing education to limit our
risk in those," said Clark.
The definition of a capital
item was also discussed at the Finance/
Personnel/ Administration meeting. Eleven
cities’ officials and the Carthage City
Auditor were asked for responses to help complete
the new definition.
According to a lease officer
contacted by City Administrator Tom Short,
capital expenditures are held for use, not for
resale. They have a relatively long life, -that
is, longer than one year- and there is no
predetermined rule for a cost limit, but
generally individual items with a $500 to $1000
cost would be treated as capital items.
"The majority of the
people talked to have a $1,000 limit," said
Short, "like Chilicothe, Clinton, Dexter,
Excelsior Springs, Lebanon, Liberty, and Sedalia
- . Springfield’s was $1,000."
The Committee members decided
that expenditures of over $500 was the best for
Carthage.
The proposal was then sent to
the Council and passed in their meeting on
Tuesday.
Capital items are now defined
as: ‘fixed assets, which are tangible items,
not consumed in normal departmental operations,
with a life expectancy of two (2) years or
longer, with an initial total acquisition cost of
$500 or more.
‘Items that increase the
capacity or extend the useful life of a fixed
asset and have a cost of $500.00, shall also be
considered as a capital items.’
Fixed assets further defined
were land, buildings, building additions,
improvements other than buildings, machinery and
equipment, vehicles, fixtures, and office
equipment.
Graphic Art Opportunities
Due to our recent
purchase of additional equipment and expansion of
our Carthage, Missouri facility, we are currently
taking applications for the following positions:
Press Operator.
Must have experience operating an A.B. Dick 360,
Chief 117, Heidelberg windmill, power cutter, and
folding equipment. Dark room and layout
experience.
Pre Press:
Experience with Pagemaker, Quark, Photoshop,
Illustrator, Coral Draw. Design and typesetting.
Mac and PC. Four Color process experience a plus.
Customer Rep:
Need strong organizational skills, computer
skills, and be service oriented. Knowledge of
current paper trends and printing background.
Bindery:
General bindery, padding, stitching, booklet
assembly and binding. Some lifting involved.
General Office:
Phone skills and computer skills. Experience with
Quickbooks, Excel, Access and page layout
programs.
Pick
up an application at 213 Lyon, Carthage,
Missouri, or call for appointment. 417-358-5174
Fax 417-358-3168 email: mmail@morninmail.com
Carthage
Printing Services
"Latest
technology, Old fashioned values."
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