HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 05/17/2016 - RESOLUTION 2016-045 REAPPOINTING TERESA ABLAO AS TAgenda Item 18
Item # 18 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY May 17, 2016
City Council
STAFF
Judge Kathleen M. Lane, Municipal Judge
SUBJECT
Resolution 2016-045 Reappointing Teresa Ablao as Temporary Judge and Authorizing the Execution of an
Employment Agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to reappoint Teresa Ablao as the temporary judge for the Fort Collins Municipal
Court. The City Charter provides for the appointment of a temporary judge (commonly referred to as the
Assistant Municipal Judge) to serve in the absence of the Municipal Judge. Teresa Ablao has served in this
capacity since mid-2012. Municipal Judge Kathleen M. Lane recommends that Ms. Ablao be reappointed as
the Assistant Municipal Judge.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Resolution.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
This Resolution authorizes the Mayor to execute an employment agreement with Teresa Ablao, an attorney
who is both reputable and qualified to be the Assistant Municipal Court Judge for Fort Collins. The current
employment agreement with Teresa Ablao relating to her service as the Assistant Municipal Judge for Fort
Collins expires on June 30, 2016. This resolution reappoints Judge Ablao for an additional two year term,
beginning July 1, 2016 and authorizes the execution of a new employment agreement for that service.
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The proposed rate of pay of $75 per hour is the same rate Judge Ablao has been earning since starting in this
position in mid-2012. The Assistant Municipal Judge serves on an occasional basis and the expense is
covered in the current Municipal Court budget.
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RESOLUTION 2016-045
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
REAPPOINTING TERESA ABLAO AS TEMPORARY JUDGE AND
AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF AN EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, Article VII of the City Charter allows the City Council to designate a
temporary judge to serve in the absence of the Municipal Judge; and
WHEREAS, the City Council appointed Teresa Ablao to serve in that capacity for a term
ending June 30, 2016; and
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that Teresa Ablao is a reputable and qualified
attorney; and
WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to reappoint Teresa Ablao to serve in such capacity
on the recommendation of and at the discretion of the Municipal Judge.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That Teresa Ablao is hereby reappointed temporary judge, for a term
beginning July 1, 2016 and ending June 30, 2018, to serve as a temporary judge for the City as
deemed necessary by the Municipal Judge.
Section 3. That the compensation to be paid by the City to Ms. Ablao for serving in
this capacity shall be at the rate of Seventy-Five Dollars ($75) per hour.
Section 4. That the Mayor is hereby authorized to enter into an employment
agreement in a form consistent with Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein by this
reference, for the period of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018, between the City and Teresa
Ablao to effectuate the purposes of this Resolution.
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this
17th day of May, A.D. 2016.
_________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________
City Clerk
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into this 1st day of July, 2016, by and between
the City of Fort Collins, hereinafter referred to as the “City,” and Teresa Ablao, hereinafter referred
to as the “Employee,” pursuant to these terms and conditions:
WHEREAS, the City wishes to employ the services of the Employee as Temporary Judge,
hereafter referred to as Assistant Municipal Judge, and the Employee wishes to provide her services
to the City in that capacity; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 2016-___, the City Council has approved of the
appointment of Teresa Ablao as Assistant Municipal Judge and has authorized the Mayor to enter
into an Employment Agreement; and
WHEREAS, the City and the Employee desire to provide for certain procedures, benefits,
and requirements regarding the employment of the Employee by the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and promises
herein contained, the City and the Employee do hereby agree to the following:
1. Scope of Services
The City agrees to employ the Employee as Assistant Municipal Judge and the Employee
agrees to perform all functions and duties as specified in the job description attached hereto as
Exhibit “A” and incorporated herein by reference, and to perform such other duties as might be
assigned.
2. Compensation
(a) The Employee shall be compensated at the regular rate of Seventy Five Dollars
($75.00) per hour, less deductions and withholdings required by law, or authorized by Personnel
Policies and Procedures, or authorized by the Employee. The Court Administrator, in coordination
with the Employee, shall maintain and submit to the City a time sheet showing all hours worked
prior to any payment therefor. All payments shall be made within thirty (30) days of receipt of said
time sheet. This position shall be considered exempt for the purposes of the Fair Labor Standards
Act and applicable state laws; accordingly, the Employee shall not be eligible for overtime pay.
3. Term of Employment
(a) The term of this Agreement shall be from July 1, 2016 to and including June 30, 2018.
Nothing contained in this Agreement shall preclude renegotiation of this Agreement prior to the
expiration of its term.
EXHIBIT A
Teresa Ablao
Employment Agreement
July 1, 2016
Page 2 of 5
(b) It is understood and agreed to by the Employee that upon termination of this
Agreement, either under this paragraph or under the provisions of Paragraph 4 hereof, the Employee
shall not be entitled to any amount of additional compensation, as severance pay or otherwise, other
than as provided in Paragraphs 2 and 6 of this Agreement.
4. Early Termination
(a) Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time with or without cause prior to the
expiration of the term hereof by providing written notice of termination to the other party at least
fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the date of early termination. The City may, at its discretion,
provide the Employee with fifteen (15) calendar days' compensation at her regular rate in lieu of such
notice. Such notice shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or as of the date of deposit into
the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:
TO THE EMPLOYEE:
Teresa Ablao
last known address on file with the Human Resources Department
TO THE CITY:
City of Fort Collins, Colorado
Judge Kathleen M. Lane
P.0. Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
(b) The City has appropriated funds in the current fiscal year to meet the obligations of
this Agreement through the current fiscal year. This Agreement shall terminate at the end of the
City’s current fiscal year if the City does not, prior to the end of the current fiscal year, appropriate
funds for the subsequent fiscal year with which to meet its obligation under this Agreement in the
subsequent fiscal year. The parties acknowledge that the City has made no promise to continue to
appropriate funds beyond the current fiscal year.
5. Insurance Coverage; Vacation, Holiday and Sick Leave
The Employee shall not be entitled to the medical insurance plans, dental insurance plans,
vision plan, life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance plans, long term disability plan,
an Employee Assistance Program, retirement or deferred compensation plans, or any other group
insurance plan or other benefits that may be offered to some other City employees. The Employee
shall not be entitled to paid vacation time, paid holiday time, paid sick leave, paid short-term
disability leave, or any other sort of paid leave as may be available to some other City employees.
EXHIBIT A
Teresa Ablao
Employment Agreement
July 1, 2016
Page 3 of 5
6. Applicability of Personnel Policies
(a) The Employee hereby acknowledges receipt of the City’s Personnel Policies and
Procedures and agrees that she shall comply with and be bound by all provisions that apply to
contractual employees. The Employee acknowledges that the City may in its sole discretion amend,
modify, supplement, rescind or otherwise change any and all policies and procedures in the
Personnel Policies and Procedures at any time.
(b) Although the City’s Personnel Policies and Procedures contains examples of types of
disciplinary action including dismissal and examples of misconduct, it is understood and agreed by
the Employee that the City is not required to take any disciplinary action whatsoever or follow any
sort of disciplinary procedures prior to terminating this Agreement pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4
above. In the event the City, in its sole discretion, decides to undertake disciplinary action, the City
may discontinue such action at any time and at no time waives its right to terminate this Agreement
pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4 above.
(c) In the event that any applicable personnel policies set forth in the City’s Personnel Policies
and Procedures are inconsistent or conflict with the terms of this Agreement, then the terms of this
Agreement shall be controlling.
7. Proprietary Rights
(a) The Employee will disclose to the City promptly all improvements, discoveries, ideas,
inventions, and information pertinent to the operation or functions of the City which the Employee
may develop either individually or in conjunction with others, or of which existence the Employee
may otherwise learn during the period of employment by the City.
(b) The Employee agrees that all products which she may develop during the Employee's
employment, whether individually or in conjunction with others, and all intermediate and partial
versions thereof, as well as all materials, flow charts, notes, outlines and the like created in
connection therewith (collectively referred to as “Work Product”), and any formulae, processes,
logarithms, ideas and other information not generally known to the public, whether or not protected
by copyright, and developed or generated by the Employee in the course of the Employee's
employment hereunder, shall be the sole property of the City upon their creation or, in the case of
copyrightable works, fixation in a tangible medium of expression.
(c) The Employee hereby assigns to the City the sole and exclusive right, title and interest
in and to all Work Product, and all copies of such Work Product, without further consideration. The
EXHIBIT A
Teresa Ablao
Employment Agreement
July 1, 2016
Page 4 of 5
Employee further acknowledges that the City shall retain ownership of and the right to reproduce,
market, license, or otherwise distribute any program or material produced by the Employee under the
terms of this Agreement.
8. Entire Agreement
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties concerning the rights
granted herein and the obligations assumed herein. Any oral representation or oral modification
concerning this Agreement shall be of no force or effect. Although the personnel policies set forth in
the City's Personnel Policies and Procedures may be amended, modified, supplemented or
rescinded at any time at the sole discretion of the City, the terms of this Agreement can be modified
only by a writing signed by the parties hereto. It is further understood and agreed by the Employee
that no representation, promise or other agreement not expressly contained herein has been made to
induce the execution of this Agreement, and that the terms of this Agreement are contractual and not
merely recitals.
9. Enforcement of Agreement; Attorneys' Fees and Costs
If any action is brought to enforce or interpret the terms of this Agreement, the prevailing
party shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees and costs in addition to any other relief to which it
or she is entitled.
10. Severability
Should any provision, part or term of this Agreement be declared or determined by a court
of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, then the legality, validity and
enforceability of the remaining parts, terms and provisions should not be affected thereby and said
illegal, invalid or unenforceable part, provision or term shall be deemed not to be part of this
Agreement.
11. Binding Effect
This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties hereto and the heirs, successors and
assigns of each respectively. The City and the Employee freely and voluntarily enter into this
Agreement and have executed this Agreement having first read the same and intending to be bound.
EXHIBIT A
Teresa Ablao
Employment Agreement
July 1, 2016
Page 5 of 5
CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO,
a municipal corporation
By: __________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________
Assistant City Attorney
EMPLOYEE:
_____________________________
Teresa Ablao, Esq.
APPROVED:
_______________________________
Human Resources Director
APPROVED:
___________________________
Judge Kathleen M. Lane
EXHIBIT A
EXHIBIT A
JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE ASSISTANT MUNICIPAL JUDGE
The Assistant Municipal Judge shall handle arraignment sessions and trial sessions of the Fort
Collins Municipal Court on the dates and times agreed upon with the Municipal Judge. During
arraignment sessions (including video advisements of prisoners held at the Larimer County Jail),
the Assistant Municipal Judge shall give the advisements (or ensure that written advisements
have been reviewed and signed by defendants), accept pleas of “guilty” and “no contest,” and
process paperwork as requested by the Municipal Judge or Court Administrator. During trial
sessions, the Assistant Municipal Judge shall conduct the trials in accordance with the laws and
procedures applicable to the Court.
EXHIBIT A