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51 <br /> <br /> Council discussed the issues involved in salaries, <br />including ~competition with other cities, fairness to other <br />employees, recruitment, parity between firefighters and <br />police, and bonus pay. <br /> <br /> Mr. Hendrix stated that a salary survey is being <br />conducted and should be completed in December at which time <br />he will provide Council with a report including turnover <br />rates, information on Social Services, master patrol and <br />firefighter~ system, national ~workman,s compensation ~ <br />information and middle range teacher salaries. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano recommended that Council .discuss the matter <br />in a work session after the salary information.is provided. <br /> <br />Budget Process - SPecialization/Accountability <br /> <br /> Council discussed ways in which individual Councilors <br />could become specialized in various departments and the time <br />constraints and management issues involved. ~ <br /> <br /> It was agreed that a somewhat informal approach would be <br />taken-by Councilors to becoming specialized in various <br />departments and Councilors indicated their individual <br />interests as follows: Ms. Slaughter - Parks and Recreation; <br />Mr. Vandever- - Public Works; Mr. Toscano - Housing Authority, <br />Social Services, Fire Department~ Economic Development and <br />Finance~ Rev. Edwards - Economic Development, Public Works, <br />and Education; Ms. Waters - Downtown DeveloPment, Housing and <br />Transportation. <br /> <br />Restructuring: Finance Departmegt/City Attorney <br /> <br /> Mr. Vandever stated that he felt the checks and <br />balances in City government needed to be maintained and <br />advocated for a restructuring in th~ Finance Department and <br />City Attorney's office which would make both department's <br />directly responsible to the City Council rather than the City <br />Manager's office. Mr. Vandever noted that technically the <br />Finance Director is appointed by Council.__ Mr. ~Vandever <br />stated that this change~would give the Finance Department <br />more of a watchdog status. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano stated that he was comfortable with the City <br />Attorney's present structure. Mr. Toscano listed potential <br />benefits of restructuring the Finance Department: providing' <br />Council with the broadest information possible; allowing the <br />Finance Department to question other departments; and <br />insulate the Finance Department from pressure from the City <br />Manager's office. Mr. Toscano raised concern that such <br />restructuring would move the Council in the direction of <br />becoming more full time and questioned whether Mr. Vandever's <br />concerns were more with the Council/Manager form of <br />government in general. <br /> <br /> Mr. Vandever stated that he was trying .to'retain the <br />citizen council form of government and felt that close <br />supervision by C~uncil was important to the Council/Manager <br />form of government. <br /> <br /> Mr. Hendrix stated that from a practical standpoint many <br />concerns raised by Mr. Vandever, such as the watchdog role, <br />are already addressed by the Finance Department. Mr. Hendrix <br />noted concern about accountability issues involved with <br />removing the City Manager's authority over the Finance <br />Department and stressed that he felt the Finance Director <br />would not hesitate to bring any concerns directly to Council. <br /> <br /> Ms. Slaughter stated that she felt the matter was worthy <br />of further exploration. <br /> <br /> Rev. Edwards stated that he felt Mr. Vandever raised <br />some good pointso <br /> <br /> <br />