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282 <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano expressed concern that higher paid.employees <br />get higher increases and suggested consideration be given to <br />bonuses to higher paid employees or sliding employees which <br />would not lock the City into higher salaries for future <br />years. <br /> <br /> With regard to the issue of equity, betw~een salary <br />increases for City and School employees, Mr. Hendrix noted <br />that if the City government downsizes and employees are ~asked <br />to work harder and if the schools do not do the same, there <br />may not need to be the same salary increases. <br /> <br /> Ms. Waters stated that she thought there was a need to <br />look at giving raises and look at different ways to <br />accomplish this, at the same time recognizing the need to <br />maintain some differential between levels of employees <br />without having the lower levels fall behind. <br /> <br /> Mr. Vandever and Ms. Slaughter expressed agreement with <br />the suggestions made by Mr..Toscano and Ms. Waters and <br />requested that staff provide Council with options. ~ <br /> <br /> Mr. Hendrix stated that he thought staff would need <br />professional help to explore changes to the City's pay plan <br />and to look at other ills which might be present in the <br />system, adding that he would not want to have changes be a <br />disincentive to management personnel. <br /> <br /> Council adjourned for a break and dinner and reconvened <br />at 8:00 p.m. <br /> <br />SOLID WASTE <br /> <br /> Council discussed options and set a schedule for <br />consideration of a fee for curbside trash collection. <br /> <br /> Mr. Vandever stated that he would favor backing the cost <br />of solid waste out of the tax rate and financing the program <br />100% with fees. <br /> <br /> Ms. Waters expressed concern that Mr. Vandever's option <br />would be a regressive tax and that a significant number of <br />people would have difficulty with that system. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano expressed concern that a 100% fee system <br />might encourage illegal dumping. Mr. Toscano noted that the <br />cost of recycling is likely to increase at least in the short <br />term and questioned whether imposing a fee makes the City <br />less accountable since it is easier to increase fees than it <br />is to increase taxes. <br /> <br /> Ms. Slaughter stated that she did not think renters <br />would benefit from reducing taxes since their rent is not <br />likely to decrease, but they would have to pay the additional <br />fee. <br /> <br /> The option of privatizing trash collection was <br />discussed. <br /> <br /> Ms. Waters stated that she thought privatizing trash <br />collection would be a major philosophical change in the type <br />of service the government provides. <br /> <br /> Mr. Toscano stated that he felt a fee would provide <br />people with an incentive to recycle. <br /> <br /> Mr. O'Connell questioned whether Council wanted staff to <br />continue to explore a base level of service. Mr. Toscano <br />replied that he felt providing a base level of service would <br />be extremely complicated and Ms. Waters stated that while it <br />has some appeal, she did not know of a practical way to <br />administer it. <br /> <br /> <br />