1998-03-26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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180 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETiNG A SPECIAL. MEETING OF THE COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON Thursday, March 26 at 5:00 p.m. IN THE Basement Conference Room. THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS AS FOLLOWS: Budget Work Session BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR BY Jeanne Cox (signed) BASEMENT CONFERENCE ROOM - March 26, 1998 Council met in special session on this date with the following members present: Mr. Cox, Ms. Daugherty, Ms. Richards, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Toscano. BUDGET WORK SESSION PAY PLAN Mr. O'Connelt explained that $900,000 has been set aside in the budget to implement pay plan recommendations and pay for performance increases. Mr. O'Connell said that the pay study should be completed at the end of April or early May and recommendations will be made to Council at that time. Mr. O'Connell said that one of the issues to be addressed by the study is salary discrepancies, and which were recently an issue of concern in the Police Department, though Mr. O'Connell noted that the discrepancies occur in other departments as well. Ms. Slaughter said that a 5% overall increase seems high. Mr. Cox asked if the pay plan recommendations could be a multi-year effort, and Mr. O'Connell said that the cost of the recommendations may require that. Ms. Slaughter said correcting inequities within the existing pay structure would be her first priority rather than making market adjustments. Mr. Toscano asked Councilors if their intent is to correct salary inequities across departments and not just phase in a few departments, and Councilors agreed that is their intent. AGENCY/DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS Mr. Cox, Ms. Richards and Ms. Slaughter expressed interest in increasing the frequency of Route 7. With regard to adding firefighters, Mr. O'Connell said that policy changes are required immediately as a resuk of new OSHA regulations at the site of fires, and the staffing issue is more long-term Mr. O'Connell noted that the Fire Department is in the midst of hiring five firefighters, two of which are new, and is beginning a major study which will address staffing. Mr. O'Connell said that he thinks a decision to add new firefighters should be delayed until the study is completed. Ms. Daugherty expressed concern about safety of firefighters and said she is committed to adding staff over a three-year period. It was agreed that funds for four firefighters would be held in a reserve fund, and that a final decision about staffing would be made by Council following the completion of the fire study.