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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, September 9, 2013 Page 11 that the previous presentation by the Police Civil Service Commission indicated that the Police Department, which was not part of the study as they were union, seemed to have an ample group of applicants and a good record of employee re- tention, suggesting that the City was paying a good wage and attracting too many qualified people. However, Mr. Kysylyczyn opined that the study provided no in- formation on non-union employees, while yet requesting that the City Council ap- prove one of three significant options to increase employee compensation. Mr. Kysylyczyn further opined that there was no evidence provided on competitive communities and their positions, or evidence to further support this request; again further opining that just because neighboring cities pay more, the City of Rose- ville shouldn't. Mr. Kysylyczyn opined that the study told him nothing, but the taxpayers were being asked to pay more, with a levy increase above the rate of in- flation, just to give City employees a pay increase based on a study with no in- formation to support it, and whether recruitment or retention is actually a prob- lem. No one else from the public appeared to speak. Mayor Roe advised that specifics of the compensation study would be discussed when that item came up on the agenda; and focused this discussion on the three requested actions and resolutions for the budget itself, as outlined in the RCA. Councilmember McGehee expressed her preference to address the questions brought up by Mr. Kysylyczyn at this time. Councilmember McGehee clarified that the Employee Compensation Study had been done, not by a labor attorney, but by Springsted, a third party consulting firm. While also noting that the Police Department appeared to have a great many applicants for vacancies in the de- partment, Councilmember McGehee noted that as a union, they were operating at a 100% average with peer communities for their salaries/benefits unlike other City employees. Councilmember McGehee stated that she agreed with Mr. Ky- sylyczyn that all of the factual information on employee retention and other num- bers had not been provided, even though it would have been helpful to have avail- able; however, she noted that the City did have evidence that one of its long-term employees had recently left employ at the City of Roseville for another metropoli- tan community at a very substantial salary increase. Councilmember McGehee further stated that a majority of the levy increases being experienced by Roseville taxpayers right now were coming through as debt service for improvements and addressing infrastructure needs and improvements neglected during the periods when the levy was less than the Consumer Price Index (CPI), causing the City to now have to play catch-up for its reserve funds and other areas. At the request of Councilmember Laliberte, Finance Director clarified the pro- posed employee Compensation Plan as recommended in the 2014 City Manager Recommended Budget, as detailed in the highlighted box on page 1 of the RCA.