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Regular City Council Meeting Monday, September 9, 2013 Page 25 history indicates that it isn't a consistent system. Councilmember Laliberte stated that she needed to feel confident that staff was sufficiently trained to implement such a merit program correctly before she could consider that as an option. Mayor Roe opined that it was a valid question as to why two (2) of the options proposed kept the merit pay system in place while one (1) did not. Mr. Trudgeon advised that it went back to the compensation study, and if under- standing the thought, if an option was proposed that was not at 100% average of peer communities, there should be something in place to provide for the City's star performers. Mr. Trudgeon agreed wholeheartedly that it needed modifica- tion, and suggested that if that was what was holding up a decision on the com- pensation option, it be put in a separate place to work with existing staff and res- urrect that to achieve agreement. Mr. Trudgeon noted that a uniform application, with buy-in and a comfort level for all members of the City Council was reasona- ble. Mr. Trudgeon advised that staff's rationale for including the merit pay sys- tem in the options was due to not reaching a 100% competitive option; however, if 100% was reached, there was no reason to include the merit pay system com- ponent. Councilmember Laliberte opined that there was a reason for including or not in- cluding merit pay; in theory and in practice; with Department Heads fully aware of and knowledgeable of the merit pay system and whether or not they're support- ive of it or not. Councilmember Laliberte suggested that the discussion was back to two (2) different decisions: policy and implementation. Mayor Roe suggested that the merit pay portion should be separated from that discussion. Councilmember Laliberte concurred, opining that it should be excluded from both conversations. Mayor Roe recognized the need for a decision on a policy; however, he expressed his interest in returning to a discussion of the study itself, and concerns of indi- vidual Councilmembers with that study, whether those concerns are shared across the body or not. Councilmember Etten advised that he could support the CPI approach; and while understanding there were enough questions with the study to cause some concern; he opined that the Springsted presenter didn't understand the City's compensation system sufficiently; and everyone needed to get back to the big picture for com- pensating employees, including healthcare and other pieces of the puzzle. Reiter- ating his support of the CPI approach, Councilmember Etten opined that this re- moved some of those questions from the process and outside the process.