CC_Minutes_2014_0616 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Regular City Council Meeting Monday,June 16,2014 Page 19 Councilmember Willmus advised that he would not support the motion, as he needed to review and consider everything before the City Council, and if it was to consider offsetting some of the increases and timing of amounts received by staff in January of 2014, which he found to be fair and adequate, action needed to be taken at this time to limit increases over time. As a point of information, Mayor Roe sought information from Mr. Miller on the index used in the City's policy when considering COLA> Mr. Miller clarified that the CPI was used, not other cities, which provided a mar- ket based versus a peer based analysis. Mr. Miller noted that the City had already approved and become contractually obligated for a 2% or more COLA for its un- ion contracts, and others; with the local CPI currently at a 1.8% - 2% projected as of three to four months ago. Mayor Roe spoke in support of the motion, noting that the trends could be further analyzed as the year progressed; and was supportive of using the guidance in us- ing the CPI and Municipal Wage Cost Index as a way to calculate annual COLA. Roll Call Ayes: Etten; McGehee; and Roe. Nays: Willmus and Laliberte. Motion carried. New Personnel Councilmember Etten spoke in support of an adjustment in the Fire Department Model, as outlined in previous discussions; and increasing the current Forestry Position to work with developments and other city needs for forestry that are not currently being taken care of, suggesting that Community Development Depart- ment dollars may be available versus any new tax-supported levy dollars. Mayor Roe noted that the Forestry position need had been identified, and was not a specific Parks & Recreation request for 2015. Councilmember Etten concurred, opining that it would allow the City to get more immediate needs taken care of outside of parks. Councilmember McGehee opined that she was not comfortable with the Fire De- partment proposal, as referenced by a memorandum she had sent to Councilmem- bers earlier today. Councilmember McGehee stated that she was looking for an "apples to apples" comparison, and had yet to receive the figures she wanted; and once she had them, she could then participate in this discussion. Absent that in- formation, Councilmember McGehee advised that she could not support the pro- posed Fire Department model.