04/03/2001 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 4/3/2001 ,,~ Mr. McKay scheduled a Finance Committee meeting for 6 p.m on Tuesday, April 10, to ~~ discuss Ordinance 2001-52. The Building Commissioner and Finance Director are asked to attend. Mr. O'Grady scheduled a Public Safety Committee meeting at 6 p.m on Wednesday, April l 1, to review a liquor license and Ordinance 2001-55. Mr. Nashar scheduled a BZD Committee meeting for 6:30 p.m on Tuesday, April 10, for discussion of Planning Commission items. He asked that the Building Commissioner and City Engineer attend. Mrs. Kasler scheduled an Infra-Governmental Relations and Legislation; Long-Range Planning Committee meeting for Wednesday, April 11, at 6:30 p.m to discuss Ordinance 2001-46. Mr. Miller scheduled a Recreation Committee meeting immediately following the Intra- Governmental Relations and Legislation; Long-Range Planning Committee meeting on April 11 to discuss Ordinances 2001-51 and 2001-53. The Safety Director is asked to attend. Mayor Musial said he had concerns over the statements of some of the Council members which allude to patronage or favoritism on giving pay raises. With regards to Councilman Nashar's comments that the raises are merited at three percent, he doesn't think a three percent pay increase is a merit increase. It merely mirrors a general pay increase which we have negotiated in the police contract. With regards to Councilman Limpert's comment of deficit spending in past years, he wants to be sure it's clear that such spending occurred prior to 1998 before the new Finance Director and he took office. With regards to Councilman Miller's comment that it is Council's job to be conservative in spending, while he's pleased that Councilman Miller recognizes that being conservative does have some merit, he would add that it is Council and the administration's job to be prudent in the spending of public funds. With regards to Councilperson Kasler's comment that the raises in excess of three percent serve to benefit only select individuals throughout the city, he thought it was made perfectly clear that most of the city employees are already at the top of their union scale or administrative range. The Clerk of Council was given roughly a 14% increase to the maximum of the new range; the Assistant Director of Finance was given roughly a 10% increase, the final figure being below the maximum of the new range; the Assistant Clerk of Commissions was given an 8% increase, which is below the maximum of the new range; the Personnel Duector and Data Processing Commissioner were given roughly a 6% increase to a figure below the maximum of the range. Mrs. Kasler said she was again a little disheartened at the personal nature of some of the remarks. She too takes her job very seriously-thus, the reason for the careful watch on the budget as she has done as a Councilperson as well as an administrator. She really doesn't understand the reference to deficit spending in an era when flooding was rampant and was vigorously addressed. She thinks that there is an unfair comparison to f 10