08-14-2017 Council Special Budget Work Session Minutes

Home Search

CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORK SESSION August 14, 2017 APPROVED 1 CITY OF LINO LAKES 2 MINUTES 3 4 DATE : August 14, 2017 5 TIME STARTED : 8:15 p.m. 6 TIME ENDED 9:15 p.m. 7 MEMBERS PRESENT Council Member Rafferty, Kusterman, 8 Maher, Manthey and Mayor Reinert 9 MEMBERS ABSENT None 10 11 Staff members present: City Administrator Jeff Karlson; Public Safety Director John 12 Swenson; Community Development Director Michael Grochala; Finance Director Sarah 13 Cotton; Public Services Director Rick DeGardner; City Clerk Julie Bartell. 14 15 1. 2017 Budget — Finance Director Cotton indicated that at the last budget discussion the 16 council requested further discussion of the following budget items: 17 18 - Salary rate adjustment for the Community Development Director; 19 - Retaining police officer position after grant funding ends; 20 - New position in Utility Division. 21 22 Community Development Director Salary -Administrator Karlson explained the review 23 that has occurred that indicates a below market average salary this city's director; past 24 that he feels that the current director especially deserves this increase. 25 26 Mayor Reinert asked if the administrator intends to request salary increases for other 27 positions. Administrator Karlson suggested that a full compensation study would shed 28 light on where positions stand in the market, up or down. Currently his only request is 29 for the Community Development Director. Mayor Reinert asked if it would make more 30 sense to look at all the positions at once; he'd prefer for the council to consider the 31 subject and then not have to talk about it for a period. 32 33 Council Member Rafferty remarked that cities with larger population are apt to pay more 34 for these positions. He wonders if there a happy medium where the council can focus; a 35 place that would be more in line with this city's population? Mayor Reinert asked if 36 population is the only indicator. Council Member Kusterman said he understands that 37 looking at similar population cities is a way to start discussion and give some basis; but 38 he is also concerned that the staff cannot be treated as a commodity. 39 40 Council Member Manthey asked for more information on the manager positions in the 41 city; how are their salaries set initially and how An they move up. Administrator Karlson 42 noted that there is a six step salary range and people do reach that ceiling; there is some 43 concern with retaining good employees. In addition to the steps, there are raises based 44 on inflation (COLA). 45 fl