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LINO LAKES CITY COUNCIL <br />WORK SESSION <br />MINUTES <br />DATE: October 9, 2023 <br />TIME STARTED: 6:00 PM <br />TIME ENDED: 6:27 PM <br />MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilmembers Stoesz, Lyden, Ruhland, Cavegn, Mayor <br />Rafferty <br />Staff members present: City Administrator Sarah Cotton; Finance Director Hannah Lynch; Human <br />Resources and Communications Manager Meg Sawyer; Public Safety Director John Swenson; <br />Community Development Director Michael Grochala; City Planner Katie Larsen; City Engineer <br />Diane Hankee; City Clerk Jolleen Chaika. <br />1.Review Regular Agenda <br />Mayor Rafferty opened the work session with the focus on Agenda Item 3A. He noted that at the <br />(October 2, 2023) work session, Council discussed additional options for paid on-call (POC) fire <br />fighter compensation and provided staff with direction to present further options. Mayor <br />Rafferty expressed concern that the options included in the packet were different than his <br />recollection of direction provided to staff. <br />Staff clarified for Council that the four (4) options as provided in the staff report are different <br />options based on Council discussion but that Option C specifically displayed a starting pay of <br />$21/hour with $1/year raises until year five (5) as requested by Mayor Rafferty; staff further <br />clarified that Option C also included cost of living adjustments (COLA) but the chart displayed <br />only shows through 2024 Council has only approved COLA through 2024. <br />Discussion was held on the four (4) options presented. Councilmember Lyden stated that the <br />proposed compensation increases touch on only a part of the problem and that he rather see <br />that one problem reviewed with others in a comprehensive plan. He expressed concern about <br />the pay jumping ahead of what other surrounding communities are paying and that this pay <br />increase may help in the short-term but it does not address long-term issues. <br />Councilmember Cavegn concurred with Councilmember Lyden and added that what the City is <br />doing right now (to recruit and retain POC fire fighters) is not working; he would like to see an <br />investment in a comprehensive plan to address bigger systemic issues. <br />Councilmember Ruhland said that the pay increases are not a guaranteed fix but that if the <br />increase delays initiation of a full-time fire department for two years, he is in favor of the <br />increase. He added that there is something to be said about being at the top. He also said that if <br />we have people running into burning buildings that are getting paid less than people cutting <br />grass, there is some wage injustice that needs to be addressed. <br />56