HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packets - 2025/10/06
CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
MOUNDS VIEW CITY HALL
Monday, October 6, 2025
5:15 p. m.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL: Lindstrom, Gunn, Meehlhause, Clark, Smith
4. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
A. Public Works Grievance
5. AJDOURN
THIS PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY
Public Works Collective Bargaining Unit (CBU) – July 30, 2025 Grievance
Staff Report
Background:
After Council approved Resolution 10121, “Approving the Hire of Clint Schumann to Public Works
Utilities Maintenance Worker Position,” on July 14, 2025 staff received a formal grievance from the
Public Works Bargaining Unit with the nature of the grievance specific to: “Hiring a new employee at a
higher step classification than any current member of the Public Works Bargaining Unit,” on July 30,
2025.
On August 6, 2025 Administrator Zikmund met with the complainant Mike Schnur and all members of
the Collective Bargaining Unit (CBU) at Public Works to better understand their concerns, specifically
inquiring if their remedy meant to include all members of the CBU being brought up to Step 9
retroactive to January 1, 2025. This request was affirmed.
On August 18, 2025, the City Administrator and HR Director met with the Bargaining Unit Stewards and
Complainant Schnur to review and discuss the grievance. Complainant Schnur recorded a portion of the
meeting on his cellular device, however not the entire discussion.
Staff clarified that the Grievance process, per the CBU agreement would follow the City of Mounds View
Policy Manual to which they concurred. Staff clarified wages/compensation were exempt from the
grievance process per City Policy 6.02 Grievance Procedure. All present in the meeting were given a copy
of City Policy 6.02. The CBU was informed per City Policy 6.02 pay increases or lack thereof are not
grievable – and Complainant Schnur indicated he was unaware wages were not grievable. Complainant
Schnur requested to have the grievance heard before Council.
Complainant Schnur appeared before council at the August 25, 2025 Council Meeting and delivered
information to Council during Item 9.B., Reports of Staff, requesting Council hear the grievance. Council
agreed. At their workshop on September 2, 2025, Council set Monday, October 6, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. for
a Special Meeting to hold the hearing. That time has been moved to 5:15 and the CBU was advised of
the change.
On August 26, 2025, Staff received an updated Grievance document that detailed – “Increase all
employees who would meet step 9 of the wage compensation scale, no matter what grade, who meet
or exceed all of the requirements for step 9 effective July 30, 2025.” The document identifies the
following four Public Works CBU members who should be elevated to Step 9 within their current grade,
effective July 30, 2025: Michael Schnur, Brett Brisbois, Scott Vandervegt, and Nick Bohmert.
Facts:
1. The City Council adopted Resolution 9854 Authorizing the 2024 Pay Plan on January 8, 2024after
a comprehensive market wage study began during the summer of 2022 and concluded fall of
2023. The plan has 17 Grades and 9 Steps, reaching the maximum wage at year 7. The previous
compensation plan had 6 steps, reaching maximum wage by year 5.
a. Every employee in the city received a step increase at the time of implementation.
b. Step increases are used to ensure the city remains competitive in the market with
similar sized cities. In addition to a step increase, an employee also gets a Cost of Living
(COLA) each year.
c. From Step 1 to Step 9 takes 7 years, advancing to Step 2 on the 6-month anniversary,
and then Step 3 on the one-year anniversary, and yearly from that point until reaching
their seven-year anniversary date.
d. Section 2.01 D Compensation and Classification of the Personnel Manual states,
“Generally, new employees will begin at Step 1 of the 9- step plan. The City Council may
however authorize a new employee to start at a step other than Step 1 in consideration
of experience and qualifications.”
e. Absent some formal discipline process, a step increase is granted based completely on a
time schedule. An employee mostly needs to remain in the employment of the City.
2. Public Works was at an impasse ratifying their 2023 – 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Staff suggested allowing Public Works to commence using the suggested 9-Step Compensation
Plan effectively retroactive to January 1, 2023. With that suggestion, the CBU ratified their
1/1/2023 – 12/31/2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement effective December 11, 2023,
retroactive to 1/1/2023. This information is significant, as members of the CBU began their
wage earning the higher compensation one year prior to other members within the
Compensation Study.
3. There are 9 other members of the CBU, one Grade 7, four Grade 6, and five Grade 5.
4. Mr. Schumann was hired as a Grade 5, Step 9.
a. Mr. Schumann holds all required certifications (and some additional)
i. Mr. Schumann holds a Class B water license (as does one other member of the
CBU), we have one Class A and one Class C, the remainder are Class D or none).
A is the highest.
ii. Mr. Schumann holds a Waste Water Class SC along with Schnur and Ulrich. All
others hold a lower, Class SD, or none.
iii. Mr. Schumann has 10 years of direct municipal experience, along with 18 years
of direct related experience (self-employed lawn care and machinist).
iv. Mr. Schumann is one of 3 out of 10 who holds a Class A Commercial Driver’s
License, the rest are Class B.
v. Mr. Schumann accepted the position conditional upon a negotiation that
included a vacation bank and starting at Step 9. Staff and the HR Committee
recommended approval of Mr. Schumann’s requests. The Council approved
Resolution 10121, Approving the Hire of Clint Schumann to Public Works
Utilities Maintenance Worker Position. The approval included all requests
negotiated by Mr. Schumann with staff.
vi. Public Works (the City) requires that each member of the CBU have the
minimum required water and sewer license D and S-D respectively.
vii. The City is required by the MDH and the MPCA to have at least one (1) A water
license (based on the City population and water treatment facilities) and one (1)
S-C waste water license (based on the City population).
viii. Employees hired without the required water and waste water license need one
(1) year experience in the related field or working closely in the field, before
they are eligible to take the required test issued by the MDH and MPCA.
5. Since February 27, 2023 the city has hired 25 new employees. Of those, 11 were hired at Step 1.
However, of those 11; two started in a higher grade than their previous city position/employer.
6. Of the remaining, five were at Step 2, two were at Step 3, one was at Step 4, one was at Step 5,
two were at Step 6, one at Step 7 and two at Step 9. The remaining two were CSO’s who were
hired at Grade 4, Step 1.
a. Note – Joe Keding was hired January 8, 2024 at Step 7. Mr. Keding was scheduled to
advance to Grade 5, Step 9 August 26, 2025 had he not accepted the position with
Shoreview and terminated effective June 20, 2025. Clint Schumann was hired as Mr.
Keding’s replacement.
b. Note - Joe Ulrich was hired February 10, 2025, as the Streets & Stormwater Lead. Mr.
Ulrich started at step 6. (He had no previous supervision experience.)
c. Ben Geisbauer, as part of a promotion, went up a grade and two steps to Step 6. (He
had no previous supervision experience.)
d. Over the last three years the number of Public Works Employees with experience and or
required licenses has been limited and it’s been difficult to fill vacant positions.
i. The Council approved in 2024 the start of an internship. This resulted in hiring
Nik Loder, primarily in the Utility Division. In 2025 the City hired Kyle Smith to
the Utility Division. Both Nik and Kyle have no Public Works experience or the
required licenses.
Personnel Policy:
NINE-STEP COMPENSATION PLAN
The City uses a nine (9) step compensation plan for regular full-time and part-time employees. The nine
(9) step plan is the first phase of the overall compensation policy and shall consist of nine (9) increments
with the highest step, Step 9, representing 100% of the positions maximum compensation rate.
Progress through the Steps
Generally, new employees will begin at Step 1 of the nine (9) step plan. The City Council may however
authorize a new employee to start at a step other than Step 1 in consideration of experience and
qualifications. Employees hired to start at Step 1 will be eligible for an increase at six (6) months of
service. Advancement to subsequent steps would occur on the employee’s anniversary date until the
employee reaches Step 9. Advancement to a subsequent step necessitates (1) a performance evaluation
rated satisfactory or better by the employee’s supervisor and (2) approval of the Department Head and
City Administrator. The progression from Step 1 to Step 9 represents a span of seven (7) years.
Policy Issues:
1. The policy manual, which is agreed to in the CBU agreement, states wages/compensation are
not subject to grievances.
a. Legal has advised the grievance likely violates this clause.
2. The policy manual states the City Council may authorize a new employee to start at a step other
than 1 in consideration of their experience and qualifications.
a. The policy manual clearly allows council to start at a step higher than 1 and in fact has
done so 14 out of the last 25 hires with 4 of them occurring in public works.
Next Step (s):
Council is the next step in the process, Council can move to support the grievance or deny.
If the council supports, the remedy requires moving the four named individuals to Step 9.
If the council denies, the CBU has the ability to initiate the Binding Arbitration process.
Council could “offer” a compromise, staff has no suggestion on what that might be.
Concerns:
1. If council supports the grievance, in current or modified form, a memorandum of understanding
should accompany it detailing that any other subsequent similar in any manner or form, related
whatsoever grievance - will be allowed/accepted.
2. If the council chooses to support, staff recommends repealing the provisions in the policy
manual detailed above as the net effect of the decision renders those provisions obsolete.
Respectfully;
Administrator Zikmund
Director Peterson
Director Ewald