City council approves employee pay scale
Staff reporter
A salary scale was reviewed Tuesday by Hillsboro City Council for full-time city employees.
City administrator Larry Paine presented the information to the board for consideration.
The objective, Paine said, was to establish a compensation plan where salaries should begin and end, and adjust annually.
A maximum 2.5 percent cost of living adjustment was approved, as was the proposed plan, by the council, but it is not an across-the-board adjustment.
Some employees will receive up to the maximum COLA but others may not — depending on where they rate on the tables Paine compiled.
The step plan is designed to give employees in specific positions fair and reasonable pay increases. Paine commented that he wasn't sure why some employees were being paid what they were.
"Right now employees' pay is all over the board and I don't know why," Paine said.
Mayor Delores Dalke asked how a merit in
crease would be handled. Paine reported that the employee would go up one or two steps, per the plan.
"This is wonderful," Dalke said.
"This puts everyone on the same plan instead of shooting from the hip," Paine said.
He further explained that employees will not receive pay increases only based on longevity.
"We don't move up people just for taking up space," Paine said. "They have to earn it."
For those employees who may receive negative reviews, they will be placed on probation and required to meet immediate performance goals, Paine said. If not met, the employees would be terminated.
The council approved the salary scale, steps plan by employee classification, and level of salaries.
In other business:
— Following a budget amendment hearing the council approve the amended budget which provided an additional $1.3 million dollars in spending power.
Paine said there were four budgeted expenses that were not included in the budget — municipal court, DARE, K-9 unit, and sales tax.
This amendment does not affect the mill levy.
— A payment to Ranson Financial Consultants, LLC, for $345 was approved.
— The council approved a resolution declaring the city's boundaries as required by statute on an annual basis.
— Recycling charges will increase to $1.80 per month for Hillsboro utility customers. A resolution was approved to allow the increase. The increase is passed to the customer because the recycling center increased the cost to the city.
— A policy was approved to establish an accounts write-off policy.
— Cereal malt beverage licenses were renewed for Duckwall/ALCO, Casey's General Store, Hillsboro Municipal Golf Association, Ampride/Cooperative Grain & Supply, and Vogt's Hometown Market.
