City grants cost of living increase
Employees of the City of Hillsboro will get a slight increase in their pay next year, thanks to a small cost of living increase.
The 1.4 percent increase was approved by the Hillsboro City Council Tuesday evening at their regular biweekly meeting.
The city grants this increase to its employees every year, said City Administrator Steve Garrett. This year's percentage matches the increase in Social Security payments, but the 1.4 percent amount is smaller than most years.
Also at the council meeting, members again delayed making the final payment for the electric shop to Flaming Metal of Peabody.
Councilmembers Shelby Dirks and Matt Hiebert still have questions about a wind brace attached to the building, which they say looks like an "afterthought."
The city should find out how much money it took to install that brace and how much time workers spent installing it, Dirks said.
"I'm just not pleased with that particular aspect of the building," he said.
If the council isn't completely satisfied with the entire product, it can elect to keep a ten percent "holdback" amount, said Mayor Delores Dalke.
In other council business:
— Figures presented to the council show that the Hillsboro Municipal Pool continues to lose money.
As of Nov. 30, 2002, pool expenses for this year exceeded its income by $5,843.28. It's taken in $23,659.67 in pool receipts and concession sales, but it's expended $29,502.95 in operation costs.
This loss of $5,843 is actually a great improvement over last year's numbers. In 2001, the pool's expenses exceeded its income by $13,365.61
— Galaxy Cablevision has informed the city that residents' cable rates will be increasing.
For basic cable service, the rates will increase from $33.95 to $35.95.
— The city approved a purchase by the Hillsboro Community Medical Center that will bring the hospital its own CT scan machine.
The hospital is buying a used CT scanner for $50,000. $45,436 of that will come from funds left from the 1999 bond issue. The rest of the money will come from the hospital mill levy fund.
Prior to the purchase, the hospital had been leasing a CT scanner for $48,000 a year.
— The city will consider a new fireworks ordinance in its January meeting.
