Raises a possibility?

DUNKIRK — The possibility of granting raises to city employees is under consideration here, as 2011 budget deliberations begin.
“I’d like everyone to think about giving our employees raises,” councilman Eric Bowler suggested to other city officials at Monday night’s council session.
Dunkirk city employees have not received an across-the-board pay hike in three years due to budgetary constraints, and Bowler said he felt a raise was overdue.
Mayor Ron Hunt agreed that it was time to think about granting the employees a raise, even if it was not a very big one.
Councilman Tom Johnson said that perhaps a year-end bonus would be better, if that proved possible.
Council members are just beginning the process of setting up next year’s budget. At Monday night’s meeting, councilman Chuck Rife cautioned, “The whole budget will require a lot of consideration,” in light of the city’s tight financial situation.
In other business Monday night, council members:
•Selected The Schneider Corporation to work with city officials on a planning grant proposal for the future expansion of the Dunkirk City Public Library. Jay County community developer Ami Huffman said she is in the process of preparing the state grant application for approximately $50,000, and so far everything is on schedule.
•Agreed to split the cost of paving the parking lot at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7081 with the local VFW post. Located at the corner of Main and Washington Streets, the property is owned by the city and leased to the VFW post under a 25-year agreement.
VFW representative Mike Shannon said he believed the total cost of the project would be about $2,000.
City attorney Bill Hinkle said he believed this was a permissible city expense, as the city is actually improving its own property.Other improvements on the site will continue to be made by the VFW.
•Listened to complaints about the lack of good cell phone reception in Dunkirk. The city seems to be “in a black hole” as far as cell phones are concerned, Rife said.
Shannon said he would like to see reception improved for the benefit of businesses and residents. Shannon added that he was willing to volunteer to work with city officials in trying to get some improvements made.
•Heard a report from Jay County Development Corporation executive director Bill Bradley that both Saint-Gobain Containers and SDP Manufacturing are in substantial compliance with the terms of their tax abatement agreements with the city. Bradley said the city’s tax abatement committee also felt this way.
•Received a report from Tom Johnson, councilman in charge of the city parks, that vandals had damaged two of the large doors at the park shelter house. He asked that council members consider the installation of new style doors to replace the old ones.
•Learned that representatives from RCM Excavating will begin videotape work in connection with the start of the city’s water main replacement project this week. Garr said the videotaping should start Wednesday.
•Approved the purchase of two automatic water hydrant flushing devices from Water Solutions of West Lafayette. The units will cost $1,850 each and are designed to improve water quality. Councilman Bowler said that one has already been installed in the area of Mt. Auburn and Johnson Streets as a test location, and area residents report that water quality has improved.[[In-content Ad]]