Certified workers will get extra $$

Street department employees who are certified pool operators or are a certified mosquito pesticide operator will be paid an additional $15 per pay period — at least for now.

Portland City Council approved an ordinance authorizing extra pay for the employees at its meeting Monday.

Council members also heard an annual report about Portland City Court.

Currently, Matt Shauver is the only certified pool operator in the street department, and there is no one certified to spray for mosquitos. He was not compensated in the past for his certifications.

Shauver told council that a few street department employees are willing to get certified, but want to be compensated for it. The ordinance proposed $15 per pay period, but Shauver said employees were hoping for 25 cents per hour instead.

“For 25 cents on the hour, it’s an awful lot of responsibility to take on, and dedication every weekend,” Shauver said. “If we don’t give them the money, good luck getting somebody to step up and do it … I did it, but I devote every weekend, evenings to the pool.”

One of the problems council discussed was that each city department has a different way of paying for certifications. Some do extra money per pay period and some pay on the dollar. For 40-hour work weeks, 25 cents per hour would come out to about $20 extra per pay period. Council member Judy Hedges called on Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman to meet with his committee tasked with examining the issue.

“That’s one of the reasons we talked back in 2017 about coming up with a committee to look at all of these departments,” Hedges said.

“We get this payroll ordinance put in front of us and it’s totally different than what another department does. That was the whole purpose of the committee, which was supposed to be started back in December.”

Geesaman said he would be getting the committee together in the next few weeks. Council considered tabling the ordinance, but the training for the certifications begins this month.

Council member Bill Gibson, who made a motion to approve the ordinance as-is, said the committee should be able to address any differences in payments across city departments.

“It might be more later on but right now (the $15) will get them started,” Gibson said. “If (the street department’s payment for certification) comes up the same as everyone else, then everyone’s going to get the same. But for right now to get people certified, I say go with the $15, get it started.”

Judge Donald Gillespie also presented his annual report from Portland City Court. Overall, the court collected $206,338 from tickets and fines in 2017. The city received $69,397, the county took $32,827 and the state collected $93,968.

The court dealt with 1,507 cases in 2017, up from 1,407 in 2016. There was a spike of activity in June, which is when the court took over Dunkirk City Court cases after that court closed.

Gillespie thanked the council for its support of the court, and said it is an important asset for helping people get their tickets taken care of quickly. He also commended court clerk Missy Puterbaugh, who has worked to collect $59,760 in past-due tickets since 2013.

In other news, council members Hedges, Gibson, Janet Powers, Michele Brewster, Don Gillespie and Kent McClung, absent Judy Aker:

•Paid Jones & Henry Engineers $1,697 for work on the wastewater treatment plant improvements.

•Approved the closure of Morton Street from Aug. 17 to 27 for the Tri-State Tractor and Engine Show. Association president Chris Engleheart also told council that in 2019, the show will be five days long instead of its usual four days.

•Heard an update on the Army Corps of Engineers flood mitigation project. The county has been approved for up to $10 million in flood mitigation work. Geesaman said the engineers are still assessing what to do and will probably have an update in six to eight months.

•Heard that the National Run for the Fallen will stop in Portland on June 23.

•Paid $1,060,779.69 in claims.