Council splits vote on raises

A vote to approve Portland’s new salary ordinance did not pass after council members disagreed on the raise for city employees. 

Portland City Council discussed the proposed 2020 salary ordinance, which includes a $2,000 raise for each employee, at its meeting Monday. 

Council also began the process of possibly canceling two planned sewer rate increases.

Before council discussed the salary ordinance, which it tabled at its June 17 meeting, Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman made a few comments about the raise amount. With unemployment low, several city employees scheduled to retire in the next few years and others leaving to pursue higher paying jobs, the raise would be beneficial for the city, Geesaman said. 

“(Clerk-treasurer Lori Ferguson) and I oversee 55 employees, so we want to be fair and unbiased to any and all departments,” Geesaman said. “All departments are key and important in their own way but also at risk each day to the hazards of the workplace.” 

The $2,000 proposed raise averages out to almost $1 an hour raise for employees who work 40 hours a week. 

However, council member Judy Hedges took issue with Geesaman’s comment that all departments face the same dangers. 

“Our police department and our fire department are at a higher risk … the fire and the policemen are working holidays, weekends, evenings, all three shifts,” Hedges said. “Not Monday through Friday, hour off at lunch, maybe one person on call.” 

Hedges said the police and fire departments deserve more money, but if every employee is getting the same raise, it should be $1,000 instead of $2,000. Council member Janet Powers agreed, making a motion to halve the proposed raise. 

But council member Judy Aker disagreed with their assessment. 

“You know how hot it’s been, can you imagine the street department and the water department guys are out, and the sewage department guys are out working in this kind of weather?” Aker said. “I know I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t be out all day in this kind of weather, so they’re at risk just like everybody else is.” 

While Hedges disagreed that all city employees shared the same risks, pointing out that firefighters and police officers have to respond to dangerous scenarios, she made a motion to approve the ordinance with the $2,000 raise. 

“What’s going to happen, in the end if we lower it 50 cents, it’s actually going to hurt the police and fire department,” Hedges said. 

Bill Gibson, Aker and Hedges voted in favor of the ordinance, Donald Gillespie and Powers voted against it and Kent McClung and Michele Brewster were absent. Because the three “yes” votes were not the majority of the seven-member council, the ordinance was not approved. 

The issue will be brought up again at council’s next meeting July 15. 

Also Monday, council introduced an ordinance to possibly eliminate two planned sewer rate increases for city residents. 

Indiana Department of Environmental Management is allowing the city to reevaluate its plan to resolve two agreed orders with the state. Because of that, council heard at its June 17 meeting, the two rate increases will not be necessary. 

Sewage rate increases of approximately $5.25 per month went into effect in 2017 and 2018, and two more were planned for this year and 2020. 

Council did not take any action on the ordinance Monday. 

In other business, council: 

•Approved amending a three-year tax abatement for Priority Plastics and a five-year abatement for Fort Recovery Industries. Abatements for the companies were approved last year, but both had their projects delayed until this year. Council allowed the companies to shift their abatements by one year.  

•Heard that Fisher Packing Co. is seeking a three-year tax abatement on more than $500,000 in new equipment for its Portland location. The company is planning to purchase new coolers, refrigeration equipment, a carcass rail and processing equipment, which is expected to create four new jobs. Council forwarded the request to the tax abatement advisory committee. 

•Allowed Portland Fire Department to release the title of a 2010 Ford Explorer. The vehicle was totaled in May and was traded in to Kelley Chevrolet of Fort Wayne for a $1,000 credit toward a new Chevrolet Silverado, which should be ready by the fall. 

•Transferred $13,825 from the aviation other contractual fund to the aviation equipment fund for a new courtesy vehicle for Portland Municipal Airport. Portland Board of Aviation purchased a 2016 Ford Fusion SE from Moser Motors to replace the current vehicle, an aging police cruiser. 

•Settled a matter brought up by Portland resident Mark Iliff at council’s last meeting. Iliff told council his neighbor had placed railroad ties on their property line and he wanted them removed. City attorney Bill Hinkle looked into the matter, ultimately concluding that the railroad ties did not constitute a fence and the city and building/planning commission could not get involved. 

•Learned that the 2020 budget for the city will soon be ready for review. 

•Paid Jones & Henry $7,388 for work at the wastewater treatment plant. 

•Paid claims of $1,151,187.39.