Council tables raise request

A decision on raises for 2022 will wait at least another two weeks.

Portland City Council on Tuesday tabled its discussion on raises for city employees after it could not come to an agreement about what the increase should be.

The council also briefly discussed the procedure for its upcoming consideration of a rezoning request from U.S. Aggregates.

Portland Mayor John Boggs again requested that the council approve a $1 raise across the board for full-time city employees and elected officials. (The increase does not include Portland City Court Judge Donald Gillespie, who indicated that he would not accept a raise.) Other proposed changes to the salary ordinance for 2022 included increasing the minimum salary for a variety of positions to $9 per hour to reflect the reality that no city department is starting at minimum wage.

Council had a lengthy discussion about the raises, which Boggs had proposed at council’s June 7 meeting. At that time, council discussed other options, including a 2% raise (about 44 cents per hour) and a 50-cent raise and asked to be provided with a range of options and their financial impacts. (Council did not hold its second June meeting because of “lack of an agenda.”)

As discussed Tuesday, a $1 raise would total $119,289 annually while a 50-cent raise would total $59,644.

Council member Janet Powers asked questions regarding cost of living and insurance costs. Boggs responded that while he did not have specific figures, some indicators, such as the price of gas, have gone up. Employee out-of-pocket costs for insurance have not increased, said clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips.

Powers then suggested tabling the discussion to allow for all members to be present. (Council president Kent McClung was absent from the meeting.) That vote deadlocked at 3-3, with Don Gillespie, Dave Golden and Powers in favor and Mike Aker, Michele Brewster and Matt Goldsworthy against.

Further discussion included Golden, who expressed concern about sustaining raises for the long-term, asking about the possibility of giving larger raises to police and fire department employees. Street and parks department superintendent Tom Leonhard and Phillips then advocated for equal raises for their departments as well.

“I’d like to come in here and ask for a dollar and get a dollar rather than come in and ask for $2 and get $1,” said Boggs, also advocating for the raises and adding that it is becoming more difficult to attract applicants for city jobs. “I know you want to be responsible and you don’t want to overpay and you don’t want your constituents to believe that you’re spoiling us, but the money that we pay to these people is well-earned.”

Michele Brewster moved to approve the $1 raises as proposed, but her motion died for lack of a second. (Goldsworthy indicated that he was in support of the motion but chose not to second it because he felt it did not have the votes to pass.)

Goldsworthy then reluctantly moved to table the discussion, with that motion passing 6-0.

On the topic of the U.S. Aggregates rezoning request, Golden asked about when and where the council meeting to discuss the issue would be held. He expressed concern that council chambers would not be large enough to accommodate those interested in attending.

City attorney Bill Hinkle explained that the meeting is not a public hearing and that it would be up to council as to whether they would hear comments from those in attendance. He also noted that if U.S. Aggregates makes a presentation at council’s next meeting July 19 it would likely not be for a vote, but rather to present information and start discussion about details of various commitments. (U.S. Aggregates, which last week received a favorable recommendation from Portland Plan Commission for rezoning of 108 acres to allow for the expansion of its quarry operation, has committed to working on items such as guaranteeing home values for 10 years for “losses attributed to the quarry.”)

Council has 90 days to act on the rezoning request after plan commission’s recommendation is certified.

In other business, council:

•Heard Boggs say he met with architectural firm Garmann Miller of Minster, Ohio, to begin preliminary discussions about preparing drawings for a potential city/county building at the current Bailey Building site, 201 to 211 W. Main St. He indicated that the city could acquire the building through a tax sale, seek state grants to demolish it and build a site to house various governmental offices. He said he’s talked to Jay County Commissioner Brian McGalliard about the possibility of sharing costs for a “preliminary letter of engagement” with Garmann Miller and plans to talk with commissioners as a whole.

•Approved a resolution to participate in the region’s application for the state’s Regional Economic Acceleration Development Initiative (READI) program, which is designed to “promote strategic investments that will make Indiana a magnet for talent and economic growth.”

•Heard Goldsworthy encourage residents to fill out the community park survey, which is part of the park board’s work to put together its five-year master plan. It is available at bit.ly/parksurvey21 and via the city’s website. Paper copies are available at city hall.

•OK’d the renewal of fire protection contracts with Wayne, Greene, Pike and Jefferson townships for 2022 at no increase from the current year.

•Heard the following from Boggs: the city will be seeking a grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help cover the cost of the proposed Meridian Street storm sewer project; he has spoken with several developers interested in housing projects in Jay County and that they plan to meet with Jay County Development Corporation’s housing task force next week; and the city picnic is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 29 at Hudson Family Park.

•Was introduced to Christy Shauver, the new director of Jay County Community Development.