City council agrees on 6% raises

Portland City Council on Monday agreed in principle to a plan for its 2025 salary ordinance.

Council discussed options for raises for city employees Monday, with Dave Golden starting the discussion by referencing data he looked at from an Association of Indiana Municipalities report. He said in studying cities similar to Portland, he found that it almost always fell in the lower half of pay rates. He added that pay levels for the city’s superintendents are not close to those in municipalities of a similar size.

Based on that information, he said he felt a proposed 6% raise for all employees was reasonable. He suggested an additional raise for department heads while also suggesting that elected officials should not receive longevity pay.

Council member Ron May added his feeling that he and his council colleagues should not receive a raise. Council member Matt Goldsworthy pushed for increases for the mayor and clerk-treasurer as well, saying low salaries can dissuade candidates from running for those offices.

Following the discussion, council members generally agreed on the following:

•6% raises for all city employees

•An additional 2% raise for a total of 8% for department heads, including the mayor and clerk-treasurer

•Longevity pay of $100 per year of service with a cap of $2,000

The ordinance as proposed also includes increases for car and full-time clothing allowances and a raise to $16 per hour from $14.44 for part-time firefighters.

The details discussed Monday will be drafted as an ordinance before council takes a formal vote.

Council also had various questions about the ongoing Indiana Department of Transportation U.S. 27 (Meridian Street) paving and sidewalk project.

Goldsworthy relayed a question about whether the street can be used for the Jay County High School homecoming parade next month, and May raised concerns about the status of the project following heavy rains last week and street closures with the Tri-State Antique Engine and Tractor Show coming up in a few weeks. There was also a question regarding access to downtown businesses with lanes along the sidewalks now closed.

May’s concern regarding rain was in relation to isolated flooding in areas where construction crews had placed mats over catch basins in anticipation of upcoming work. Those mats served to block water from draining and led to problems in front of Pit’s Cocktail Lounge and Beauty Bar in the north 200 block of Meridian Street.

Portland Mayor Jeff Westlake said he has talked with construction crews about the issue and that the mats can be removed by city employees if a similar rain event occurs. He added that he would address the questions regarding downtown businesses, the homecoming parade and the Tri-State show with INDOT. (Clerk-treasurer Lori Phillips said Indiana Department of Transportation is aware of the Tri-State show, which runs Aug. 21 through 24 and original plans had been for no lane restrictions during the event.)

Council members Kent McClung, Michele Brewster, Mike Aker, Ashley Hilfiker, Goldsworthy, Golden and May also approved allocating $59,023 for repairs to the east wall of The Greazy Pickle. (The city’s board of works agreed last week to hire Top Shelf Care of Fort Recovery to handle the work, pending council’s approval of the funding.)

The work needed to repair the wall follows the city’s demolition of 201 through 207 W. Main St. — The Bailey Building and the former site of Schmit Chiropractic — because of their deteriorating condition.

In other business:

•Council approved the following street closures: Main Street between Meridian and Harrison streets from 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, for the Portland Fall Festival from 3 to 7 p.m. and then the Jay County High School Class of 1989 until 11 p.m.; and Hayes Street from Race Street to an alley from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, for a birthday party.

•Arts Place executive director Carolyn Carducci accepted a $200 donation from May. She gave an explanation about how Arts Place is funded, noting that its $575,000 annual budget is made up of about $145,000 from endowments; $100,000 in direct donations from individuals; $100,000 from fees for services; $75,000 in grants; $64,000 from businesses; $30,000 from government units; $16,000 to $21,000 from its annual auction; and $2,500 in donations of supplies.

•May asked a question about the status of the Blaine Pike paving and multi-use trail project. Westlake noted that some fixes need to be done on the project. The city’s board of works approved that work last week.

•Council approved the following: A series of additional appropriations and the codification of ordinances that were approved in 2023.

•Hilfiker raised a question about recreational vehicles being lived in at R&R RV Repair. The mayor said he would look into the issue.

•Heard from Westlake that the early learning center in the former Judge Haynes Elementary School on the west side of the city is nearing completion.

•Briefly discussed stop signs again, with Golden asking about possible removal of the four-way stop at the intersection of Main and Pleasant streets and Hilfiker repeating her request to create a form to suggest such changes.