Time to think

Council members have a lot to think about.

Mayor Jack Robbins asked Dunkirk City Council to consider various issues — salaries for city employees, charges for fire runs and housing development — during its meeting Monday.

Robbins laid out various issues for council members Jesse Bivens, Dan Watson, Christy Curts, Randy Murphy and Donna Revolt to think about, including potential raises for city employees. Noting that the council will need to be looking at its salary ordinance soon in order to factor an increase into its 2025 budget, Robbins asked council members to consult with their respective department heads. (Each council member is assigned to act as a liaison for a city department.)

As part of the discussion about salaries, Robbins asked city attorney Wes Schemenaur for clarification about new federal rules regarding overtime.

As of July 1, an employee must make at least $43,888 annually in order to be considered exempt from overtime. (The previous threshold was $35,568.) The number will increase to $58,656 beginning Jan. 1.

Robbins noted that the changes will have an impact on the city’s fire department. He also indicated that there are separate rules for law enforcement, but that adjustments may need to be made for the police chief as well.

The mayor asked council members to think about possible solutions, which include increasing the pay rate to clear the overtime threshold, paying overtime and hiring additional employees in order to avoid the need for overtime. He said he and treasurer Kara Lowe will work together on the financial impact of each of those options.

Robbins also said he’d like to see the city begin the process toward a housing project, saying that Quincy Place is full and that the city is in need of more housing. He talked about the possibility of Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation identifying property and purchasing it for that purpose.

The idea led to a discussion about tax increment financing (TIF) districts, with Schemenaur explaining the process of creating the districts that are designed to capture additional tax revenue in order for it to be used to fund economic development and investment in infrastructure. He pointed out that the process, at its fastest, would take several months. 

There was also a brief discussion about annexation.

Robbins indicated that because the process of creating a new housing development can be a long one he’d like to begin efforts as soon as possible.

The mayor and council members also discussed charges for fire department runs outside of Dunkirk city limits. The current ordinance lays out fees for property owners for those fire runs. (In practice, Watson said, such charges have gone through insurance companies and not been assessed to those who are uninsured.) Robbins said he will do more research on the ordinance and asked council members to think about the policy.

Robbins also addressed water and sewage rates, saying he feels the city needs to increase them in order to keep up with wages and other costs. He proposed 3% increases to each. (The city’s master utility plan suggested making small increases each year in order to avoid the need for a large increase in the future.)

Schemenaur will draw up ordinances for 3% increases to go into effect for the first full billing cycle of 2025. Those ordinances will be advertised and be subject to public hearings before council takes a vote.

Lowe proposed the possibility of no longer sending disconnect notices for property owners who are late paying their water bills. She said eliminating the notice would save the city money. Schemenaur suggested reviewing the city’s water ordinance before making any such changes.

In other business, council:

•Heard from Robbins that the city is finalizing its updated applications for Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) 2.0, including the Stewart Brothers building, the city’s five year master plan and the city’s five-year park plan. The East Central Region, which includes Jay County, was awarded $35 million through the initiative.

•Learned from Schemenaur that an ordinance regarding creation of a non-reverting fund for permit fees for street cuts has been sent to the State Board of Accounts for its review.

•Heard from Robbins that a new door for city hall will be ordered through Superior Door, which agreed to honor a quote that had expired. Once ordered, the door is expected to take three to four weeks for delivery.

•Informally agreed to allow use of the council room in the city building for a Glass Days queen reception from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 17.

•Heard Curts compliment the paving work recently completed in Quincy Place as well as on Washington and Broad streets.

•Approved a $400 sponsorship for a 3-on-3 basketball tournament at Dunkirk City Park and payment of claims totaling $222,033.35.