Split city council OKs employee pay proposal

The Cape Girardeau City Council spent most of its time Monday night discussing a recent study conducted by an outside firm to determine whether city employees were receiving salaries and benefits competitive with similar markets.

At the end of the night, council voted to move forward with the implementation of the recommendations from the study, though approval was not unanimous.

City manager Scott Meyer and other staff met with employees last week to discuss the study, performed by CBIZ Human Capital Services. The plan includes an increase in starting salary for employees to increase competitiveness, but some attending the council meeting voiced concern about the overall pay scale that would be implemented if the city moves forward with the study's suggestions.

Police and fire employees with seven or fewer years of experience would receive the same level of compensation. That's compared to four years' experience for employees in other departments.

Michael Allen, Cape Girardeau Firefighters Association vice president, addressed the council -- as well as Cape Girardeau Regional Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 51 president Doug Hays -- asking members not to approve the plan.

One issue raised by Allen was how the proposal could add to high turnover rate in the fire department. Since 2007, 22 members have resigned from the department, which he described as "an indication of trouble."

Hays also questioned whether removing the possibility of compensation for "superior work input" would remove incentive for police officers to remain in Cape Girardeau. The city could become little more than a training ground for new officers, he said.

Councilman Wayne Bowen proposed delaying the vote until the council's April 6 meeting to allow time for discussion and consideration of issues raised by police and fire employees. He said he supported many items in the proposal, but had questions. Delaying such a vote would hardly be unusual, he said, referring to a recent decision to amend the ordinance regarding admission of minors into bars that took months of consideration.

" ... Something related to the livelihood of our most critical city employees deserves a little patience and time for reflection," he said. "I don't see the urgency."

The motion to delay split the council, with Bowen, Shelly Moore and Victor Gunn in favor of the postponement. Mark Lanzotti, Joe Uzoaru, Loretta Schneider and Mayor Harry Rediger prevailed in their approval to continue moving forward.

When the council voted to give initial approval to the proposed recommendations, Bowen was the sole council member to vote against the measure, which appropriates $112,108 to cover costs for the initial year to implement the pay restructure plan. About 170 employees will receive raises.

Rediger said he was "ready to move the Cape Girardeau employee family ahead" with the recommendations from CBIZ, which were approved by city staff. He acknowledged the shift wouldn't be easy, but said the conversation on how to address concerns and inequities would not end just because of the vote taken Monday night.

"It takes a process to fix those inequities, and I personally ask our city manager and our leadership to come back with some priorities on inequities that we can start to address in a relatively short period of time, based on available resources," Rediger said.

Meyer said the city has a process that allows employees to work with supervisors to bring up inequity issues, which are evaluated and addressed as the budget allows.

Other business

The council unanimously approved the adoption of the 2015-2020 Capital Improvements Program. The finalized list was shortened from its original draft after city council asked staff to remove some smaller-ticket items it felt didn't belong in a list of capital improvements projects.

An agreement with Lochmueller Group for the downtown parking study also was approved. The cost of the study, which focuses on an area encompassed by the Downtown Community Improvement District, is not to exceed $15,000. Funding will be provided through grants, the Special Business District and the Industrial Development Authority of Cape Girardeau County.

Another continuing project that received council approval a contract with KCI Construction Co. for a new five-lane slide and mat racer at Cape Splash Aquatic Center. The proposed construction cost is estimated at nearly $1.27 million. Revenue from the city's 1 percent restaurant tax will help pay for the project.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.