CHAFFEE IS EXAMPLE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

The Chaffee Solid Waste Department's pay issue was a good example of democracy in action.

A few months ago, two city councilmen became concerned about the short hours worked by the department's three full-time employees.

They asked that accurate time sheets be kept.

And they discovered the department's workers rarely stayed for a full day.

They proposed the employees be paid only for the hours worked and set about collecting public input. And they got it. It seemed most folks wanted to keep things the way they were, paying the employees for 40 hours per week even if fewer hours were worked.

City leaders also studied federal law and decided there's no problem with overpaying employees.

And so, at a well-attended city council meeting Monday, it was decided in a split vote that the status quo would remain.

Now the city can move on to other issues.