Anderson council approves incentives for 13 of city’s middle management

NEW COP ON THE BEAT:
Garett Maxwell recently joined the Anderson Police Department after graduating second in his class from the Butte County 121st Academy.

The Anderson City Council voted 4-1, Melissa Hunt dissenting, to raise the salaries of 13 non-contract city employees with a three percent Cost of Living Adjustment as well as include other payroll benefits.

The three percent raise was put on the agenda as union employees of the city, including APOA and teamsters, were receiving the raise through their agencies. The council voted that the non-contracted employees’ salaries, the managers, should not lose ground to what Webster called, “rank and file” employees.

Morgan figured the difference in payroll cost to total $108,286, of which, he said, “$30,750 was already included in the adopted budget, and $77,536 was added to the budget as a result of the added items.”

The council included the police chief and captain in the contract, as councilmen Phil Burnett, Keith Webster and Butch Schafer echoed the opinion that the heads of the police department deserve manager’s status.

We had a council workshop and set priorities. The top one was to retain management,” Schaefer said.

“I question the timing,” said Hunt. “Yes, they deserve it. But it seems disrespectful to people given a pink slip to turn around and give their bosses a raise.”

Hunt referred to the hiring freeze in the city during the winter of 2008 and the delivery of two pink slips to city employees.

“We have to step up, even though it hurts,” Shaefer said of the raise.

The council included three other benefits to the non-contracted employees’ salaries.

First, a five-percent certificate pay will reward management for extra education or reaching a benchmark of expertise.

“This currently applies to the police chief, captain, chief wastewater treatment plant operator, parks and recreation director, and deputy public works director,” Morgan said. Second, a five percent longevity pay bonus will reward those with 15 years of City employment, and a seventh step on the salary scale. For the longevity bonus, currently only police chief, public works director, and public works supervisor qualify, according to Anderson City Manager Scott Morgan.

Third, a seventh step was placed on the salary scale. This enables management to receive a five-percent pay raise after their sixth step and after receiving a satisfactory performance review, according to Morgan.

Water for Pleasant Hills, Vineyards

The city council also voted unanimously sign a contract with Robert Loring to pay $100,000 towards an agreement to build a water-booster project that will push water uphill to the heights of the Pleasant Hills subdivision and allow the initial housing projects at the Vineyards to pass building code.

The $1 million project would draw $316,359 from the developer of Pleasant Hills, Robert Loring; another $316,395 from Henry Willms, landowner of the Vineyards project; Loring and Willms would then contribute to two-thirds of the City’s share of $414,395.

Developer of the Vineyards, Sandy Sanderson, isn’t responsible for payments toward the improvement until a future phase of the water project, according to Vice President of Development for Sanderson Communities, Roger White.

Parks and Recreation Dept. wins grants

Parks and Recreation Director Ken Hartman announced that the department was awarded a $150,000 grant from the McConnell Foundation towards the construction of an amphitheater in K.C. Grove.

The grant will provide the city with matching funds to apply for bigger grants, Hartman said.

The entire amphitheater project was projected to cost over $1 million.

“This is a really big boost for the city to be able to seek out and apply for bigger money,” Hartman said.

Hartman also announced a $9,500 grant won from the Shasta Regional Community Foundation towards the purchase of new disc golf baskets to be installed on the course at the Anderson River Park. Some of the funds are earmarked towards a disc golf camp for youth that will convene this summer.

In other business

Chief Dale Webb introduced Officer Garett Maxwell to the council as the newest police officer at the APD. Maxwell graduated from the Butte County 121st Academy last Friday as the second in his class.

Also, the city council approved the plans to renovate the historic fire station on East Center Street. The Anderson Redevelopment Agency has allotted $250,000 to improve the building, landscaping, lighting and a new flag pole.

The glass roll-up doors to be installed will show off the Anderson Fire Protection District’s old fire engine. The district has stated that it would provide maintenance work on the building.