City reaches accord with cops

On her last night as city manager, Dana Shigley received her wish to wrap up lengthy negotiations with the Anderson Police Officer Association on a two-year contract that includes a $300 increase per officer per year for the purchase and maintenance of uniforms.

The new agreement, called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), also requires all new hires to work five years longer, until age 55, before being eligible for retirement as well as pay the employee’s full share of California’s Public Employee’s Retirement System (PERS) costs – calculated at 9 percent of an employee’s annual salary.

A grandfather clause allows existing employees to continue to retire at age 50 with the city paying the employee’s 9 percent share of PERS until at least June 30, 2013, when the agreement ends, or until the city’s total per employee cost for PERS exceeds 59 percent. If that occurs, grandfathered employees would pay the entire amount greater than 59 percent as a member contribution on a pretax basis, where allowed, states the agreement.

Implementation of the latest round of amendments to the MOU, which originally took effect Nov. 1, 1985, and has been amended 12 times since then, will cost the city an estimated $4,200 each fiscal year through June 30, 2013, and an additional $26,200 annually after that, stated City Clerk Juanita Barnett.

The Anderson Council, with no debate or discussion, voted unanimously to approve the agreement on a motion made by Councilman James Yarbrough and seconded by Councilman John Day.

Councilwoman Melissa Hunt attempted to second the motion but did so while Yarbrough was still in the process of making his motion, so Mayor Norma Comnick could not accept Hunt’s second on a partial motion, according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

In other business during the short, 40-minute meeting, the council unanimously approved a contract for services with Interim City Manager John Blacklock, who takes on the duty Jan. 3, 2012.

Blacklock expects to serve as a temporary employee for approximately six months and will receive $90 per hour for up to 18 hours per week when no city council meetings are scheduled and 20 hours per week whenever the council holds meetings, the contract states.

In addition, Blacklock will receive $150 per diem for lodging, food and travel for each day he is at work in Anderson, approximately three days per week, according to the contract.

Under terms of the contract, Blacklock will receive no medical insurance benefits nor receive any paid leave time.

The city’s total costs for his services is anticipated to be $59,000, which is less than the city would have paid to a permanent city manager, outgoing City Manager Dana Shigley said as she presented the contract for the council’s consideration.

The council also unanimously voted to reinstate the position of Finance Director/Treasurer that was left vacant when Dana Shigley was promoted out of that position to Assistant City Manager in January 2008. In April 2008, the council eliminated that position.

Finance Office Manager Liz Cottrell was also promoted to the newly reinstated position and given a raise that will cost the city an additional $7,120 per fiscal year – half of it from the general fund and half from the city’s utility fees for water and sewage.

Finally, the council unanimously agreed to accept as completed the Veterans Walk of Honor memorial park project, authorize payment in full for the work, authorize the transfer of the property from the Anderson Redevelopment Agency to the City of Anderson and provide additional funding from the city’s general fund to pay for the entire project.

Originally estimated to cost $368,300 and split unevenly between the Anderson Redevelopment Agency, which paid $193,300 for a retaining wall; the city, which donated $64,625 representing half of the proceeds from selling Veterans Park; and the Anderson Veterans Walk of Honor Inc., a non-profit group that originally accepted responsibility for the balance of $110,375, Dana Shigley said.

However, two factors brought the total cost to $436,937. That amount does not include an estimated $60,000 that the non-profit group paid directly for such things as plants, the concrete eagle, all bronze signage, concrete block and brick work, name plaques, benches and the seven large, pre-cast concrete letters that were removed from the bidders contract to keep costs within budget, Shigley noted.

To cover the additional $68,637 over the original engineer’s estimates, Yarbrough asked the city to contribute $34,318 remaining from the sale of Veterans Park, funds that were not used on the Volonte Park restroom project. All remaining costs would be paid by the non-profit committee, which is also raising funds for on-going maintenance costs, as required by an agreement with the city.

The total cost, therefore, of Anderson’s new Veterans Walk of Honor now stands at $497,000, Shigley noted.