City Council Minutes 10-29-1983 SpecialMINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING - MONTICELLO CITY COUNCIL
October 29, 1983 - 8:00 A.M.
Members Present: Arve Grimsmo, Fran Fair, Dan Blonigen,
Ken Maus, and Jack Maxwell.
Members Absent: None.
A special meeting of the City Council was duly held on Saturday,
October 29, 1983, at 8:00 A.M. in the City Hall. Members present
were Grimsmo, Fair, Maus, Maxwell, and Blonigen. Members absent,
none. Also present was City Administrator Eidem.
Eidem initiated discussion explaining that the sole purpose of
this special meeting was to develop a salary strategy for establishing
1984 salaries for nonunion personnel. Eidem explained that he hoped
that he would be provided with guidelines for establishing employee
salaries for the next year. He stated that there were, in his
opinion, various alternatives they could pursue. He indicated that
one method might be to provide a percentage or a gross dollar figure
that would be assigned for basic salary adjustments and another
figure, percentage or dollars, that could be utilized to award merit.
Councilmember Blonigen stated that he felt no raise was warranted
for the employees in 1984. He stated that he thought the Public
Works Department was highly inefficient, and he had complaints about
the length of coffee breaks and the amount of travel being done by
the Public Works Director and Street Superintendent. Eidem stated
that with respect to coffee breaks, the maintenance people were
instructed to take their breaks at the garage rather than in the public
eye so as to avoid undue criticism. Mayor Grimsmo indicated that he
had not received any of the complaints that Blonigen claimed he had
received. Blonigen countered by saying that people probably would
not complain to the Mayor since the Mayor tended to defend the City
workers. Councilmember Fair asked if Blonigen could supply documentation
supporting his accusations of the alleged inefficiencies. Blonigen
stated that he did not need to supply documentation, that he watched
it occur himself, and when he wasn't home he had his wife observe the
comings and goings at the City garage. Eidem started to disagree with
the allegations, but Blonigen acknowledged that there was this dis-
agreement, and that he and Eidem had talked about these differences
on other occasions.
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Council Minutes - 10/29/83
The Mayor requested the conversation be turned toward the projected
percentage of inflation in the past year and in the coming year.
Eidem reported that the Wall Street Journal had stated that
inflation for 1983 was currently at 3.9% and the economic fore-
casters for major firms in the U.S. were projecting anywhere from
4.5% to 6% cost of living increase for 1984. Councilmember Maus
indicated that since the City gave salary increases of 7% to 7.250
in 1983, when the inflation factor was only 3.9% to date, the
City should adjust for that over accommodation this year and keep
the salary adjustments more in line with the exact rate of inflation.
When asked by the Mayor what his position was, Maxwell indicated
that this being his first year on the Council, he didn't even know
the current level of salaries. Eidem read through a list of the
current salaries. Mayor Grimsmo indicated that it might be best
to survey the individual Council members to determine what ideas
they had in terms of a percentage increase. He suggested that
depending on the range an acceptable average might be arrived at.
He indicated that he thought 5% was appropriate. Councilmember
Fair indicated that she had originally thought 6% would be appropriate,
but in light of some of the conversation she now felt 5% would be
appropriate. Both Blonigen and Maxwell felt that no increase was
appropriate. Maus indicated that based on the actual cost of
living projections, he felt that somewhere in the 3% to 4% range
would be adequate.
Eidem stated that before a final determination was made, he would
like some points specifically addressed and clarified. He indicated
that if it was the consensus of the Council that the City was, indeed,
run inefficiently then it is the manager that should be approached.
He stated that he thought the operations ran fairly well and that
the inefficiencies were not as significant as alleged, but admitted
that his particular theory of management (theory Y & Z) may differ
substantially from any other theory of management Councilmember
Blonigen may advocate. He went on to state that if his method of
management was not producing the desired results and that was an
opinion that was unanimous with the Council, then it would be in
the Council's best interest to look for a manager who would do
precisely what they wished. Directing the conversation back to the
salary topic specifically, Eidem requested that the ceiling that
is set by the Council be an actual ceiling as opposed to an artificial
ceiling. He informed the Council that the $360 annual insurance
escrow that had been approved for each employee at an earlier Council
meeting had been omitted due to a ruling of the Attorney General.
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Council Minutes - 10/29/83
He explained that this benefit, even though approved by the Council,
could not be provided for the employee. He finally requested
clarification as to whether or not he should include himself in
the salary increase pool or if he should plan to negotiate
separately. Councilmember Maus indicated that he should exclude
himself to avoid any accusations that increases were lessened
for other employees so that he could give himself a greater increase.
Mayor Grimsmo again asked for everybody's determination of an
appropriate increase. He did indicate that averaging would not
work and, as such, he would call for a motion. He stated that
based on tenure and performance he still favored the 5% range.
Councilmember Fair indicated that she still preferred the 50
range. Blonigen maintained his position that no increase was
warranted. When asked if he felt that office and clerical staff
also did not deserve an increase, Blonigen responded that he
thought the office personnel were doing a fine job but that it
didn't seem fair to grant an increase to some employees but not
an increase to the others since their operation, in his opinion,
did not warrant an increase. Maxwell stated that he felt the
City employees as such were overpaid in comparison to his employees
and himself, and that he would not be proposing much of an increase
for his employees in the upcoming year. Maus indicated that the
3 and a fraction percent to 4% still seemed appropriate. Motion
by Maxwell, seconded by Maus, to increase employee salaries for
1984 by 30. Voting in favor: Maxwell, Maus, Fair, Grimsmo.
Voting in opposition: Blonigen. There being no further business,
the meeting was adjourned by the Mayor.
Thomas A. Eidem
City Administrator
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