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Public outcry in Bluffs kills staff pay hikes
By WAYNE AYERS
Article published on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 |
BELLEAIR BLUFFS – Fifteen percent pay raises for City Clerk Debra Sullivan and Public Works Director Robert David were removed from the agenda of a special meeting that followed Monday night’s workshop session after several City Commissioners said they could not support the increases.
A strong public reaction to a newspaper story regarding the proposed salary hikes apparently caught the public’s attention. Commissioner Dave Shimkus said he had not had as much public input on an issue since the city’s waste services contract came up for discussion.
“I’ve had a lot of comments, a whole bunch of input, and not one person has said, ‘We should pay these people more money,’” Shimkus said.
Commissioner Troy Krotz repeated a charge he made at last month’s commission meeting that hefty pay increases at this time are irresponsible.
“People I talk to agree. Financially, (the increases) make no sense whatsoever,” he said.
Krotz said the issue should have been brought up last November when employee job evaluations were done. At that time, both David and Sullivan were given 5 percent raises.
“Have their jobs grown astronomically since last November?” Krotz asked.
“People are a little upset about (the pay increases),” Commissioner Robert Russo said, adding that he was tired of all the phone calls he was getting on the subject. Russo said Sullivan should be compensated for the extra work she put in when the city’s fire administration was uncertain.
“But I can’t go the $10,000 (proposed raise),” he said.
Tempers flared between Krotz and Mayor Chris Arbutine during the discussion. Arbutine, who originally proposed the increases saying the job responsibilities had grown, defended the raises as necessary to retain good people. He chided the commissioners for “whining” about what good people Sullivan and David are and then refusing to pay them accordingly.
“Don’t call me a whiner,” Krotz shot back. “You don’t sit in the middle of a fiscal year and come up with a huge pay raise.”
Krotz urged Sullivan and David to not take the pay increase issue personally. He said both were very good people.
Commissioner Hunt Brand said he agreed with Arbutine’s assessment.
“It’s not fair to have people doing extra work and not paying for it just because the budget’s tight,” he said.
The mayor said he was taking the item off the agenda of a special meeting to be held following the workshop.
“I can read the tea leaves. There are three ‘no’ votes,” he said.
Shimkus concluded the discussion by terming the pay increase issue “a very, very touchy subject.”
Residents roused by neighbor’s chickens
“Something needs to be written regarding farm animals,” commented Public Works Director Robert David after learning that the city has no ordinance that prohibits a Del Rio Drive resident from keeping chickens. Neighbors are objecting to the animals, specifically their smell, the noise they make and the droppings they leave. The city does have a law banning businesses from selling chickens less than 6 weeks old, he said.
David submitted a draft ordinance for consideration that would ban farm animals in the city. In the meantime, the offending resident is being cited for having a nuisance and has a May 19 date to appear before the special master.
“Best yet” Fourth of July event planned
The city is teaming with the Bluffs Business Association to produce this year’s Fourth of July picnic. The city will fund the event, and the business association will staff it, City Clerk Sullivan said. A popular dessert contest will be done by the business group.
Sullivan said she is concerned that all the publicity being generated about the event will cause more people to come. A tent may have to be set up outside City Hall where people will eat, she said. Previously, tables were inside the air-conditioned community center.
The city is cutting costs by taking actions such as serving water only instead of soda. Nonetheless, Sullivan promised this year’s event “will be the same or better than ever.”
Resident seeks payment for fence
The commission showed little interest in reimbursing a Lentz Road resident who put up a fence to protect her property from balls, bottles, and other debris which she said landed in her yard from the city park and playground. Wanda Rusinowski had sought $1,086 from the city to pay for the fence.
Mayor Arbutine suggested splitting the costs with Rusinowski. Krotz said the city would be setting a bad precedent by becoming involved.
Shimkus said no payment had been made to other residents whose properties bordered the park.
Rusinowski should have made her request before she built the fence, said Brand.
“We didn’t have any agreement to do this,” he said.
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Article published on Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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