Minutes of The Special Price City Council Meeting

City Hall: Price, Utah

March 16, 2004, 7:00 a.m.

Present:

Mayor Joe L. Piccolo Joanne Lessar, City Recorder

Councilmembers: Pat Larsen, Finance Director

Betty P. Wheeler Gary Sonntag, Public Works Director/City Engineer

Stephen L. Denison Nick Tatton, Community Director

Richard Tatton Aleck Shilaos, Chief of Police

Jeanne McEvoy

Joe Christman

Others Present:

Bret Cammans Dana Young Lisa Richens

1. BUDGET WORKSHOP - Personnel

Pat Larsen presented two personnel reports pertaining to current earnings, estimated earnings and benefits. She placed a 10% increase in insurance benefits in the proposed budget, but will not know the actual increase until the first of April. The proposed budget includes a $91,000 increase for insurance, $74,000 for Workmans Compensation, and $200,000 in wages, which includes new positions. If this projection continues for the next three years, wages will have increased 5% and benefits 8%. Personnel costs have seemed to escalate and are more than the projected revenues. The cost of living increase amounts to $64,500.

Following are the new positions, promotions and requested changes:

Fire Marshall - Full time

Water Treatment Plant Operator III - Full time

Data Processing - Part time position

Finance Department Auditor - Promotion

Engineering Department promotion

Building Department promotion - Part time to full time

Building Department personnel upgrades

Public Works Complex Secretary upgrade

Police Department officer upgrades

Alcohol Enforcement overtime increase

Streets Department wage increase and one temporary position

Parks Department wage increase

Cemetery Department wage increase and one temporary position (expand Urban Forestry

program)

Library - Part time position to full time

If a second Operator I permanent/full time is hired for the Water Treatment Plant, a temporary person will not be needed. This will ensure that all operators at the plant are certified, which is in compliance with the State requirement. An Internal Auditor will not audit the Finance Department, but will audit the Policies and Procedures, equipment usage and needs, and personnel issues.

In order to try to reduce personnel costs, Pat Larsen will contact Utah Local Governments Trust to determine if there might be a deduction plan for pharmacy costs and what their costs would be for Workers Compensation insurance versus what we presently have. Pat explained the changes she made in the wage scale, which moves the maximum rate from 15 years to 25 years. State retirement rates have increased 1.47%, from 9.62 to 11.09%. Public Safety is increasing from $16.24 to 19.08%. The City has been paying 15.41% in retirement rates. If the City were to pay just the State Retirement rate of 11.09%, it would save $71,000.

An all day retreat is scheduled for Monday, April 19, 2004.

Meeting adjourned at 9:30 a.m.

APPROVED:

ATTEST: Joe L. Piccolo, Mayor

Joanne Lessar, City Recorder