MEETING OF THE CITY OF
CONNELL,
The special meeting, of the City Council of the City of
PRESENT: Mayor Gary Walton, Mayor Pro-Tem Perry Skoglund, Councilmembers Andy Sawyer, Monica Pruett, Ron Boyer and Roel Martinez.
STAFF:
City Administrator
City
Administrator Tackett updated Council on the Energy Park Project.
WSU had been awarded a $3 million grant for a project somewhat the same
as the City’s Energy Park Project. Staff
was in the process of submitting a piece of legislation for congress as part of
the appropriations process in regards to the
Mayor Walton
inquired about having the
City
Administrator Tackett provided a diagram of the
CONGRESSIONAL LETTER
Public Works Director Munyan advised that he had been contacted by the American Water Works Association in regards to help support stopping the passage of the Energy Policy Act due to the “Safe Harbor” provision which would protect gasoline manufactures from product liability lawsuits stemming from contamination of groundwater by the additive of MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether).
Public Works
Director Munyan reported that if the “
Mayor Walton suggested the letter be sent to all of the City’s legislators.
STAFF BENEFITS
City Administrator Tackett provided that the City needed to take a look at how to deal with staff benefits due to the rising increase in cost of benefits. There were a number of options available. Some options discussed included; to leave things as they were and pay full benefits, have employees share the cost increase, have the City pay a flat rate and employees make up the difference, some of the cities paid all the benefits and more, and one city was instituting the cost share in steps. Administrator Tackett advised that in looking at other cities, as it related to paying for benefits, it was all over the board and no specific direction that one group had taken that seemed to work better than others. There could also be the need to look at salaries and make adjustments.
City Administrator Tackett also advised that Council may need to wait on further discussion depending if all employees were able to join the Teamsters insurance or if some joined but others remained on AWC. The rates for Teamsters insurance were less than those of AWC.
Mayor Walton advised that City offered full benefits in order to keep employees and have fewer turnovers but that perhaps a cap needed to be placed.
City Administrator Tackett advised that AWC’s insurance did not cover preventative care and that the Teamsters A plan was better than AWC’s A plan.
Councilmember Skoglund expressed
that somebody had to pick up the tab for the rising cost of benefits.
At
There being no further business
to be heard before the City Council, Mayor Walton adjourned the meeting at