Minutes - Council Work Session - 08/13/2013

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ask more pointed questions and have more comfort in talking with someone that is not the final decision maker. Councilmember Riley stated he would agree that increasing the wage scale will make recruitment easier and since experts were hired, he would ask why the City Council would not want to follow their recommendation. He asked Human Resources Manager Lasher about her position. Human Resources Manager Lasher stated she is reluctant to increase the pay grade but since the City has recruited twice unsuccessfully, she welcomes professional advice. However, she would recommend being conservative in the wage offered. Councilmember Kuzma stated the City has a large project and to move it, someone with contacts and skill sets is needed, which would be a senior level employee rather than an employee at the bottom of the pay scale. He stated support for the recommendation to attract that senior level applicant. Councilmember Kuzma stated this recommendation moves up the scale, but keeps the bottom about the same so he is not sure whether it will attract a higher -level candidate. Councilmember Johns stated support for Springsted's recommendation. She stated if this position is an integral part of the plan going forward and the City has not been successful in several recruitment events, this may be the "magic bullet" to get it done so she supports moving forward. Mayor Pro tem Backous stated he is torn with this decision and would rather post "For Sale" signs on the property. He stated the only reason he would support hiring for this position is to address the rest of Ramsey. Mayor Pro tem Backous stated it bothers him that Springsted was hired and paid $6,500 and their recommendation is to pay a higher wage scale but he would support it as long as the position is paid at the lower range of the scale. He stated if recruitment is not successful this time, he would no longer support filling this position. Human Resources Manager Lasher stated Springsted referenced the City of Moorhead who had just recruited so she contacted them. The City of Moorhead offered a salary range of $70,093 to $75,768 and found and hired an excellent candidate from the private sector at $73,000. Mayor Pro tem Backous polled the City Council, noting six were in support and one opposed. The majority consensus of the City Council was to support Option 1 to increase the wage scale by eight percent to bring the range up to $73,173 to $91,465. 2.02: Review Environmental Policy Board's 2013 - 2014 Proposed Work Plan Associate Planner/Environmental Coordinator Anderson described the activity of the Environmental Policy Board (EPB) during 2013 and presented its 2013 -2014 proposed Work Plan as detailed in the staff report. City Council Work Session / August 13, 2013 Page 3 of 9