Minutes - Council Work Session - 09/14/2021

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Administrative Services Director Lasher stated the City’s non-union employees continue to fall below comparable cities in their pay grades. The patrol captains and sergeant groups have strong union representation, and they negotiate for comparable wages; however, non-union staff do not have that bargaining power and have fallen below comparable wages. She reviewed a list of 16 positions recommended for wage increases figuring in 3% COLA and other annual costs. A supervisor position was given the lowest possible increase with a net cost to the city of $3, to move them to the next step for the following year. There are 10 positions on the list that do not warrant a market rate adjustment. Councilmember Riley asked how the comparable cities were chosen, and who picked them. Administrative Services Director Lasher stated City Staff used a League of Minnesota Cities salary survey, looking at positions with similar duties, using 2021 data. City Administrator Kurt Ulrich stated the purpose is to demonstrate whether jobs are falling behind, and to make the City Council aware of the issue. Councilmember Howell asked whether the City Council could get a list of the comparable cities that were used. Administrative Services Director Lasher agreed, adding it will vary, as not every city has the same positions or job titles. Councilmember Riley stated there would be a $32,000 increase in 2022 if the City Council moves forward with this. He added, for purposes of transparency, this plan would build in salary increases for the next several years. Administrative Services Director Lasher agreed. Councilmember Woestehoff stated there is a lot of turn over happening in every industry and we have to do everything we can to retain city staff. He added turnover itself is very expensive. He stressed the importance of supporting staff and having reasonable expectations. Councilmember Musgrove asked whether there is another metric that can be used for comparison purposes, like the Minnesota Department of Labor. She asked for clarification regarding the $3 pay raise. Administrative Services Director Lasher stated that will get the employee on track and into the appropriate pay scale. She stated it is important to get employees on a corrected pay scale for the job they are doing. Councilmember Specht asked whether other benefits the city offers could be put into effect, such as more vacation or better retirement matching, to make Ramsey a more valuable employer. Administrative Services Director Lasher stated cities are incredibly comparable across the metro area in terms of benefits. City Council Work Session / September 14, 2021 Page 8 of 15