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Options to fix city pay equity are discussed BRAINERD CITY COUNCIL Staff Writer Brainerd is working to ensure men and woman performing similar jobs with the city are receiving comparable pay.
Brainerd was informed by the state in early November that it wasn't compliant in its pay equity report. On Monday, the Personnel and Finance Committee was presented with several options to correct the problem.
Of the five options, the committee was in favor of adjusting 11 job classifications affecting 19 employees. The cost to the city would be about $25,279, with $7,750 of that allocated to Brainerd Public Utilities.
The other options cost between $20,000-$23,000, but affected only one to three other positions, resulting in large pay increases for those employees.
"I think the more people we get closer to the line the better off you're going to be," council member and Personnel and Finance Chairman Mark O'Day said in the committee meeting. "If you see one person get a huge raise ... then that could create problems."
The city must be in compliance by Dec. 20 and submit a report to the state by Jan. 20. The council on Monday unanimously directed staffers to research further alternatives using the preferred option.
In other action, the council:
Approved a purchase agreement with KTJ Limited Partnership to sell the partnership the city-owned portion of the East Brainerd Mall parking lot at a cost of $291,000.
Gave consent for Crow Wing County to issue Brainerd Lakes Integrated Health System project revenue notes not to exceed $12 million.
Was informed by Mayor James Wallin that the Department of Veteran Affairs office was moving from the state hospital property to the former World on Wheels Skate Center along Jackson Street next to the Brainerd Area Civic Center.
Adjourned to 6 p.m. Monday at Brainerd City Hall for budget workshop and 5-7 p.m. Tuesday in room E203 at Central Lakes College for a College Drive reconstruction open house,
Approved sending a letter to Wausau Paper to see if the company would consider donating paper or trees in response to a request from resident Steven Wolff. The council also felt Wolff, who at the Oct. 20 council meeting suggested the city approach Wausau Paper about donating a portion of paper from its new sheeter machine to the Brainerd School District, should talk directly with the school district about his proposal.
Approved by a 6-1 vote waiving a $250 rezoning fee for Mildred Thiesse on land Thiesse is in the process of donating to the city. Thiesse was seeking the rezoning for a tax write-off, council member Bob Olson said, and therefore she should have paid the fee. Council member Mark O'Day said the city should waive the fee because the property was being donated and the rezoning wouldn't affect the city. A previous motion to deny the waiver was defeated by a 5-2 vote, with Olson and council member Bonnie Cumberland in favor.
MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.
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