ASHLAND – Ashland City Council Members on Tuesday approved 2.5 percent raises for non-union employees for one year.
Non-union employees will also see improved life insurance benefits and increased stipends for things like education.
The raises and benefit increases are in line with those already approved for members each of the city’s collective bargaining units, as negotiated in the new union contracts.
Approximately 75 of the city’s 238 employees are supervisors or support staff and are not part of a union, according to city finance director Larry Paxton.
In addition to the raises, council approved a 20 percent increase in the salary ranges for each non-union position.
This is something the city has done routinely in the past in order to remain competitive with its wage offerings. It does not mean that the staff members in those positions are bumping the top of the pay scale, according to Mayor Matt Miller.
As part of the discussion about the wage ordinances, council president and first ward representative Steve Workman questioned why supervisors receive a “supervisory stipend.”
Workman said while he does not begrudge any city employee his or her salary and benefits package, he does feel a duty to citizens to inquire about that city’s policies.
“It stands to my reasoning that a supervisor, generally speaking, makes more than a non-supervisory staff member anyway, yet they receive a stipend over and above that simply for being a supervisor,” Workman said. “Is that correct?”
Miller responded by saying the stipend was added more than 20 years ago after a union negotiation in which potential stipends were awarded to union members. The person who was mayor at that time felt a need to increase supervisors’ compensation packages in order to be fair to all employees, Miller said.
Workman also asked whether city employees can receive payouts for unused vacation time.
In response, Miller said he encourages all staff to use their vacation time each year. Paxton said the city’s practice has been to allow employees to carry over no more than 40 hours of vacation time from one year to the next and to allow payouts for unused vacation in some cases.
Council members also scheduled a public hearing to be held during the council’s regular meeting July 2 to consider the city’s zoning regulations to allow apartment complexes to be built in all properties zoned M-4.
Miller said the current zoning rules allow hotels but not apartments in areas zoned M-4. He added that he believes changing the rule could help spur development on U.S. 250 East, where developers have expressed interest in constructing apartments.
The council is expected to appoint a new member by the end of the month to fill the open fourth ward seat, which was vacated by Al Farnam, who died in April.
Workman said the city received four resumes and letters of interest from candidates, and council is preparing to conduct interviews. Candidates include Alice P. Farnam, Angela Woodward, Kathleen Chandler and Sandra Tunnell.
