HomeMy WebLinkAbout010903 MINUTES
Citizens’ Commission on Council Salaries
Tel 360-478-5926
Fax 360-478-2333
239 4th Street
Bremerton, WA 98337
MINUTES 1/09/03
MEETING/STUDY SESSION
PRESENT: Jan Hillman, Joanne Morris, Alan Strange, Mariwyn Tinsley, HR Staff-
Charlotte Belmore, Assistant City Attorney Simon Stocker
ABSENT: David Grindstaff
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM.
Approval of Minutes: M/S/C/U (Tinsley/Strange)
Open for Public Input:
Charles Brown: “How many public meetings will you be having?.”
Alan Strange: “Three minimum.”
Charles Brown: “And will they will be advertised in the Sun?”
Charlotte Belmore: “Yes.”
Charles Brown: “It seems like we’re backwards here. When you do your analysis do
you look at the cost per tax payer?”
Jan Hillman: “When we looked at our analysis, what we did was went per capita and
then we also compared Council salaries for similar sized jurisdictions and that’s the
information we used.”
Charles Brown: “Ok. I was on the original pay commission. So I was just curious
about what you’re doing. When will the other three meetings be held?”
Jan Hillman: “We do not yet have that.”
Page 2 January 9, 2003
Del Knause: “Comments I have tonight, when you are deliberating maybe a potential
pay raise for the 2004, I hope the pay commission is paying attention to the City budget.
This year’s budget process was painful. There’s no money in the City budget and every
time we have a pay raise for the Council or anybody else in this City every fee in this
City went up this year, everything. Your water, your sewer and your wastewater got a
one percent increase in the tax on it. Parking lot fees went up, park fees went up,
everything went up. They even wanted to implement people for paying to park on their
own streets. So, I don’t really care what other cities are paying their Council Members,
if the City has the money, that’s fine. This City is down to the bear bones right now and
I don’t think it’s a great idea to be telling people we’re going to give our Council a pay
raise. When we turn the corner around here, that’s the time to get a pay raise, but not
until we get there. And, I’m gonna stress it to this pay commission. I’ll bring the budget
book in and show you every increase. It just looks ludicrous to the public out here that’s
paying for this. We’re giving pay raises out when you’re coming back and asking us for
fee increases on everything. So, I really hope the pay commission takes that into
consideration. Thank you.”
Jan Hillman: “Are there any further public comments? No further comments, then we
will close for public comment at this point and time.”
Discussion on Council Salaries:
Jan Hillman: Stated that at the time of the Commission’s last meeting the only item
that was held over for 2003 was whether or not the Commission was going to increase
the City Council President’s monthly stipend by $25.00 per month.
Alan Strange: Stated that he thought they were talking about amending it for 2004.
Jan Hillman: Agreed.
Mariwyn Tinsley: Asked whether the copy of the duties of the City Council President
they received last year were still current.
Charlotte Belmore: Stated that they should be.
Alan Strange: Asked whether the City Council President still serves in the capacity of
the Mayor in the Mayors absence.
Charlotte Belmore: “Yes.”
Mariwyn Tinsley: Asked whether the City had any budget information to present to the
Commission?
Charlotte Belmore: Stated that she didn’t but that she would get some. She asked,
whether they wanted the Council’s budget or the budget for the whole City.
Page 3 January 9, 2003
Mariwyn Tinsley: Stated that they needed an executive summary of the whole budget.
Alan Strange: Stated that last year we calculated it, and that the raise the Council
received was two ten thousands of a percent of the total City budget.
Mariwyn Tinsley: Asked when the City would close the 2002 budget and whether it
was closed now.
Charlotte Belmore: “Yes.”
Maiwyn Tinsley: Asked when they would have the budget information.
Charlotte Belmore: Stated that she could have it for the next meeting.
Mariwyn Tinsley: Stated that she didn’t know how the Commission could make any
further movements without some documents in front of them.
Charlotte Belmore: Asked whether they wanted someone from the Finance
Department to attend the next meeting.
Jan Hillman: Said she thought that would be a great idea. She also stated that a
twenty five dollar increase is three hundred dollars a year which isn’t substantial.
Alan Strange: Stated that the Commission still has to decide the Council Member’s
salary for 2004.
Mariwyn Tinsley: Agreed.
Jan Hillman: Stated that without knowing how an increase would effect the budget
there wasn’t much more that the Commission could contribute.
Simon Stocker: Corrected a comment that was made early regarding the number of
Public Hearings that the Commission is required to hold as being two instead of three.
He also suggested that the Ordinance be put together for the twenty five dollar increase
prior to the next meeting so that Commission could hold two Public Hearings on the
schedule the Commission they may be adopting.
Alan Strange: Asked if he was correct in thinking that the Commission could lower the
Council’s salaries.
Simon Stocker: Stated that he was correct, but that if they did lower the salaries the
new salaries would not be effective until the Council Member’s current terms had
expired.
Page 4 January 9, 2003
Set Dates for 2003 Meetings:
The Commission decided to set the dates for the rest of the year. All meetings will be at
5:30 PM, in the Council Chambers:
Thursday, February 6, 2003
Friday, March 7, 2003
Friday, April 11, 2003
Meeting Adjourned: 5:48 PM