[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6324589,"mediaKeyId","2337923-4ecd9f7588833a0bdb1522177aafab29","parentId",2337923,"title","Personnel committee hears that reworking Franklin’s pay plan would cost hundreds of thousands; leaders cite levy and budget limits","audioSeconds",2881,"startMs",1664000,"endMs",4545000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2337923-4ecd9f7588833a0bdb1522177aafab29&start=1664&end=4545","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2337923-4ecd9f7588833a0bdb1522177aafab29/thumbnail_1664000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324589/Franklin-City/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Personnel-committee-hears-that-reworking-Franklins-pay-plan-would-cost-hundreds-of-thousands-leaders-cite-levy-and-budget-limits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324589-57379f24d06d687563efcf74b2928e9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1774607572&Signature=FB1-V7h3nZeXItHNGmDsOFnXOfU2Lj9g7RxR0JsY1YG-7vfRPHgT~19KWb-aLfk2t0d2LGyMLxEWRZNVOYEdY4Um~f1aY5JGwaqPbcEKRsM6Hhi1pOfoA2FFzo93e~QgH~F3kxn4RTA1fs4DWTqoEHN9OQKjAyv7XxEfwSsjkRHm3u5Ck~89To53VRAVtqiXY0vT0RJ8UkdsuVaGB2D8osmqNhFDJoI7FHkeRwTayZzZzqMyZvvpWrbVHPAbOIj-5hSR1aihf1mf4aHTt~Q~VP0UGziZAPVH3k7eKB1bWhjp22Cf9cmVcjy48PourucXisAVlsh9Tn7u2fRnwgxZeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Franklin, WI","date","2025-02-18T15:54:39Z","article","Franklin City’s Personnel Committee spent substantial time reviewing the city’s classification and compensation framework and heard from staff that closing the gap with market pay would require finding significant money in the operating budget.

Kelly Hirsch, director of administration, reviewed the history of the city’s compensation approach: a GovHR study from February 2015 established the current class-and-comp framework and the city asked GovHR for a refresh in fall 2023. Hirsch said the plan’s use of the “60 fifth percentile” (referred to in meeting discussion as the 65% or 60th‑percentile benchmark) has left many employees well below comparable market pay because merit and progression mechanisms were never fully implemented. \"That 60 fifth percentile... has that demoralizing effect on people,\" Hirsch said.

Staff described the arithmetic: the original plan assumed employees would reach the market percentile within a shorter period, but internal calculations show it may take many years (staff offered a worked example that could take 16 years under prior assumptions). The committee was told an initial implementation of a step plan that raises currently eligible employees toward market ranges would cost about $450,000 in the first year; full adjustments discussed during the meeting were described as roughly in the range of $500,000 to $1,000,000 depending on the chosen approach.

Committee members and staff repeatedly noted the city’s fiscal constraints. Staff said personnel costs are roughly 76–80% of operating budgets and the city has limited levy room: new revenue options are constrained by statutory levy limits and prior referendums that voters did not support. \"I mean, the reality is we don't have $450,000 sitting around to make this work,\" Hirsch said, adding that the committee should consider incremental or targeted changes that do not require new revenue.

Staff proposed alternatives for discussion: (1) a step plan that would move employees through defined steps (an eight‑step plan was presented for committee review) with options to shorten the timeline, (2) targeted regrading of a few job families (for example, retitling and aligning some administrative assistants), and (3) limited, communicable one‑time adjustments to show progress while the committee and council consider larger funding options. Staff said a transparent multi‑year schedule could help morale even if funds are phased in.

Committee members asked for more data on where employees sit within salary ranges; staff agreed to supply a breakdown showing how many employees fall into each percentage of their assigned pay range. The committee set the matter for ongoing review and asked staff to return with modeling on step durations (for example, five‑year and eight‑year variants) and the budget impacts of each.

Ending

No formal change to the compensation policy was adopted. The committee directed staff to develop a phased plan and provide detailed spreadsheets and cost estimates for the next meeting so aldermen can consider tradeoffs within the city’s constrained operating budget.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Personnel Committee Meeting 2-17-2025 - 7 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Franklin City staff told the Personnel Committee that rewriting the city’s compensation plan to match market pay would require hundreds of thousands of dollars and that levy limits and a personnel‑heavy budget constrain the city’s options.","taxTitle","Franklin City, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin","taxId",55414,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6324594,"Franklin City fire and public-safety staff press personnel committee on insurance, training and staffing shortages",1083,495000,1578000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2337923-4ecd9f7588833a0bdb1522177aafab29&start=495&end=1578","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2337923-4ecd9f7588833a0bdb1522177aafab29/thumbnail_495000.jpg","/articles/6324594/Franklin-City/Milwaukee-County/Wisconsin/Franklin-City-fire-and-public-safety-staff-press-personnel-committee-on-insurance-training-and-staffing-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324594-6846a78a4ef75ee302d459c088ce407c/orig.mp4?Expires=1774607572&Signature=FJxYLVYpGokmhojHsgSQvN7m2v~WieuAAzGNFCJhpKXBTEic09ySmEy5OUvXV5TPSyQ2JnmNr6AzkXvGHPAQATdqP7NlzBlkkJV-ugMoY5gP7R6xWcx5sTua8ly68yhwd0zZe81l8MXpBZza9YBRz8ErTjqLT0gC6tj5zIjSbnQlBw4MLK1HZ8tYD5dll6dGf3qSMHofmtvee~F8AzTYE7IGJFqYlxI9JfJYc1yTS2wpZq~tyYhUUHDl3BZorli1MJSZLkvFf~dh0we-ZHvgdJoj4Y-DBrTYyJq1BkkCw8z5Y1nuR9p4ncZYN5uq9~9DFS-Re7s63CW2s2~5JGmgZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from Franklin City’s fire department and firefighters’ union told the City Personnel Committee that employees and retirees are struggling with insurance costs, limited education reimbursement, and staffing shortfalls that are stretching operations.

Brad, a fire department representative, and Lieutenant Pulaski, president of the firefighters’ union, addressed the committee at its meeting and listed ideas staff want the city to consider, including an insurance opt‑out or buyout, an “employee plus one” coverage option, an expanded education reimbursement pool, and options to let long‑tenured employees retire earlier with continued benefits. \"I was told... the premiums in the emails that went out... were essentially made up numbers,\" Brad said, describing staff confusion over how premium figures were calculated.

Kelly Hirsch, the city’s director of administration, told the committee the premiums are calculated from actual claims and administrative costs tracked by finance and divided across policyholders. \"Finance keeps track of all of our claims costs, all of our admin costs,\" Hirsch said, explaining the method the city uses to allocate costs across active employees and retirees.

Fire department leaders said retirees who worked 25–30 years are paying roughly $900 to $1,000 a month and are considering alternatives such as marketplace plans because they cannot afford city coverage. As an example of plan costs provided in committee discussion, staff cited a high‑deductible family plan at about $2,100 per month and a PPO family plan around $2,300 per month; committee members and staff noted those were illustrative figures used by employees when discussing buyout options.

Union leaders sought consideration of an \"employee plus one\" enrollment tier rather than only single or full family coverage, and they asked the city to evaluate brokers or alternate plans to improve affordability. They also asked the committee to consider permitting employees who complete 25 years of service to retire up to three years earlier with more flexible access to benefits, noting a small number of employees might use that option.

On education reimbursement, fire representatives said the current city pool is $5,000 per year and is limited to roughly $1,000 per person (effectively five employees at the maximum), and they urged expansion. They pointed to Greenfield’s program, which allows up to $2,000 per person annually, as a local comparator.

Staff described operational impacts tied to staffing. The fire department said it has roughly 50 personnel, about 42 of whom are in the bargaining unit, and averages about 14 calls a day across three stations; call durations range from roughly 30 minutes to two hours. Committee members heard that the department is often unable to cover back‑to‑back calls without mutual aid, and one public‑works resignation was highlighted as an example of market pressures: a light equipment operator resigned after accepting a job paying $45 an hour at We Energies, compared with roughly $30 an hour locally.

Committee members and staff discussed training bottlenecks for commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), noting recent state training changes and long waiting lists for classes and that the city currently has three open CDL‑required positions. Speakers suggested recruiting employees and supporting CDL training but noted costs and multi‑month waits at local technical schools.

Committee members did not make formal policy changes at the meeting but asked staff to continue open conversations with departments and to bring back options and data at a future meeting.

Ending

Committee members thanked the presenters for the candid briefing and said the information would inform upcoming personnel and budget discussions. Staff will provide more detailed breakdowns of enrollment and retiree counts and consider whether brokered options or benefit design changes are feasible within budget constraints.","Fire department representatives told the Franklin City Personnel Committee that employees and retirees face high insurance costs and that staffing shortages, training barriers and limited education reimbursement are straining operations and morale.","actionData","errors"]

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Personnel committee hears that reworking Franklin’s pay plan would cost hundreds of thousands; leaders cite levy and budget limits

Franklin City fire and public-safety staff press personnel committee on insurance, training and staffing shortages