Council to consider salary amendment for director of labor relations to reduce turnover

City staff asked the council to approve a salary‑ordinance amendment for the director of labor relations (item 82) to bring compensation more in line with the demands of the position and to improve retention.

Why it matters: Councilors were told the position is central to bargaining with city unions and that pay differentials have contributed to recent turnover.

Discussion details - Staff said the amendment was necessary to “properly compensate for the demands of that job” and noted that some assistant corporation counsel titles currently carry higher pay than the director of labor relations, making retention difficult. - Councilors noted recent turnover in the position: staff said the role became vacant a few weeks ago and that recent occupants included Zach Garlic and Mary Scarpin, each of whom served roughly a year and a half before departing. - Staff described the proposed change as a rightsizing of the salary and said it was budgeted; one councilor observed the increase would help keep a qualified candidate in place, noting roughly a $20,000 adjustment was under discussion in the meeting.

Process and next steps - The item was listed on the staff agenda as a salary‑ordinance amendment (item 82). Staff asked the council to approve the amendment; the transcript records discussion but does not include a formal roll‑call vote in the excerpt provided.

Ending The council agreed to consider the salary amendment; staff said the change was budgeted and intended to stabilize occupancy of the labor relations director post.