Human-resources director says compensation study draft is imminent amid union negotiations

Lisa Drabek, the city’s human-resources director, told the Committee on Human Resources and Insurance that a final draft of the city’s wage and compensation study is imminent and that the city is simultaneously engaged in union negotiations to adopt the proposed pay structure.

“No. That’s a very good question. So we are in the midst of union negotiations with 10 of the 13 city unions. And we’re engaging them in a dialogue about adopting the newly proposed compensation structure that Evergreen presented to us,” Drabek said, advising the committee that Evergreen was finalizing the draft report. She said the report is “over a hundred pages” and that she expects to distribute the draft to the board, unions and employees once it is finalized.

Drabek told the committee that the mayor has included the proposed compensation changes in his budget submission and that the city is preparing auxiliary ordinance changes to present with the compensation package so it can be implemented as a single package if approved.

Committee members asked few follow-up questions during this update; Drabek said the expectation is that most unions would favor the package because it represents pay increases, but she cautioned that “every union has their individual concerns.” The transcript records no formal direction to staff beyond continuing negotiations and preparing ordinance language to accompany any compensation changes.

The committee recorded this exchange as a brief update rather than an action item: no motion, vote, or required reporting deadline was recorded for the compensation-study update in the meeting transcript.