Jasper City Council approves pay-plan resolution, awards $1.49 million paving contract and authorizes property purchase for soccer complex

The Jasper City Council on a voice vote approved a suite of actions including a citywide pay-plan resolution, a $1,488,262.88 paving contract and authorization for the mayor to pursue purchase of property on Elliot Boulevard for a proposed soccer complex.

The council voted to adopt a pay-plan resolution based on an analysis by consultant Dr. Condrey that the mayor said would move city pay “into the upper level, essentially, of cities our size.” Mayor Cowan said the total annual cost, fully weighted with benefits, would be “a little over a million,” and he asked the council to forward the plan to the Civil Service Board for its approval.

The pay-plan resolution matters because it sets a new compensation baseline for city employees and requires Civil Service Board review before implementation. Mayor Cowan said the last Condrey plan was added in February 2022 and that the updated plan addresses recent market and inflationary pressures.

In the same meeting the council accepted a recommendation from City Receiver Jessica Cook to award the Phase 3, 2025 Jasper paving bid to Dunn Construction for $1,488,262.88. "I recommend the contract for the Phase 3 2025 Jasper paving bid to be awarded to Dunn Construction in the amount of $1,488,262.88," Cook told the council. The award was approved by voice vote.

The council also authorized the mayor to enter into an agreement to purchase property on Elliot Boulevard for a planned soccer complex. Mayor Cowan described preliminary plans showing a large adult field, intermediate fields and smaller fields and said he had obtained "verbal okay" to proceed but asked the council for permission to move forward with a purchase agreement.

Other approvals during the…