Aldermen refer police pay dispute to joint HR–Public Safety committee after debate over retroactive raises

A motion to approve retroactive pay for two Rutland Police Department positions was put on the floor and then referred to a joint Human Resources and Public Safety committee after aldermen and staff raised procedural and confidentiality concerns. The Board of Aldermen voted to send the matter to a joint HR/Public Safety committee so members can examine payroll verification, timing and any remaining personnel questions before returning to the full board. Chief of Police Kilcullen told the board the positions and pay grades resulted from a lengthy process, and that “my position [is] that they are retroactive,” referring to pay adjustments tied back to July 1, 2024. Kilcullen described one job that had been civilianized and another where a job description was reworked with human resources and the police commission after negotiations and delay. City Treasurer Mary Markowski said she had not yet seen the payroll calculation and noted she would be concerned about retroactive charges to the current fiscal year without clear documentation. Markowski told the board she “has not seen the calculation” and that she would need to verify figures with payroll and treasury staff. Human Resources Director Laura Coyle urged caution about discussing employees’ wages in open session. Coyle said there were three pieces discussed in HR committee and that “I don't think at this moment in time that it's appropriate for this conversation to be happening right now and talking about 2 people's wages.” She recommended follow-up in executive session as appropriate to finish incomplete committee work that affects this item. Alderman Motadio made the motion on the floor to approve retroactive pay — the amounts cited in the meeting were $16,340.02 for the staff operations specialist and $9,007.64 for the executive assistant to the chief of police, subject to payroll verification — but members asked that the request be examined in committee first. The board then voted to move the matter to a joint HR and Public Safety committee, chaired by Sharon Davis (HR) and with public safety representation, to be scheduled promptly. The referral means the governing body did not adopt the requested retroactive payments at tonight’s meeting; staff were instructed to prepare payroll verification and legal/HR analysis for the joint committee. The board also noted that any final approval for retro pay would require verification from payroll and the treasurer and may be taken in executive session if personnel matters are to be reviewed. The joint committee referral was approved by roll-call-style show of hands after discussion about procedure and appropriate forum for personnel matters. No final payroll disbursement was authorized at the full-board meeting. Looking ahead, aldermen asked staff to assemble the supporting calculations and legal/contract references for the committee so members can decide whether to approve retroactive pay and the date to which any retroactivity should apply.