Personnel committee approves job‑description updates and asks council to raise pay for three department heads

The Franklin City Personnel Committee voted on several personnel actions and continued a months‑long discussion about the city—s classification and compensation plan at a meeting that included department staff presentations and public comment.

The committee elected Youssef as vice chair, approved revised job descriptions in the Health Department, and voted to request that the Common Council move three department heads to the 40th percentile of comparable pay as a first-phase increase.

The pay recommendation grew out of an extended review of the city—s class-and-comp study. Committee members reviewed a history of the city—s classification and compensation work and compared current pay to 14 communities used in prior studies. The committee heard that the city—s existing plan, adopted after a GovHR study, had set an implementation target at the 65th percentile but was later lowered to the 65th (recorded as 65) and that structural limits in the plan prevent many employees from reaching the top of their range quickly. Committee members said that has hampered recruitment and retention.

Dana, the city—s Director of Administration, summarized the phased approach the personnel staff is proposing and said the first phase would move three director‑level positionsthe city clerk (director of clerk services), superintendent of buildings and maintenance, and the health officercloser to market. Dana said finance and accounting staff ran numbers and recommended presenting the proposal to the Common Council at its May 6 meeting and that the change be implemented immediately if council approves. "We would ask that that would be implemented immediately," Dana said.

Finance-provided figures shown to the committee list the three positions— current annual base salaries as $97,534.74, $69,113.62 and $96,084.35; the packet noted the budgetary impact of each increase would include changes to payroll‑related benefits. Committee members said they understand the full plan would cost roughly $1 million to implement across the organization and that staff is recommending a phased approach tied to the 2026 budget.

The committee approved two Health Department personnel actions brought by Lauren, identified in the meeting as the Health Department presenter. The committee voted to update the title and duties for a position from Administrative Clerk to Administrative Assistant; presenters said the change is intended to align one position with the titles used elsewhere in city departments and does not change the position—s salary grade. The committee also approved creating a Registered Sanitarian 2 classification for a full‑time sanitarian whose responsibilities and supervision duties have increased; the packet indicated the reclassification would move that role up one salary grade (presenters listed the new grade as grade 8).

A rotating non‑voting employee speaker, Ryan, urged the committee to restore a step pay program and said a lack of predictable step increases has driven some hires away. "It's very important because it's I got 3 people hired here and 2 left because it was kind of a bait and switch," Ryan said. The committee discussed employee clothing and boot allowances during the meeting; staff said the current annual clothing allowance is $350 and noted that neighboring municipalities pay higher amounts (committee members cited $400–$500). Committee members voted to add a formal agenda item about increasing the clothing allowance at the next personnel meeting.

In other staffing updates, staff reported all dispatcher positions are now filled, an assistant mechanic has been hired but will require CDL training paid by the city, police are recruiting academy candidates for summer classes, and the police administrative assistant has submitted a retirement notice after 46 years of service.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved the minutes from the prior meeting; elected Youssef as vice chair in a division-style vote; approved the Administrative Assistant job-description update; approved the Registered Sanitarian 2 job-description and grade change; and moved the recommendation to ask Common Council to raise three department heads to the 40th percentile. Several items will return in future months for additional follow-up, and the committee set the next regular meeting for May 19, 2025.

The committee did not adopt a citywide compensation plan at this meeting; staff said a comprehensive implementation would be phased and tied to the 2026 budget and additional council approvals.