Council adopts pay grade changes, moves Fire Marshal up one grade

Council amended and adopted Ordinance 2025‑06 on third reading, updating pay grades for several supervisory and professional positions.

Key change: The Fire Marshal’s pay grade was amended from grade 7 to grade 8, with the ordinance listing new salary grade points (recorded in the meeting as minimum $34.96, midpoint $41.95 and maximum $48.95). Council also removed a first deputy auditor entry from the ordinance at staff request.

Why council made the change: Staff and council discussed the pay‑grade revisions in committee and on the floor to ensure the salary schedule aligned with recruiting needs and internal equity. For example, the assistant director of plant maintenance position had been budgeted earlier at a lower amount ($65,000) but staff said they could not recruit qualified candidates at that level and that the practical hiring range was closer to the $80,000 area; council and administration indicated the changes were budgeted and intended to let positions be placed on an appropriate pay band when filled.

Process notes: Council emphasized supervisors cannot unilaterally increase pay beyond the approved ranges; requests must flow through HR and the safety/service director and follow the city’s pay‑band policy. Discussion also referenced a forthcoming employee handbook intended to formalize evaluation and timing processes for raises.

Council action: The amended ordinance was adopted. Council instructed staff to continue aligning hires with the adopted pay bands, and staff confirmed that some positions (for example the plant maintenance assistant director) remain unfilled until the new bands are in place.

What to watch: Implementation will depend on HR reviews, annual evaluations and budget appropriations for any step increases. Council members requested that the handbook and evaluation timing be clear enough to feed into the budget process.