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Blaine council approves consent agenda after extended debate over credit-card charges and staffing costs
Summary
Council approved the consent agenda Feb. 19 after members debated credit-card payments, a compensation ‘check-in’ study, recruitment RFPs and a lift-station maintenance item that was pulled for more staff briefing.
Blaine City Council members approved most consent items at their Feb. 19 meeting after an extended discussion focused on several budget and transparency concerns raised by Council Member Mesolia.
Council Member Mesolia (first referenced as Council Member Mesolia) asked staff to pull consent items 7-1, 7-5 and 7-6 for further discussion; the remainder of the consent agenda passed by voice vote after a motion by Council Member Newland and a second by Council Member Fleming.
The discussion that followed on item 7-1 ranged across multiple budget topics. Mesolia pressed for clarity on a $214,000 sidewalk snow-removal line, an $8,000 charge for a compensation “check-in” by Gallagher and a $22,000 RFP fee to recruit an assistant finance director. City Manager Wolf said the Gallagher engagement was a market “check” rather than a full compensation study, that the work was…
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