The committee considered multiple ordinances amending the county pay plan and class specifications for Department of Public Works positions.

Monique Johns Williams (sponsor) introduced amendments to change the work week for certain classified service employees from 35 hours to 40 hours and to align pay rates for managers and administrators represented by Delaware Public Employees Council 81 (AFSCME). The changes discussed include converting the chief construction support position from a 35-hour to a 40-hour work week and moving its pay from pay grade 35 to 40; similar changes were proposed for the chief facility maintenance position in the sewer operations division and a new nonunion Construction Support Division Manager classification was proposed at pay grade 34.

Cleon Cawley clarified the rationale: the positions supervise staff who work 40 hours and the county wants to avoid pay disparities where subordinates working 40 hours earn more than supervisors on a 35-hour pay schedule. "The rationale is this position and the the next ordinance that we talk about... they both support or the folks that work for them are 40 hour workers," Cawley said.

Councilmembers asked clarifying questions about whether the changes affected pay grades versus hours; staff said the change is primarily to hours with corresponding annual pay adjustments. Councilmember Street asked about the racial diversity of incumbents in related positions and Cawley described departmentwide recruitment and diversity efforts while acknowledging continued field-level complaints that Street said he will continue to press.

No formal vote on these pay-plan ordinances was recorded in the transcript provided.