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Holtville Council updates salaries to meet California minimum wage, creates part-time wastewater operator post
Summary
City staff announced adjustments to salary schedules to comply with recent California minimum wage changes and proposed a new part-time wastewater treatment operator position; council discussed fiscal impacts and approved related personnel actions for affected employees.
HOLTIVILLE — Holtville City staff told the council that the city adjusted its salary schedule to comply with recent changes in the California minimum wage and to keep exempt employees above the state exemption threshold.
During the council's regular meeting, a staff speaker explained the change affected a small number of lower-paid employees who will move from $16.00 to $16.50 per hour, with subsequent step increases (the speaker cited a next step to $16.80). The staff member said the changes were effective Jan. 1 and noted that two employees were directly affected for only a few months because of their hire dates.
The city also discussed exempt-salary rules: exempt employees must be paid at least twice the minimum wage under California law, so personnel adjustments were made for those positions. The speaker said the city plans comprehensive salary-schedule negotiations for next fiscal year.
Council members and staff discussed the cost of using temporary staffing agencies for operations. A staff comment said the temp provider charged about $28 per hour to the city for an employee whose direct wage was $16, and that the city had a long-running temporary employee at the wastewater treatment plant. To reduce ongoing costs, staff said they created a part-time wastewater treatment-plant operator in training position, placed it on a part-time salary schedule and planned to recruit and advertise for the role.
On fiscal impact, staff provided an estimate for the general fund tied to the wage adjustments and related steps; the presentation cited a projected approximate impact of $37.50 (described by staff as an approximation and subject to overtime and hours worked).
The council did not take separate formal votes specifically on the salary adjustments in the portion of the transcript captured here; the discussion was recorded as staff action and operational changes were confirmed. The council directed staff to proceed with advertising the new part-time wastewater operator position and to include the salary-schedule changes in upcoming negotiations.
Speakers quoted in this article are taken from the meeting record: an unidentified staff speaker who led the personnel presentation and councilmembers who raised questions. The council is expected to consider detailed personnel and budget items as part of its regular fiscal-year review and upcoming negotiations.
