Mayor says new nonunion pay scale is implemented; proposes fixes for mechanics, department heads and lifeguard effective date

Mayor Nixon updated the Gardner City Council on Feb. 2 about the city's recently adopted nonunion compensation ordinance and said administration will submit three amendments for council consideration.

"The new scale system went into effect for the third pay period in December," Mayor Nixon told the council, noting that retroactive checks were issued because the ordinance has an effective date of July 1. He said the city has monitored implementation and identified areas that need correction or clarification.

The mayor listed three proposed changes. First, he said the golf-course mechanic positions were calculated so that in some cases pay would not increase under the new formula; he proposed an amendment to ensure those positions receive the intended bump and noted they are paid from the golf enterprise account. Second, he proposed adding several department-head positions to the ordinance's department-head section — including the director of purchasing and civil enforcement, the senior sense director, the director of veteran services, the city auditor and the director of community development and planning — which were excluded from the original ordinance because pay discussions for department heads had been held with the state Department of Labor Relations. Third, he recommended changing the effective date for lifeguard pay to June 1 instead of July 1 so lifeguards are paid the corrected rate for the full swim season.

Councilor Craig Cormier asked about timing; Mayor Nixon said he planned to submit the amendments to the council president through the clerk's office by February for committee assignment. A recorded motion to place the mayoral communication on file was made and passed (mover: Councilor Durnell Weil; second: Councilor Mack). The council did not adopt the proposed amendments at the meeting; the mayor said he will submit formal language for committee review.