Commission adopts salary reclassifications and FY25 budget amendment; multiple measures given immediate effect

Grand Rapids City Commission voted Aug. 13 to adopt several salary ordinances and a budget amendment covering police, dispatch, IT and other city needs.

Commissioners unanimously approved a salary ordinance amending section 3 of ordinance 2024-06 to add positions for an "alternative sentencing coordinator specialist" and related coordinator roles as the 60th/1st District Court shifts from a work-crew model toward alternative sentencing. "This is the 60 fifth first district court, requesting human resources department to assistance in reviewing and establishing class titles and ranges for 2 new roles," Commissioner Knight said during the item presentation, describing the court's transition away from the work-crew program.

The body also approved a separate salary ordinance (ordinance 2024-07 amendment) to reclassify a community service work program supervisor to "deputy court administrator," which Commissioner Goy described as part of creating a more individualized community-service model prioritizing rehabilitation and alignment with defendants' needs.

In a third vote, the commission adopted budget amendment number 2 to ordinance 2024-23 for fiscal year 2025. The amendment included: swapping an emergency communications supervisor for one police officer on the permanent personnel roster; funding for mandatory in‑service police training; acceptance or recognition of a 9-1-1 public safety answering point grant for the dispatch department; a grant-funded staffing request for the Office of Sustainability and Strategy (from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy); an award to purchase servers and infrastructure for the city's security camera system; and ERP-related fiscal services work. The comptroller's warrant report for the prior period was also presented and filed; the warrant total was announced as $153,682,826.82.

All three ordinance items were approved on roll-call votes and commissioners moved to give each measure immediate effect at the meeting.

Votes at a glance: the salary classifications for alternative sentencing, the deputy court administrator reclassification, and the FY25 budget amendment were each approved by unanimous roll-call and recorded as carried; detailed vote tallies were taken during roll-call and recorded in the meeting minutes.

The commission also suspended the rules to add a walk-on resolution concerning a settlement in Nataya v. Grand Rapids Fire Department; that item was put on the floor for consideration. The commission adjourned after public comment and follow-up remarks from staff.