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Council pulls $54,500 compensation study from consent, tables item for staff cost comparison
Summary
Council pulled a proposed $54,500 compensation and benefits survey from the consent agenda after debate over whether the work could be done internally; the council directed staff to compare in‑house costs and gather pricing from comparable cities, and tabled the item to the next business meeting.
A proposed $54,500 compensation and benefits survey with Evergreen Solutions LLC was removed from the consent agenda and tabled after council members debated whether the city’s human resources team could perform an internal study.
Lisa Lynch from Human Resources explained seven firms bid the project and Evergreen was selected by the evaluation team; she said some municipalities do similar work in house while others use Evergreen. Councilmembers split on the approach: some argued an outside consultant provides an objective third‑party review and avoids the appearance of a conflict of interest, while others said HR staff have the expertise to compile public salary data and comparisons.
Council asked staff to return at the next business meeting with three items: an estimate of staff hours and internal cost to perform the survey in house; comparable pricing and scopes that other similar municipalities paid Evergreen or alternative vendors; and a record of any prior council direction that authorized pursuing an external consultant. HR said staff had already invested time in the bid process and that Evergreen’s price was near the low end of proposals.
Councilmember discussion emphasized transparency and comparability of scope when evaluating whether to use an external vendor. The council voted to table the item to the next business meeting so staff can present the requested information; the motion passed unanimously.
