Committee approves retroactive pay increase for administrative assistant

The Community Preservation Committee voted unanimously Sept. 12 to increase administrative assistant Amanda Lafayette’s pay to $29 per hour, effective and retroactive to June 1, 2024, and authorized a committee official to sign the necessary documents.

The move came during the meeting’s first agenda item after the committee chair read the legal basis for the session. The chair said: "I would move that we increase Amanda Lafayette's salary to $29 an hour effective 06/01/2024, and retroactive to that date, and also to authorize Chris Lambton to sign any necessary documents to affect that salary increase." The motion was seconded and members vocalized their support; the chair described the vote as unanimous.

Why it matters: The decision completes a pay adjustment the chair said should have been resolved months earlier and compensates the administrative assistant retroactively, addressing an administrative backlog the chair characterized as an "unconscionable delay." It also authorizes a committee official to complete the administrative steps required to implement the change.

Details and procedure: The chair moved the salary increase on the record and asked the committee to approve retroactive pay to June 1, 2024. The motion included authorization for a committee official to sign documents to effect the increase. Committee members responded with "aye" votes and the chair announced the motion passed unanimously.

Next steps: The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the chair announced unanimous approval and authorized the designated official to complete paperwork to apply the increase. The committee will proceed with implementing the pay change through its routine administrative channels.

(Reporting note: The meeting transcript records the motion and the chair’s on-the-record authorization; the transcript did not include a formal roll-call vote with each member’s name.)