Council approves $40 monthly stipend for on‑call utility staff after debate over city phones and public‑records exposure

Council debated whether to offer a $40 monthly stipend to on‑call utility (KMU) employees who use personal phones for city business or to instead issue dedicated city phones. Arguments focused on cost (roughly $2,000 per year for the proposed group if rolled out), parity across departments, operational reliability for on‑call response, and legal exposure from public‑records requests.

City Attorney Scott Riggs explained the public‑records implication: if the city pays for or issues a phone used for city business, data on that device may be subject to disclosure in response to a records request. Riggs said this is not new law, but the city's involvement increases the likelihood that data would be considered city records that must be produced when required.

Supporters argued the stipend is a modest operational expense that improves response reliability for on‑call staff and is cheaper than issuing city phones; others warned it could open expectations across departments and questioned whether only on‑call full‑time staff should be eligible. Several council members favored limiting the stipend to full‑time staff who are truly on call.

After discussion, council approved a motion to provide a $40 monthly stipend for eligible on‑call staff, to be administered following conversation between department heads and the city administrator about eligibility and implementation. Staff will determine whether to offer stipends or city‑issued phones in specific circumstances and will document eligibility criteria.

Next steps: the administrator will coordinate implementation details with department heads and the personnel committee.