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Council approves step increase for Public Works director after split vote
Summary
After debate and a failed motion to delay for legal review, Rockville councilors approved moving the Public Works director from step 2 to step 4 retroactive to his appointment, with a four‑month review. The addendum to the HR recommendation passed 3–2.
Rockville — The Rockville City Council voted to adjust the pay step for its Public Works director following a contested Human Resources recommendation and a narrowly split council discussion.
Human Resources presented a recommendation to raise the Public Works director’s pay from step two to step six, which the HR report described as “just under… like $45 per hour,” according to committee testimony by Mr Stanger. Several council members raised concerns that the size and retroactive nature of the raise could present a perceived conflict of interest and asked the city to consult legal counsel before final action.
A motion to postpone the pay decision until the city attorney could offer guidance failed, and councilors instead adopted an addendum to the HR recommendation. The addendum — changing the increase from step two to step four, made retroactive to the date the director assumed the role and tied to a four‑month review — passed on a 3–2 roll-call (JH, JT, DW voted yes; BH and BS voted no). Council recorded the addendum as the operative action and staff said the step‑four adjustment would be implemented retroactively.
Council members who supported the addendum cited labor-market comparisons and HR committee benchmarking with other municipalities; those opposing it said the size and timing warranted outside legal review to avoid the appearance of impropriety. The record shows one councilor asked the League of Minnesota Cities for guidance and was advised to consult the city attorney if a conflict-of-interest concern was credible.
The council also approved, as part of Human Resources business, a revision to the city’s personnel policy clarifying eligible uses of sick-and-safe leave; the council modified the proposed language to remove a specific attendance‑at‑funeral reference before approving the change.
Next steps: staff will implement the step‑four pay adjustment retroactively and schedule the four‑month performance review noted in the addendum. No final legal opinion was entered on the public record during the meeting.
