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Minden budget workshop considers 4% pay increase, HR software and infrastructure fixes
Summary
At a Minden council budget workshop, staff recommended a 4% across‑the‑board pay increase (with options for targeted raises for police and fire), proposed HR software to improve onboarding and handbook compliance, and discussed capital items including a $250,000 rec‑center roof and lighting tied to a larger DOTD bridge project. No formal votes were taken; staff will return in 2–3 weeks.
At a budget workshop, city staff presented two draft plans and recommended a 4% across‑the‑board pay increase for employees while leaving alternatives on the table, including a hybrid “4‑1‑1” plan or no increase. Presenter (S2) told the council the packet is on draft 8 and said, “This is what we felt really comfortable with was a 4% across the board.”
Council members asked substantive questions about capital needs and operating assumptions. A council member (S1) asked whether a roughly $250,000 request to replace the recreation‑center roof is included; Presenter (S2) confirmed the roof request is in the current budget packet. Staff (S3) and Presenter (S2) also discussed rising insurance costs and noted the airport operation has turned a positive net position in recent months.
Staff described personnel‑management challenges after several recent hires and proposed both temporary staffing and software to reduce bottlenecks and liability. Presenter (S2) said the budget includes funding for an HR platform, identified in the packet as “HR Hero,” to host an employee portal and a revised handbook. “The handbook gets us in a vehicle because it’s full of contradictions,” S2 said; S3 added the software can ‘‘notify us as the state law changes’’ and help maintain compliance.
On infrastructure, the council discussed several projects in the draft budget, including street repairs, water and sewer work, recreation investments and airport projects. Presenter (S2) noted a local lighting plan is bundled into a much larger DOTD bridge project; because the bridge work is delayed, DOTD will not install the lights until the bridge phase is ready. S2 said staff may test temporary, brighter LED fixtures for an interim safety improvement.
Staff walked the council through revenue and reserve projections for the two packet options and emphasized that both plans show drawing on reserves in the near term. S3 explained that prior years often produced revenues above conservative projections and that some use of reserves in a given year has been part of the city’s budgeting practice. Presenter (S2) told council members the timeline for laying out the budget for review is Friday and invited council members to meet individually with staff; the group agreed to reconvene in about two to three weeks. The workshop adjourned with no formal motions or votes taken.
Clarifying details in the packet included a line the presenter read aloud as “1000000 and a half” for street repairs (amount phrased that way in the transcript and not clarified), a $250,000 approximate request for the recreation‑center roof, and staff requests for temporary HR help at roughly 20 hours per week while implementing HR software. Staff emphasized grant awards will be budgeted only after they are received and the budget amended accordingly.
