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Council discusses equipment-operator pay, compression and compensation philosophies
Summary
HR presented regional comparisons showing several equipment-operator classifications ranked below regional averages; council debated compression, merit pay vs. step systems, and whether to budget for a consultant or task force to model options.
Nicole Clark presented equipment-operator salary rankings and turnover trends and told council equipment-operator pay generally sits below regional averages for several classifications; Clark said the city is "5 out of 6" in one measure and highlighted opportunities to better align titles and pay. Specific figures cited included equipment operator 1 at $26,759 (regional average $27,714) and operator 4 at $32,052 (regional average $34,045).
Council then turned to the broader topic of compression and compensation philosophy. Clark reviewed the 2016 compression adjustments (civilian: $100 per year up to $700; public safety: $300 per year up to $2,100) and explained the practical limits of fully correcting compression. Manager Bunting and council members debated tradeoffs between a merit-based system and a step system and the potential costs of implementing steps rather than maintaining merit pay. Several council members suggested studying options with a consultant or a cross-departmental task force to model costs and tradeoffs before committing to a major structural change.
No budget decision was made at the session. Staff proposed to present an overview of compensation philosophies and, if council directs, to budget for outside help to model a step system versus merit pay and return with cost estimates.
