Laserfiche WebLink
in that fashion. Ms. Ricci disagreed and felt that Mr. Mulligan had a conflict of interest in <br />making a ruling as his position is one of the classifications. She felt that any of the bills <br />dealing with compensation for City employees that are being presented in new business <br />were illegal, did not follow the City’s Charter and did not follow University City’s <br />ordinance. The compensation ordinance states that the classifications are to be <br />presented to the Council by the Civil Service Board, which has not happened, as the <br />Council is receiving the classification changes from the City Manager. To her <br />knowledge the last presentation by the Civil Service Board was four years previous. <br />Ms. Ricci felt the Civil Service Board was not valid in that there are members on the <br />board since the 1990s and the term limit is three years and there have been no <br />reappointments. She stated that the Human Resources person is to provide <br />recommendation to the City Manager after considering relevant facts as to what is going <br />on in the rest of the community, cost of living, what the City’s financial condition is and <br />what the City’s financial policies are. Ms. Ricci was told that these will be discussed <br />after the passage of the budget but felt it should be discussed prior to the passage of <br />the budget. She would like to see the City employees receive the proposed cost of <br />living given as a bonus because she felt the City’s compensation plan presently just <br />gives an employee a raise for just being there, nothing to do with merit. Ms. Ricci stated <br />that combining the step increases and the cost of living raise; the key employees she <br />reviewed, the total increase was as large as eleven percent. Ms. Ricci also would like <br />to discuss other benefits the City employees receive as life insurance, disability <br />insurance, health benefits, vacation time, and sick-leave. Benefits are to be in <br />accordance with the Civil Service rules and no where are all these benefits mentioned. <br />Mr. Wagner has asked that Mr. Price’s following comments be reflected in the minutes. <br />Mr. Price stated that he respected Ms. Ricci for all her work and forethought but would <br />like to point out that she is not the only one that has common sense or can read and <br />interpret. He also stated that if his colleague would like to be the City Attorney that she <br />needs to resign her position and apply for Mr. Mulligan’s job. Mr. Price stated that every <br />employee is valuable and there should not be distinctions made between employees. <br />He stated that no Councilmember has the right to pull an agenda item without anyone <br />knowing what is taking place. Mr. Price said it was not protocol or in order. He felt the <br />City Attorney had common sense, but all of a sudden, he has no common sense and <br />everything he says is incorrect and all the things done have been illegal. Mr. Price <br />stated that would mean all the things Mr. Sharpe, Jr. and Mr. Wagner have done were <br />illegal. He felt those were strong accusations to be made and he would not be making <br />them. Mr. Price said the proposed 2.4 percent cost of living would be a lot less because <br />of taxes that will be taken from it. He stated that an employee making $35,000 a year <br />would get $45 a month extra or one tank of gas. Mr. Price felt that it would tell the <br />employee that they are not worth $45 a month but we can ask you to do more with less <br />people. He felt if the City starts cutting benefits, they would have a walk-out. Mr. Price <br />qualified himself as an insurance agent and said that Ms. Ricci did not know the health <br />insurance business and would not have done the analysis as she presented. If you <br />want to be an insurance agent, be an insurance agent, or give group plans but you <br />need to leave this Council and apply when a vacancy comes open for a City Manager. <br />Until then, we need a set policy and direct those people we pay all the money, to go out <br />and get all this information for us to review. Mr. Price did not need Ms Ricci to go out <br />and get the information for him as that is what they are getting paid for. He did not need <br />to be spoon fed any information as he is highly literate, highly intelligent, he can read, <br /> <br />