It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It's okay. It Alright. Liberty and justice for all. Let me interjecting that forum. We have five of the seven council members are present. Obviously, the first item of business is the Truth and Taxation Union. Thing that from the public, the community would like to address the council. We're gonna give this probably five, ten minutes because the last time I did,
I got a little plaque. So, everyone wants to address the council, we'll leave them further. Yeah. They are kind of have a little. Okay. Okay. I'm opening up Right before they want to punch it in. Yeah. So when the what if a person is, you know, when you download Yeah. The email? It goes to the Gmail. Can you just okay. Can't do that. Well, I wanna just ask John if you could show me. So if if Tom, like, we ended up getting it to Google Drive because then we can open up that Google Drive down there and Yep. Okay. That's what we do with this most of us. Okay. Just wanted to save,
you know, the Whatever. In these files from emails, and I can't figure that out. Okay. We mostly use Google. Yeah. Into the Google Drive. And you wanna save it where? Just to our just like a folder. Well, a folder on there. Okay. So that way, like, if you Yeah. Everything will meet. Like December Right. Of the month. You guys do everything through. Everything got you figured out? Yeah. Everything is that everything that we say, like, that important stuff goes to Google because it's backed up through our server and all that stuff. You know? So we don't lose it. It's the Lord. We're saving people. That's what we lose.
Everything at Google. Yeah. Google. I'll make that motion. It motion's done. Second. Second. Scott Ann. All in favor? Aye. Motion passes. Then we have a public hearing. Anything I have some questions. K. Well, then let's hear them, Tom. K. I'm new to the project, so I have questions and issues. What is the purpose of this? I did the public safety Public Works Building has to be repaired. No question about it. We should do the improvements to that. I don't argue with that at all. But what's the benefit of moving the city hall and the police out there away
from the downtown, harder for people to get to, off the main drag? What's the benefit? You know, I think it's harder for people to get to. Well, I think Take a walk uptown. I mean, let's walk on walking up north. They're they're walking that North Road every day. Yeah. I ride bikes there every year. Not the seniors. I I would argue that some people, if you lived on way on the East or the West, it's still quite a walk to eat a little bit here. Versus I mean But if you're up town shopping or doing something, then it's easy to get to. If you're having pizza to walk Yeah.
It would be easier, yeah, if you're if you're having pizza or lunch. That you drove too. Okay. Here we go. We'll agree to disagree on the, the transportation element. So what's the what's the benefit of moving it out there rather than working out? Again, this is just a story. This is just why I want people to hear the questions Mhmm. And discuss it and get back to the council Perfect. If they're the Yeah. I had another question from another community member this past week once they saw the index. And they asked, are you guys really gonna gonna spend $1,800,000 on a new building over and above the insurance money?
Right. My response was no. We don't know. Just like two weeks ago, we had to pick a number through number and a half, boom, this is the number. We don't know if if we're moving the police department out there. We we definitely don't know if we're moving the city hall out there, but we had to pick a number, start by, and then we get those prices back, hopefully, in a month, maybe two months, we can start picking away at what this council wants to decide to spend it on there. But this is a proposal right now. It's a new building with city hall and Right. And police out there. Yeah. Just to get so that's what we have to look at.
And then it would be about 1,800,000.0, about a $160,000 a year bond payment. Yeah. Correct. $1.56 or something. Yeah. Well, somewhere in the $1.50. Right. Yeah. And Dave is here, and he can explain a little bit more about the bond process. But, one so when we did the rough numbers, it's actually we're looking for 1.5. Five. Yeah. And that was estimating high. 1.8 is the the maximum that the city couldn't take out total. That's the max. So these numbers are based on the max. 1.5 is what we were estimating.
Again, that was high. We were estimating at 150 to 200, square $200 a square foot for office space and 90 to a 100 fee for, shop space. That's what I'm being told is, like, $50 more a square foot, but we just were estimating a lot higher for this purpose of planning. We will not know until we get the actual bids back. Right. Yeah. But right now, it's proposed just at 1.8. 1.8 is the app. Something to 1.8. Yeah. That's the proposed.
That's about a 150 to a 160,000 more. And it's not it's one sixty seven seventy one. Okay. Yes. Mhmm. Tom, I think I think it's efficiency. Everybody in the same building. Everybody, when you wanna go to City Hall, they're right there. Nope. I have a problem. I need something to go to Bryant at at the public. It's all right now building. Everybody comes in. It's all right there. Everybody's in that building. It's all taken care of. It's not like somebody comes here and be just like You wanna think the convenience of the employees rather than 10. Why don't why would that be would that be would that be easier for me
if I need to come in and I have have I have problems in computers though too. Yeah. But but we have cars too. We also have Yeah. Elderly people in this town that don't email. K. So they're coming up to talk to you. Right? And now they they come up and talk to Ashley. Oh, no. That's a that's a that's Brian question. So now they run out there. Or she calls them. Correct. Emails them. Correct. But you're you're usually going there. Yeah. But a 50. It's a face to face. 153,000 or a 150. Yeah. 67. That's fine. 167, 167,000 a year in tax dollars.
Yep. We could use it for other things. But keep Or not even raising taxes. But but, Tom, keep this in mind. And again, this goes back to preliminary approval. This is just like when we have more engineering to an RFP or an LRP for something. We're not we're not spending this money tonight. We're not cutting it. I know you're not tonight but I want the penalty of time to discuss it. Yeah. And we get some answers. But, we've got a building uptown, this building. We don't pay much in rent. 90 by 9,500 a year versus a $167,000. Why spend the money if we're not getting a big advantage out of it?
Well, the commission lots of we need to look We're getting a newer building. We're getting a lot of space. The the police department maintain the building for us. For now, I mean, you know, if that were to change in five years? You never know if they shut down. We say we always say that, but it's sometimes The police department was handed down from the fire department. And they want their room back. Yeah. Their stall room back. My recollection is that was built for a police and fire combined. Mhmm. Is there a space problem? There was that one question.
Is there need to add one or one and a half. Members here. There's a space problem. There's a department. There's definitely a space problem with the space department for sure. First pretty least It's growing by double the people, double the vehicles, and we've done that over the last five years. If you go in there and just look in their offices, look in their evidence room, look in their garage, There is all of their files are being stored in, like, off a little houses that we have or little sheds that we have around town. So there is definitely a space city hall,
there's, you know, there's argument there. But for the police department, I think it's very important at this stage. Because I don't see a lot of new space for them growing. It's double the size of the garage. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's the one of the key issues is, like, being able to park more than one squad car in when it's 40 below out or No. Right. If you need to search a vehicle to pull it in and There's a whole evidence room in that one. Oh. The store. The evidence. Don't they have space where they're at now? The store. Yeah. I'm saying. It's it's in it's in, Well, that's files, but evidence.
No. They have a little bit of a locker in They have a little locker in the garage. Yeah. I that's one of my questions. Are we getting a lot more space for For the neighborhood parking. Yeah. And Yeah. I do think it's important for the police department. I mean, City Hall isn't that much added on to it, so that's something, you know, the council can decide. Yeah. To the police department, I do think they've we we do. And the other thing that's here, you know, we've got two people working in this building. If the city leaves, I would guess Arbic is going to close this building down. But we have no guarantee they're gonna keep it open anyway. I didn't think that for years. But they are right now.
They're keeping it open now. Right. They've given us no indication, have they? Yeah. They I don't think they're keeping it open just because we're renting it. I thought that was the conversation. We don't know if anyone they're gonna payments coming. That's that's what it's But it's supposition that they're gonna close it anyway. I would say that And there's been no indication. We've got two people working who could lose their jobs. We're gonna lose property taxes, utility payments. What is the advantage? They could tell this whole building. Sure. To Yeah. They That again is supposition. You know how buildings selenated? Commercial buildings? Not well. I sold one one time.
So, these are questions I think that people should ask themselves and then talk to you guys. And then I a 100% agree. I wish they would. Like I said, I I know. That's the bible. I I Don't talk to us. I why would anything in. We're pretty dang approachable. You are. I'm not I'm not accusing you of having approach. I am. I'm not accusing the people of not you know, what's going on and not discussing. I had one phone call, like I said, since that, deal came out in the index. I was like, this one. Yeah. And it was basically just again clarifying this is what we're going up to. This is not what we're spending.
We don't even know we don't even know what the estimates are yet. We don't we don't have anything, and that's again, I think I would urge the public and the community and the council that's that's where we're at. I mean, we don't know if we're gonna spend a million dollars or if we're gonna spend $1.8. We don't even know if we're gonna spend any of our money. We might it might come back to the council and you guys say, heck with it. We're spending the insurance money and a couple dollars more and that's it. And that's I get the impression that the council is already dedicated to this project. I don't think so. No. Because You gotta get the numbers. Come into it. You gotta get the numbers. Let me backtrack this a little bit then,
Tom. When when this process started, obviously, back in June, we met with the engineering insurance company in July and August. The conversation before you got back on council was let's aim big. We can scale back. Just like what we do with the levy. Let's let's start here. Let's talk numbers. Let's get those numbers and then come back down. But, you know, if if we're gonna like, Wayne said, you know, a lot of this conversation at this table has been, we gotta think about the next thirty, forty, fifty years. We're not gonna be here. Ashley might be. The rest of us are gonna be.
In thirty or forty years, if you build this building, they're gonna have to be replacing. Well, and that's all I owe god. Yeah. Well Thirty thirty years down the road. Like you've done on the deco in thirty years. Yeah. We get thirty years down the road. Didn't do the deco in thirty years. I just want people to be aware of the owner. Some of the issues and Yeah. Yeah. We'll decide when we get our estimates Yeah. Our our bids. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's it's great conversation, but I unfortunately, until we get those numbers, it's just, I do think they'll fit out. I mean, we have been talking and I know that you just joined last month,
Tom, but this is something we've talked about every meeting for six months now, and I've talked on the radio for six months about it. Comes with Fox on the radio for six months. I personally had nothing but positive feedback in my office, but I don't reach the same community members that you guys are out maybe with. And so, yeah, I would encourage those people to come because from what I'm hearing is all positive things. But I don't know if they were aware it's gonna cost them a 167,000 a year on a bond.
When they could say that and maybe not increase their tax levies or buy equipment we need. Well, we have right now not to increase the tax levies. Just keeping in mind that we have expiring bonds and When you also have new projects, you're kinda contemplating like sewer. Correct. Which we're not paying. We can't pay sewer for 1,400,000.0. We'll do one block. Yeah. We gotta get that. Yeah. We don't we gotta we gotta get funding for that. That's gonna be a bunch of business project. Drop on the half carrier to that stuff. Yeah. Unfortunately, this is different money we're talking about now.
I think what Ashley and I are trying to say, though, I don't there it's not gonna increase the tax levy at all because you're not gonna notice the difference because of our expiring bonds are more than a $167,000. But you could be saving that We cut forth it. And and what have I always said? One of a sudden Just because we have the money doesn't mean we need to spend it. I've I've been a huge performer. I've said it three times on this table. However, the opportunity is there, which it might be. And again, we don't we won't know until we get those votes back. We were hoping You know, it would be interesting to to to see what they are.
I mean, really Oh, yeah. It's necessary. We can't go ahead with it. Yeah. I would like But there's one thing in the resolution that you passed last month, it says that people have thirty days from the date of this hearing to file a petition to put on the ballot. So the clock is ticking. So that Yeah. We can't they've got it again. More so than that. Throw it on the ballot. No. No. I'm not I'm not saying we should. I'm just saying there's a time clock that people should be thinking about this. Yeah. 100% for sure. That's that's why you're on class school on Thursday. What?
It's 9AM. I just changed it. Oh, I have a choice. I would like to let Jason speak a little bit. Is that okay? Yes. Do would you like to go up inside my I'll I'll be very honest with counsel. I've been doing this for for ten, twelve years now, and I've seen counsel say, well, you know, we're we're budgeting 1,500,000.0 for this project. We go on, we we do the pot process. We go in with a public notice of 1,500,000.0. Then you do your bids, and all of a sudden it comes in at 1.6, 1.7. Then your hands are tied because now all of a sudden you already go through the process again. So as I told you last month,
I built in a little cushion in advice to to the council to do that. Now the $1.67 that is in that plan, that is the maximum amount you can borrow based on statutory authority based on this. If we're applying that one point or that 167,000, we'd get about a $2,000,000 project. You have the ability to borrow up to 2,000,000 based on that statutory limit. Again, we're disclosing publicly the ability to borrow for 1,800,000.0. Now this plan doesn't require you to borrow a point 1,800,000.0.
It just allows you the flexibility to do it. So as the mayor had said, bids come down, and we're at 1.4, 1.3. Great. We're gonna borrow under the CIP authority as what the bids come in and that. If they come in higher, you're probably gonna have a tough conversation of what what do we cut back, what do we do, do we just build the public works, all that fun stuff. So the importance of moving this forward tonight is, as Tom has indicated, there is a thirty day period. And there's a there's a petition period that if we have, 5% of the voters that participated in the last general election signed a petition to
stop the war and they can force them out of battle. But it's important from my standpoint, from the authority to get that thirty day clock going. Because all of a sudden now you're talking about bids, you're starting to layer this, and you can't award bids. If you had bids tonight and we're just starting this process, work those bids. And most of the time, there's usually a two to maybe a two week to to thirty day period to to award those bids. We probably have to rebid it. So we're trying to avoid some duplication of work here by trying to get the clocks going so we can layer this. Now my understanding, you haven't authorized bids yet,
but potentially will here very soon. And so this clock is gonna be going. So in January, on January 2, January 3, when the the thirty day expires with no petition, then council can start taking the next steps. Get the bids, award bids, borrowing process, and that. There's a lot of steps yet to come, but we're getting the standpoint of the borrowing with this public hearing and this plan. So hopefully, that answers some of the questions on some of the process and procedure. Is the mid mid limitation of 2,000,000, is that based on property values or our debt?
It's based on a maximum the statutory authority that's in that's in this capital improvement plan limits the maximum. There's a calculation of point 25% of your estimated market value. And so you multiply that that point 25% towards your estimated market value, which I think is an exhibit. It's in the one of the exhibits in the back. Exhibit a on the top portion there, and it's in the plan too. But you can kinda see for preliminary pay 2026, the county has about a 104,000,000,
and then you multiply that times that statutory limitation, gets you that $1,167,000 would be your maximum annual principal interest that you can have as a city under the CIP authority. And because you're under 2,500 in population, this does not count against your debt net limits, of 3%. So that's based on population usually. So as we move forward, the next steps council we're we're doing that. We've talked about affordability. And, yes, the mayor and staff have pointed out that there are some bonds coming off. There's some water and sewer.
There's also some, some tax levy debt that's coming off in 2027. So my job is the next steps with you is as we talk through this, as we get bids, we start to look at how we're gonna pay for this, how we're gonna allocate this. And so based on about a $1,600,000 total project, again, my number, not coming from the council, just I was running some numbers, we'd be around about a 125,000 on an annual basis, and that's on a twenty year. We could go 30. That would save about $15.12 to 15,000 per year on that annual principal interest. So those are some of the discussions we've gotta have yet as you move this
forward. Say those numbers again. It'd be about a 125,000 on a twenty year k. Based on what we know today from interest rates. And it'd be be about a 110 to a 112,000 on a thirty year. But again, that's not a full 1.8. That's on the full That's on 1.6. 1.6. Yep. Yeah. I wish Again, we don't even know if we're gonna be there yet. Yeah. Mhmm. What I did is is based on how I came to that 1.6 is I knew that the the number rough construction number is 1,500,000.0. I added issuance costs, all those process,
all those procedural things into it. Total borrowing then is about I shouldn't say total concern. We're looking at backing off that 2.7 as far as the 1,200,000.0 from insurance gets you to that 1,500,000.0. And then from there, add issuance and that stuff. So that's where I came up with that that calculation. So those are some conversations we've gotta have yet just on how we allocate and appropriate the funding for this. Agreed council, I think if if we're looking at water and sewer to pay a 100% of this over the next thirty years,
we have some challenges about reinvesting in that system. So we got to talk about this balance of tax levy and water, sewer, and that kind of stuff yet to come. But let's not jump into that. Let's get let's get to our bids, get to see if you get a comfortable number, and then we're gonna have some dialogue. And you said, Jason, okay. We're comfortable at x amount or we're comfortable at this bid number. How do we move this forward? And those are the conversations that that we'll have. So In opinion, our interest rate is gonna go up or down the next two minutes. Oh, you're the My crystal crystal ball,
they keep saying that they're gonna drop, but, you know, we expected you know, I think all through 2025, you you kept hearing interest rates are gonna drop, interest rates are gonna drop. All September, they finally did some minor adjustments, but some of that had already been in the market knowing that they're leading to that. So Ted goes down to the quarter percent. Is that okay? It'll say, you know, it'll help move move the needle a little bit. That's what our architects said too, is that we need to get in now to get these bids because if they do drop, the market is gonna be flooded. Right. Because there's so many projects out there. They've been waiting for years and years and years.
It'll be a big fix. 5% or half a percent is huge on Yeah. A $100,000,000 project. Yeah. If you send out the request for Visio? No. That'll be coming in February. Yeah. Cool. So preliminary, if we're doing this today, if I was in front of you and we went through this process, we'd probably be right around 4.1, 4.2%. That's Net effective. So before we start the borrowing process, we've gotta get through this thirty day period. Because if you get bids today and we're within that thirty day period, we can't technically award them because you don't have the statutory authority yet because we
don't know. You say we have to authorize put a premier authorization of the of the bond before you do bidding? Yeah. You basically accept the plan. This plan authorizes the council to borrow up to 1,800,000.0. So it's in anticipation for general, and I think even the resolution says We're not offering bonds point six at this point. No. You are authorizing borrowing up up to 1,800,000.0. Now, again, that doesn't lock you into it. This is a procedural thing from my safety. Two. Keyword.
K. Any other questions for review? K. Hearing none? None? Nope. Okay. I need a, motion for resolution 20.5 dash 12 dash o 3. I'll make that motion. Just a second. I'll get a motion from Sean, the second from Scott e waving greeting. I was just gonna say waving or greeting. Sean, any further discussion? Check. Resolution 20 25 dash 12 dash o 3, preliminary approval for the issuance of the city's general obligation capital improvement plan bonds in the amount not to exceed $1,800,000
and adopting the city of eight a capital improvement plan twenty twenty six dash twenty zero three zero. What is the capital improvement plan? In the packet. No. It's a written document. Other other than this project, where other capital improvements are we That is it. If you look at, like, the third page, those comments, go back on your questions. I think the third page was the, kind of formula. I think it was on top of the second or third page. Oh, you got. Do you have questions, comments, concerns? Yeah. We're having a good time to sleep.
By roll call vote, resolution twenty twenty five dash twelve dash o three. Scott e. Aye. Scott him. Aye. Sean. Aye. Tom. Aye. Wayne. Aye. Resolution twenty twenty five dash twelve dash o three passes. K. Alright. Thanks. Thanks very much. Yeah. See you in front of the engine. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Moving on to citizens forum. If there's any individuals from the community that would like to address the council, now would be the time to do so. They're on it. They're on the yeah. You're on the agenda. So hearing none, let's, move on to consent agenda. Slight change in letter d,
the account table. New amount is $38 and $988.02. Again, 38 comma That's because there was a typo. Steph put $60 and it's supposed to be $600 in one of them. So that's what the difference is. So moved. So $38.09 $88.00 2, then motion by Tom. Second. Second from everybody. All in favor? Aye. Motion passes. Moving on to the agenda, we got no update from more engineering. So, cross them out. And then, down under administrative clerk transit reports, number two is the hashtag time capsule.
And then three will be the MBN engineering contract for public works. And then, under old business, letter g, the twenty twenty six cigarette. Is that your new business? Excuse me. I was Yeah. That's all. You're right. Any other additions or subtractions to the agenda? K. Hearing none, I need a motion to approve each other. So Take a motion from Tom. Second. Second from Scott and all in favor? Alright. I will pass this. K. FCCLA, you guys are up first. You wanna yeah.
Come up next to Wayne. Do the mic, please, girl. Yeah. You guys can stand up there so you just so everyone can hear you. You wanna introduce yourselves and, tell us what you're looking for. Hi. I'm Payton Dickson, I'm from Cambria Forestry. We're here to ask for a monetary donation for our SCCLA project. This year, we're our, schools have to show this project and we're hosting a food drive and collecting monetary donations. And we're hoping to feed 10 families a meal every day over two weeks of Christmas break for free. We are choosing to do this project because we are worried that kids in our
school community may not be able to afford meals over Christmas break, and we don't want that happening. So we are asking for a monetary donation of $500 help buy perishable foods for the families. Have you done the research on data as far as how many families are without meals? No. And so it's just a guess. Sure. So that's a question that they're gonna be on the answer. But they've talked to Chris Durden, our, school account, counselor. And so that's obviously private information that Chris can't give to the kids.
And so they are working with Chris, and Chris is lining up the family. And there will be that many families in need. Our goal is hopefully we can or not we, them, but that they can get 10. 10. If they raise enough funds and food for more, then there would be enough families and need from them to be able to provide for more as well. They just won't be able to have the information on exactly how many because that's
private. Yeah. Right. Do they tell you the amount, like, per kid, per family, per day Yeah. That it takes? Yeah. Personal tell us so we can, like, purchase the random items. Okay. Does she does she tell you any of that now? Like, how long like, how far $500 goes? Did she say that at all? So they budgeted as far as, like, the meal? The meal. Yeah. They've they planned the meals. They meal planned it. They're writing out the recipe cards. They went on online and, looked how much these meals would cost.
No. Intersections. How much it would cost. And, of course, that fluctuates based on, like, age, age, or whatever and everything. It's gonna fluctuate on that and then also gonna fluctuate on the exact time when we go buy the groceries and and, of course, they'll shop for the stuff, prices, etcetera etcetera. So Okay. So the girl's gonna do all that and then bring the supplies. Let's go in to the school. They'll disperse it. Yeah. Perfect. Perfect. Yes. And Chris is gonna the girls, they're going to put all the boxes together.
We're gonna have a set day in time, and then it's gonna be before the actual week of Christmas break, though, because we wanna plan if there's bad weather or or taking to a home, something like that because we don't wanna have it where the the families won't be able to weather, you know, really good, not be able to get it or something. So there are the times that and, a days that where they'll be able to come on in. Perfect. How much do you get on the fund? $1,750. You're asking for 500?
I'll make that motionless. I'll hit them 500. K. And motion from Sharon, second from Tom, all in favor? 500. All opposed. Motion passes. Awesome. Ashley, I'll get you guys a chat. Just f c l c l a. We're telling you to check. Table request at this yard. K. You can abbreviate this forklift. K. Before you guys go, I just wanna reiterate this because I I think I say it every time. We appreciate you guys coming to the council and have them for a donation. It's great to see that you guys are involved and giving guys. Thank you. We're not Thank you. Scared. I think you're just very with my question.
I just put that on the line. Thank you. Thank you. Tom's doing that. Yeah. Can you order those? Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. That's the spirit. Yeah. Okay. That wasn't even out of the secret. Wow. Humbug. That was just straight out of those people you say. You can just tell me the Keep them coming. Yeah. I do have quite a few employees. Okay. You guys should have, an email from Ashley that had all of the information, that I've gathered, about, different positions around the community, what they start out at, what they go up to. So if we started out with the front with the,
the first part of this would be the, the front desk wages. And as you could see in your email, we have some employees that have been there for ten and a half years. And there's, we have some that have been there for eight and a half years, three years and and zero point five years. And, you know, there's the wages are are different because of how they started out, cola increases, things like that. They're they're all under and it shows where they're currently at as of today, the current column. And then 2026 is with the 5% cola that was increased,
for the budget for next year. So that, you know, most of those front desk employees, it's it's like 63¢ an hour is what the what the increases are. If you look at the second document, it's wages in the area. This is as of 10/01/2025. So what I did is I have been trying to collect the data of you walk into, you know, PetroServe or the grocery store, things like that, like a a para at the school, what they make, and what the what the benefits are. All of my staff over at the Deco is part time.
So there's there's there is, just the the part time salary. So there's no health insurance or or any of that with it. So just so everybody everybody knows. It it's been very hard to find people, since COVID, I'm not gonna lie. It, I have three life cards right now that and actually, just so you guys know, most of my front desk staff is is I mean, between Deb Carlson and myself, we bring the average age down quite a bit. We're we're talking 70.
I I mean, we're talking 70 years old plus, for for these employees. Some work a second job full time during the day and and then a part time job in the evenings and the weekends. And, I I believe they deserve more. So that is why I'm here today, to ask the council to look at increasing the I'm here today, to ask the council to look at increasing the wages. Are you looking for, increase across the board? Would you like to, like, switch up the or, like, is it That's the hard part because of the years. I am really open to suggestions because I it's very hard with the with the
years. And just so everybody knows the minimum wage on January 1 in Minnesota will go to $11.41 an hour. That's what the new minimum wage in That's going up to that, I'm guessing. Yes. I have no idea. Yeah. I should know that. $11.13 right now. K. Yeah. I wanted to just point a couple of things out in the budget so we can get this out of the way. I I did keep an 8% increase in that. So we had an preliminary budget. So the rest of the employees went down to the 5% actual goal. We did create also,
you're not meeting that you're not meeting your your budget max anyways is for your part time employees. No. We work have wiggle room in there without having to increase anymore. Right. I will agree with Brianna. I mean, I was over there. It's really, really tough to find staff and let alone good staff that wants to keep coming back there. It's not an easy thing. And especially lifeguards, if we wanna continue to keep it open more, I've watched firsthand, like, Brianna teaching all swimming lessons and lifeguarding all that she can.
We watched, you know, Deb mostly step away from a lot of that, which was kind of the second right hand man or whatever you wanna say. And in order for us to be able to open that pool more often, what we need is recruit. And people don't wanna like ours because they don't wanna go through the training when they can go and get $15 an hour working at listing. So I would encourage you guys to look at that and think, again, for Brianna to be able to step out of that role of having to teach them lessons all the time and having to, lifeguard. Right now, I'm the only lifeguard that's certified that can work during the day.
So, DAC, school once a week, any, swimming lessons that we're looking at possibly doing after the first of the year during the daytime. There's a homeschool group that wants to start doing some swimming. And and these things all generate revenue, but they also add to extra tasks. So, the group here with Deb and that was down to Will. Are those your Okay. Are those your, swim teacher? Yeah. Yeah. Deb and myself are the only two that are certified to teach swimming lessons. Okay. At the deco right now. Aidan, Will, and Tanner are certified lifeguards.
Okay. And then, the last will is, not certified as a lifeguard, but openings in the morning. Refresh my memory of Sean. Still getting one of the next questions. The last fall or the spring, what did we up the starting day to? Do you remember when we when, again, we're having problems getting lifeguards? That was three years ago. Yeah. Yeah. It was it was after COVID. Right? It was three years ago. Can you just do something here this last fall? No. Nope. We haven't scholarship. You're talking about scholarship? That was three that was three years ago. Probably been two,
I think. Yeah. That's been three years ago. So, I mean, what are you do they start at that $13.69 fees? $13.59 is is yep. $13.59 is Is where they start? That's where yep. I know you're and you're you're asking for on behalf of the employees, the the 5% to that we see here? Well, we're already we're already giving them that 5%. They're already getting a 5% colon close. Do do you have a number? And are you talking like everybody? Or are you saying do we need to give a little more to the to
the lifeguards so we get them than the office staff? Or or you you know what I mean? I am saying I have begged, pleaded. Sean, I'm asking your daughter every time I see you at the gym. I I don't know what else to do. We've asked for a swim manager. We tried to create a position. We've tried to we put it out in, Indeed. We've advertised. Have you? And we're not the only ones. It's just, it's very hard. It's, Josh Carlson has sent it out in emails for the school. We've gone to all the career fairs at the school locally.
You know, we've tried a lot of things. I'm open to any suggestion possible. So Yeah. This boss is that, that place in Pardell. Yes. It's in the Old West 5 Building. Yeah. Yep. And And and and Yep. K. Just just talk. Yep. Yep. Well, I definitely look at the for the lifeguards. You need it. If you want the pools to be open, you need the lifeguards. Mhmm. And, looking at $14 an hour or $13 an hour, that doesn't seem like a whole lot for a a job where you have to have a quite a bit of responsibility. And training. I mean, training.
Yeah. I mean, it looks like Crocs is at 15. It's close to us. I know there's not a lot of other There's not a lot of other pools close to us. That's the You know? And DL is just a pitch under that. Yep. I'd be, you know, willing or at least, depending on what it looks like this, you know, maybe even just a start off wage for lifeguards at $15. Right up at 15. Let's just say then, is that, you know, a dollar 39 more. So you're Sorry. Dollar 31 more than what they were at when they started. Would we just add a dollar 39 to what billing billing cards currently have then?
I don't know. Any like 16 something you're saying? Depending on, you know, the ones with Yeah. So if you're gonna start the starting wage off a dollar Right. 31 No. It was, would you just go to all the employees all the lifeguards that are there now and just give them a dollar 31 increase? But they've only been there a year or two. That'd be great. The others flip side of it. Is there a scale over there like there is? Nope. There is not. I mean, it it should be nice to have some kind of signal. I know that's maybe a lot, but And just so you guys know the reform.
That's probably hard actually. I mean, let's be realistic. It is. Is there a lifeguard there four years, five years? We've had some there for four years. Yep. You know? Yep. It's probably more of a two year thing than your younger kid. Yeah. But You just start at 15 and leave when they graduate. Yep. So, I mean, a lot of times, we have three, four years Right. Depending on. I've been starting 15 now, and if you've completed three years of work, then you get an extra buck at that point, plus additional increases. The increase. Yeah. Plus your coal. Right.
Mhmm. Plus your coal. You're gonna get those hours or when we how does this I think you need to stay at 4% with that. How how is that? I was just gonna say. Do you have anybody who's been there working three years now? Not for actual lifeguards. Because I know lifeguards have been more than three years. Yeah. I know. The the longest one is 1.5. That's why I'm saying. A year and a half of the under budget. It's still standard. $20 in our budget or anything. Because that's It's already in the budget. If that's a motion from when you get this I'll make that motion to what what do we say? Start at fifteen. Mhmm. About three years.
Mhmm. And then Then they get the the cooling increases like every other employee. Yeah. And then a dollar an hour. And then at three years, they get, an additional hour. Yeah. Or additional dollar an hour. Yep. K. Is that gonna give you an That's my Yeah. Lifeguard. Mhmm. So then each one of them now, instead of moving up to $14.37, you move up to Just so they're all the all the current lifeguards are just moving right now up to 15. Yep. Okay. Because they're all in that they're all in the order order. Yeah. That's what started Pretty much. Yeah. 50 is the even number. Okay. You know,
devil's advocate here. Is the union gonna be upset by this? The union shouldn't be upset by anything. The union negotiated their contracts themselves. Well, it doesn't matter. We already signed the contract. They can come back in three years. Okay. They got my number knocked. I'm not here. I don't see her either. But that's the that's the hard thing with part time employees though is they don't don't they can't They're not protected. Right. Tom's second. Mhmm. Yeah. So sorry. K. So I got a motion from Scott and I had a second from Tom. K. I'll let her start start start her with $15 k.
Plus colon because this k. Is that that's approved by the union. K. At year three, they get a dollar bump from whatever they're at. So if they're at $16 then they'll bump up to $17 on their third year anniversary. Okay. Snap that was your vote. Yes. Yes. No. That was it. Any further discussion? Okay. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Motion passes. K. What about the other employees? K. Because that was only lifeguards. So Right. Now just remember that after COVID, we have not had a cleaning person at the deco because I can't find one
to work for what we have paid. So all of my front desk staff has had to have the extra duties put into their job description. Can we hire them? The ones like we do the other. The ones on the the ones on the bottom, that's that is our cleaning. Am I wrong? Yeah. So let's do What's that? Caleb cleans for a half hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Cassie cleans for an hour on k. On Tuesdays and Fridays. So that is not k. Acceptable for a 23,000 square foot building. K. It's it's not possible to I would agree. To yes. But that is a question.
Kids Yep. Can that group do more? Or is that not enough? I don't know if that's enough. K. For the for the cleaning that has to take place. Nope. I I when did we stop putting it out for bid to have somebody come in and contract it then? For cleaning? Yeah. Is that what you mean? There was a cleaning person, but cleaning I knew that was there, she would come every night, and I think through the night. And she was there and then after COVID, she quit. Before you were there, Linda and I did it for ten years.
Oh, oh, I didn't know that. I didn't know that. Maybe we had a contract. Really? So you're looking for a side hustle? No. You bought for 102. You did say that. You did say that. Well, there was a contract that I think was, like, $600 a month that we got. I mean, it's not because I you and I both know the, office staff, the the front desk people won't do that. Maybe that's the way to maybe that's something to try. I think we gotta look back into losing that because I think we should do this. I mean, I won't pay who do you mean taxes for the whole week and all that? No. Just contract it out.
Yeah. I I mean, it's worth a shot anyways. I'm not saying it's gonna happen. It's worth a shot. But, you know, you would But can we go okay. But But I'm not saying yeah. We can go back to yeah. Yeah. Because if you make a little difference. No. I'm not saying we're gonna do that. Okay. I was like, I still think we need to look at over. Yep. Increasing the front desk stuff. When you have someone that's been there for ten and a half years and they're making less than what a kid walking into the grocery store would make, that doesn't really Yeah. I think feel good. Pretty well at the grocery store. Mhmm. So, do we not have to make the same as the lifeguards? It should it should be
that. I'm not certified. Yeah. Say that that 14, 14 and a half was about middle. Right? Yeah. So what about doing the ones that have reached a certain amount of marker? Yeah. But then there's some there that have been there ten years that obviously should be making mess. You see that? What is This is this is their this is their oh, sorry. This is their salary right now. Okay. This is what it's gonna be here in a month. Okay. With the 5% quality. Their years. Their years. So that's what I'm make understanding the Yes. That is when they started and what their years are that they've been at the
DECO. Yep. Correct. What if we did something like that, with what? That's up to $15.50 and and then after three years, we get a 50¢ raise? I was gonna say a dollar. What's cold? I don't even have a dollar. We got some people who will be right now, it'll be above that $13.50, though. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah. There's there's a I think a percentage increase. It'd have to be a percentage. I think would give them a percent just to get them up a little bit higher there than Well, this would be a good way to tick off the union if you wanna go
with that. Yeah. I know. Either way, not on the lifeguards comp. I just do the lifeguards. I'm busy with it. So say we're gonna say we're gonna say we're gonna say we're different. Well, it's gonna give me ammunition. But the union three years ago, and correct me if I'm wrong because I don't get into union negotiations, but they were lower than what they needed to be paid at. Correct? For what they did. For for con for Everybody's paid lower than that. They Are they saying that? And these employees aren't the the front desk employees aren't union? No. No. Because they're part time. They're part time. That's what we need to remember here too.
So Yeah. And then if any of our public works guys or officers wanna go work at the front desk for this wage, then they can go ahead. Yeah. Right? So where are these part time workers compared to the union for starting? Not even close. Yeah. Not that. But that's not that's not even apples and oranges. But even that's apples and oranges. Yeah. That's not But you guys also gotta remember again too, and, Tom, you know, devil's advocate here too, and I I I love all the gals. I love everyone that works at the deco. Mhmm. We appreciate, you know, everything they do for the city.
But, granted, you said it yourself too. You know, these are retired people. Not all. Some there's some come in and they work an extra job after they've already worked a full day. They go to work at 06:00 in the morning. They come to the the deco by 04:00 in the afternoon. They stay to close so that that place can stay open. But it's part time is what I'm saying, on that aspect. That's what we But they're cleaning the facility. They're doing the receptionist. That's the full time That's what he's talking about. They're scheduling. They're making sure that kids aren't gonna get hurt in the hallways. They're managing birthday parties.
They are doing all the things. 100%. Yeah. We appreciate it. But again, it's it's not we can't compare them to public works of this department. That's not we we can't No. Even I would still I would still say, what would it look like at six or 7%, and so the five so My calculators. Calculators. You know, You know, for say that first employee there at 12:57, you know, you see what 5%, what it brings, what is six or seven percent would bring them to $13.44. That's still not It's still not very much when you compare to a,
you know Not since she's been there for eight and a half years. Or the gas station clerk here. Yeah. And get how do you know? Some of the gas station ones are full time, aren't they not? You know what I mean? Yes. There's a lot of part time ones there. Well, I don't know. No. That's part time employees. That's their That that is what I specifically asked when I called. Okay. That's do something like the lifeguards and you've reached a certain number, you get an extra dollar. So if you've reached, I don't know, five years there or three years there, you get a a a dollar. Increase. You don't have to do all of the ones that's there for half a year.
I don't know. Well, we still need to we still need to start the number. Yeah. Yeah. What's our starting number gonna be? And then you guys can figure out if you wanna do a dollar increase or a percentage increase. Did you say the starting at the desk is? Right now, minimum wage. $11.13. K. K. Yeah. $11.13. K. Next year, $11.41, you said? Oh, next year, it'll be $11.40. 41 for minimum wage. Yep. K. That's what Minnesota is for next year for minimum wage. $11.41 an hour. Have you had problems getting front desk workers that you have lifeguards?
Are No. Because they've probably all been there for I mean, they're there. I mean, they're there. There's a that doesn't mean you won't. But Right. Yeah. Whatever. Yeah. But I don't think we should punish them or not look at him No. Just because they're loyal people as men. No. I thought no. No. Because we got someone that that you guys are comfortable with? And So the liquor store part time employees start at twelve I think it's twelve eighty nine. K. That's good. And we start them at twelve eighty nine. Let's start. Instead of the minimum wage.
The only distinction I would say is that we can store people have to haul things into the stock shelves. So do the DECO employees. I would What do we stop? Yeah. We have to move machines. They have to clean. We have to do everything, Tom. Do you know how dirty the floors are when it's this muddy and We're talking snowy and The front desk, though, they're not doing as far as stocking shelves. They're not stocking shelves, but they're making sure that all the toiletries are put in there. They're making sure that things are running the way they need to be. Mhmm. I would I would make them comparable.
Yeah. That's I I would I would say they're comparable. Yeah. Oh. But even at that starting rate, all these employees here we're looking at, are higher right now. But, what's the does the liquor store employees do they have a part time employees? Do they have a what's their do they have a pay schedule? They have the they have our cola stuff too. The same cola stuff? Yeah. It's the same. Some of the same things. Say you have people that have worked there for fifteen years, and then you had kind of a roundabout on school. Yeah. Come in for a few months, leave, and then 90? $12.90. Would you say 12 90? 12 89.
This one. Yeah. Yeah. Or 81. Oh, gosh. Is it '80? It's 81 or '89. I can't remember that. Sorry. I'll just have my head. 89 tops in my head, guys. Let me see again. It's 12 something. It's almost a dollar more than what minimum pages. Oh, I guess they're comparable jobs. Why should they be paying comparable jobs? I I would I would say those should be the same. I mean, that that I mean and can we adjust off of there? So minimum wage is a dollar or whatever we're up. Yeah. I don't know. So the ones that are working part time there, when you hired them,
you explained to them what their duties were gonna be at that time? Every year, I have my employees sign a job description of what their job duties will be. If anything has changed from the previous year to the next year, on the first of the year, they sign that with what their cola increase is, what their new paid amount will be per hour, so that we have everything documented. I started doing that. That? Well, every person has I mean, I have it in a file at the DECO. Well, it'd be interesting to see what their expectations were for that wage that they're getting,
what they were told, what was expected of them. You know? Did you tell them that they had to empty out garbage and do toilet paper and paper towels when you hired them? They have a cleaning check list. Yes. And and the old doc, and they still took the job. Well, they were there. They've been there. I've hired two of these people. I've only been at the DECO for six years now. Six six years, three months. The other two. Great. I heard the ones that have been there for me. Yeah. Here I go. Well, I gotta I got some head nods and some ingredients to at least get the starting
wage up to $12.89. That gets us a start. I won't ask for a motion. Or whatever the liquor store is. That is what we have in mind. $4.81, is it? That's what that's what I'm getting at. Let's just use 89. Yeah. Just so it's there. Yeah. We have to raise our rate as we can. Mhmm. What do you guys wanna do for basically longevity? Is the it would make a difference to me if they have a cleaning service, I guess. You know, if that pans out. Right. I would sure think that's gonna make a big difference. Would it not? Do you the the ladies at the desk they're all looks like they're all Yeah.
No. That could be a while a while before you find us. Yeah. I'm not saying older. Yeah. Mhmm. Wait a minute. You guys understand what they're saying? They can wait a minute. You're not They're not sitting behind a desk. Okay. So you can't just k. Yeah. Okay. That's good to know. Yeah. No. I mean, it's you vac I mean, I wear out there's a vacuum that's wore out a year. You get a new vacuum every year. Like, those look at the school. I know what the bathrooms look like. And I know Right. And both kids do it, but the locker rooms probably look like Absolutely. And it's dusting everything.
And it's it's washing the towels, and it's I mean, it's not just sitting behind a desk. Sure. I guess I would make a motion that for new hire, they start at the same wages as the liquor store people. K. Now I have another motion in a second. Okay. I think we're all in a great I have a motion from Tom that starts with the, new employees the same as what our liquor store is, whether it's $12.81 or $12.89. I need a second. Second. I'll bear. Aye. Hit. Motion passes on that. K. As far as the other employees who are making more than that, they're getting the 5% this year.
Let's wait and see what happens with the cleaning contracts and then revisit it. Mhmm. That'd be my view. K. Let's get it done. Okay. What wage are you gonna put up for the cleaning contract? Well, absolutely. You think you I think you have to put it out for bids. But we have to If you don't need a sturdy, you take the lowest bid. Responsible bidder. But we we understand now with, like, the deco renovation, lowest bid doesn't mean exactly you're gonna get the best quality. Correct? We don't have to take the lowest bid. We don't have to possible bidder by law. Yeah.
We we we know we can justify why this one's $8 more than that. What whatever you can do. Right? Take it back. That's not Yep. After all, it's You'll run that out when So I gotta put that in that you wanna bid for that. And then once you get the bid, you look at who put in the bill. You've been trying to have for five years. I don't I don't think it's there's hardly any cleaning companies or cleaning people in town that are doing residential homes anymore. For under $25 an hour. They're all We tried to do this with the event center and get a cleaning comp like, we tried for three,
four years there too. It's it's not an easy task whether we're putting it off for bid on a contract or whether we're hiring them for hour because we've tried at both locations. I don't think that you should justify what we're doing for our employees based on a potential cleaning contract. And that's my but you obviously get it in a couple months after we've tried to request bids. If we don't get bids, if we don't get the answers and needed in interest, we We look at this, what we can do to their salaries. One month? It wasn't Can we look at it a month? Get a company to come in and do the cleaning. You're gonna get an individual coming to do But we've been asking for years,
Wayne. We've been we've been And Tom, I'm sorry. But, I mean She didn't good notice. I will agree with her. There haven't been good notices. We've had help wanted. We've put out on Facebook. We've had it on the on the That's that's my KRJV on the job on the job postings. No. I'm moving. K. So I got a motion from Tom to keep it at the coal increase with the anticipation that we'll put out a request for bid for a cleaning individual and or company, and we will revisit this conversation as far as the salaries go in a month.
I'd say next month for sure. Yeah. That's thirty days. I didn't put a request out there for that. She's taking it through They gotta gotta get bid request out in time and give them time to respond. Two weeks. You need it It's two weeks. You need a Two weeks is legal. You need Nope. Two weeks is about it legally as we posted. My motion is we will revisit this issue when we had a chance to get bids. K. There's no time to get locked. K. Do I have a second? Second. K. I have a second. Scott, m was first. Any further discussion? K. All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Motion passed.
K. Alright. Shoot. Yeah. We're oh, I'm gonna creep it. You gotta stop that. Yeah.