Ronica Shannon
City employees are getting paid for 40 hours a week even though only 35 hours are worked, and the city commission will decide Tuesday whether to adopt an order that would change that.
Employees are working 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but are given one hour for lunch.
“In effect, you’re only working seven hours,” said Interim City Manager Jimmy Howard. “We’re going to need those extra hours to get the job done if and when we have fewer people, and I do believe we’ll have fewer people. This just allows for more productivity from my viewpoint.”
Howard is referring to the suggestion he recently made to the commission to layoff 30 city employees to help soothe the $2.6 million deficit the city is facing.
“We’re paying people for 40 hours, and they’re working 35,” Howard said. “It doesn’t make any sense to me at all to pay for 40.”
Possibility of increased fees
Commissioners will hear the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday, that if passed upon a second reading, will raise the 911 emergency service fee for city residents from 83 cents to $3.50, which is in accordance with the rates paid in the county and in Berea.
The current fee of 83 cents is tagged on to the monthly landline phone bills of city residents.
In March of 2008, the consolidated 911 board increased the monthly fee for all land-line phones from all Madison County residents living outside the limits of Richmond to $3.50.
It previously has been reported that this increase from 83 cents has helped to generate more than $750,000 in revenue per each fiscal year.
City may create 911 committee
An order on Tuesday’s meeting agenda, if adopted by the commission, will create a 911 committee to study all aspects of the potential consolidation of Richmond’s 911 dispatching system with the Berea/Madison County system.
Howard said this agenda item is not in response to a letter he received Monday from Madison County EMS Director Carlos Coyle that gave the city a Jan. 1, 2010, deadline for consolidating with the county/Berea 911 dispatching system.
“My intent is to try an resolve this matter once and for all,” Howard said. “Either we do it (merge with the consolidated system) or we don’t do it. I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, but I hope we can come up with a recommendation.”
If commissioners vote in favor of creating the committee, those appointed will be in charge of finding the facts needed to determine whether the city would save money, but more importantly, be able to maintain the same level of service, Howard said.
Tuesday’s meeting of the Richmond City Commission will begin at noon inside the commission chambers of city hall.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
