Council wants closer look at employee benefits

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville City Council Thursday learned from a recent survey that city employee retirement, sick leave and vacation benefits are generous; in the opinion of three council members, a bit too generous considering the economic times.

Mayor ProTem Danny Dunagan and Councilmen George Wangemann and Bob Hamrick questioned the city's retirement age for recent employees, Dunagan saying it should be raised. Wangemann heard the figures for the amount of vacation time for Gainesville city employees compared to 28 other cities and said it was very generous.

"It is fifteen days (vacation leave), which is three weeks, for an employee in the one to four year employment range," said Human Resources manager Cindy Mallett, who added that ten year plus employees get 25 days vacation.First year employees get a week off after working a year.

Council member Myrtle Figueras said leave the benefits alone, saying she expects every employee to earn those benefits, but good benefits help retain good employees. Dunagan said no changes are coming soon, and he wants to study the survey results.

SPLIT ON MEETING TIMES

A Council majority favors making all regular meetings evening sessions as they plan to move into the new Public Safety Complex on Queen City Parkway.
Council's next work session is Friday December 17th at nine a.m. in the new Municipal Court Room which doubles as council meeting chambers.

Right now every other regular voting meeting is a morning session; Councilmen George Wangemann, Bob Hamrick and Mayor ProTem Danny Dunagan say evening meetings might raise public attendance. Council member Myrtle Figueras said alternative morning and evening meetings give constituents a choice and she favored no change

GOING FOR GREENWAY GRANT

Council agreed to apply for a federal grant through the State Department of Transportation to finish the Midtown Greenway and trailhead project.
Special Projects Manager Jessica Tullar said the total grant is around $800,000 and finishing the greenway would promote economic development especially with what's already there, including the new Public Safety Complex.

"All of that together is going to have a huge impact on the area and will go a long way to spurring the private re-investment in the area," Tullar said.

Tullar added Gainesville's 20 percent would be cash earmarked in the Economic Development Fund for Midtown.