Clarksburg Selectmen Look to Simplify Wage Increases
 Police Chief Michael Williams reviews the pay scale process with the Selectmen on Wednesday. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Selectmen on Wednesday night tried to make sense of employee pay when it comes to steps and cost of living adjustments.
Police Chief Michael Williams walked them through a process that had first-year employees waiting up to a year and half before getting step raise, but getting a COLA in between.
The town has set out that an employee cannot receive his or her first step raise until the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1) after his or her anniversary hire date.
"A person hired on July 1 would have to wait a year to actually go to the first level," he said. "But for somebody hired in May, it would be a year and two months."
Step raises occur on each July 1 for the first five years, then on each fifth year after that. The bylaw has been in effect since approved at a town meeting eight or nine years ago.
Employees also receive a COLA each year, based on what the Selectmen determine of 2 to 3 percent. Williams said he kept a large spreadsheet to track employee anniversaries and pay grades.
Selectman William Schrade said waiting to the first of fiscal year didn't make sense if employees were also getting COLAs on their anniversary dates in between — there was the potential for the worker to be making more than the first step by the time he or she hit it.
"The numbers are not even jiving," he said. "The only people that should be getting the raise should be those who are no longer getting a step or not in a step year."
Selectwoman Linda Reardon was concerned that the pay grades had no incentives for further education or certification.
"This seems like a complicated way to do business," she said. "This is extremely complicated."
Williams said it was designed to keep wages somewhat competitive.
The Selectmen said they wanted to keep good wages but find a less onerous way of tracking them.
"We think you're doing a terrific job for the town of Clarksburg and we don't want to take anything away from you," said Chairman Jeffery Levanos. "We're just looking to simplify this."
Schrade agreed that "there's got to be a mechanism in place. I just don't think this is the right mechanism."
"It's something we need to look at for next budget year," Reardon said.
The board was also surprised to find that Williams did not have a signed contract but described himself as being under contract and also on the pay scale. The police chief said he had been in negotiations on a contract with the last town administrator but they had not been able to agree and the document was not signed.
"Maybe now with a full board and [Town Administrator] Carl [McKinney] that's something we can open up and hash out," he said.
In other business, McKinney unrolled plans for the West Cross Road reconstruction, pointing to a new area for handicapped parking and access and going over some of work to be done.
• Donations were accepted from Kurt and Stacy Gagne, Ernest and Sharyn Godbout, Friends of the Clarksburg COA, Paula Wells and an anonymous donor for the Town Hall Facade Improvement project. McKinney said the funds is now over $800. He also cautioned contributors from sending cash through the mail.
• The board unanimously appointed Cynthia Schock to the Board of Health until the next election.
• The date of the town election was confirmed for Tuesday, May 26. The town clerk had asked if it could be returned to the date used until an old bylaw was rediscovered setting it May 26. McKinney had sought legal counsel and was told there may be "wiggle room" for changing town meeting dates but none for the town election.
The list of offices of for election and deadlines can be found here.
• McKinney informed the board that the 9-year-old metal roof on the library was leaking from an ice dam and he had contacted the town's insurance company to take care of water damage and cleanup. The deductible is $1,000, which can come out of the ice and snow account, but he is also checking on the roof warranty.
Tags: compensation & classification, raises, salaries, wages,
