The Alexander City
Council approved two ordinances that will allow city employees access
to one of two retirement systems. Members of the police and fire
departments will be able to join the Arkansas Local Police and Fire
Retirement System, known as LOPFI. Remaining employees will be able
to join the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System, or APERS.
The ordinances were approved during the council’s regular June 18
meeting.
Mayor Paul Mitchell
said, “This is the other piece of the puzzle,” referring to
bringing Alexander up to par with other surrounding cities in the way
of benefits and being able to attract and keep good employees. The
other pieces of the puzzle, provided during the past three years,
include offering health, dental and vision insurance plus increasing
salaries.
Both retirement
plans require the employee and city to pay into the system. Mitchell
said the estimate of the city’s share in LOPFI is about $35,000
annually. While he didn’t have an exact number for APERS he said,
“It’s about half,” of LOPFI.
Mitchell said the
city’s share for the two plans will be paid for with the new
one-cent sales tax passed by voters in November, 2017. Collection of
the tax was to begin April 1 of this year but Alexander still hasn’t
received any payments from the state treasurer’s office.
In other action
during the June 18 meeting;
Council
members approved the purchase of three new police vehicles. Police
Chief Robert Burnett explained that one new police car is needed
because it’s been running 24/7 since another car was totaled in an
accident. The car was still considered new so it will be completely
replaced by the insurance at no cost to the city. The car that’s
been doing the work of two vehicles will be moved down the fleet to
be used on a less strenuous schedule. The other two vehicles to be
purchased is a pickup truck for the assistant chief, matching the
chief’s pickup, and an SUV for the code enforcement officer. All
vehicles are manufactured by Dodge.
The new police car
will cost $21,500, which Burnett said is $1,000 less than the price
of the totaled car when it was purchased in 2016. The price of the
pickup and SUV is $25,504 each. After including the cost of lights, a
roll cage for the car, radios, etc.; council members appropriated a
total of $135,000.
Mayor Mitchell said
this will be a “cash” purchase mostly covered by the general
fund, which owes the police fund around $90,000. In 2013 about
$45,000 in sales tax revenue was not transferred from the general
fund to the police fund. Mitchell said the court also owes the police
department around $45,000, which must also come from the general
fund.
Street
Department Superintendent David Durham was given permission by the
city council to purchase a three-quarter ton Dodge crew-cab pickup
for $27,200. The council appropriated $30,000 to include lights,
decals and other accessories. Mayor Mitchell said the truck will be
used to plow snow and to tow trailers carrying the department’s
track-hoe and tractor. Also, the crew-cab will be needed when the
city gets permission to use prisoner labor. Police Chief Burnett said
he discovered the pickup when he was pricing vehicles at Landers
Dodge. It was ordered by the Clinton Airport but after it arrived the
order was canceled.
Council
members approved two budget transactions made in December, 2017.
According to a report given by Bookkeeper and Interim Treasurer JoAn
Churchill the city had two financial problems last December involving
paying employees. One required resetting the bi-weekly pay-period so
employees are now paid for the two weeks they worked prior to the
week they are paid. The other required helping the fire department
fund with a $15,000 “buyout.”
Churchill said in
the past time cards were turned-in on the Wednesday of the second
week of the pay-period and the employees were paid on that Friday.
Because the pay-week was Sunday to Saturday employees were being paid
for hours on Friday and Saturday they had not yet worked. That put
the city in non-compliance with state law. To make this adjustment
Churchill explained in an E-mail it was decided to move, “Forward
one week,” and use a combination of regular pay with unused
vacation time to cover the next three weeks.
“They had a
regular paycheck, then 2 weeks later had a vacation check, and one
week late a regular pay check,” she wrote in the E-mail.
The other issue
involved the fire department fund not having enough revenue to cover
the extra week and still maintain all of their other financial
responsibilities. Churchill said $15,000 was transferred from the
general fund to the fire department fund to cover the shortfall.
Her reason for
requesting the approval now is because she is unable to find the
discussion and approval in minutes from September to December. The
state has started its annual audit of the city for 2017 and will
require the documentation.
“I remember
discussing this with you (council),” and getting approval, she
said.
Council members
approved the plan to adjust the pay schedule and to allow the fire
department fund to retain the $15,000 transferred from the general
fund. Churchill said this will ease the financial strain currently
being placed on the department and its staff.
Fire Chief
Mark Ridgeway reported that Alexander Fire Fighter Brad Noblett
(Class 2018-C) has completed the state’s fire fighter certification
program. This makes three fire fighters this year to be certified.
The other two are Justin Potter (Class 2018-A) and Chase Collins
(Class 2018-B).
The next regular meeting of the Alexander City Council is
Monday, July 16. Meetings start at 6 PM and are held in the courtroom
at the City of Alexander City Hall. The public is invited to attend.