CLEARLAKE – Public Works operational changes, staff salary and benefit adjustments, and skate park matters are on Clearlake City Council's Thursday agenda.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive. A closed session for discussions relating to property negotiations and anticipated litigation will begin at 5 p.m.

City Administrator Dale Neiman is asking the council for comments and direction on conceptual changes to the way the city's Public Works Department operates, according to his staff report.

Among the proposed changes is having a full-time staff member work the weekends to clean park and public restrooms; using people from the alternative work program to augment weekend staff; and a four-day-a-week, 10-hour-per-day schedule between April 1 and Sept. 30.

Neiman said a number of concerns exist about the 4/10 schedule. He's suggesting the city evaluate the schedule's pros and cons for another year and discuss it in employee negotiations next fall.

The council also will consider making adjustments to employee benefits and salaries.

Neiman reports that the city's agreement with the Municipal Employee Association expired last June 30, and in October Neiman informed the association the city didn't have the resources to increase salaries and benefits. Any possible adjustments needed to wait for the completion of the midyear budget review.

This week Neiman proposed to the employees association that the city would offer a 2.5-percent salary increase, and that the association would only be required to pay 20 percent of employee health insurance costs, a lower amount than they current pay.

The salary adjustment, Neiman reported, would be retroactive to July 1, 2007. His proposal also involved extending the current agreement between the city and the association from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008.

Also receiving a 2.5-percent salary increase are the city's management employees, with the exception of Police Chief Allan McClain, based on his employment agreement, and Neiman, who said he should not receive a raise because he was only hired a year ago.

Neiman said the total cost for the adjustments will be $31,290 for salaries and $12,600 for the health care adjustment, amounts Neiman said the city can afford.

The council also will consider approving the designs of new signs for the city's skatepark, and discuss the park's grand opening and dedication ceremony, scheduled for next month.

Other items on the agenda:

– Presentation by Jon Foutch of DaVita Clearlake Dialysis Center;

– Consideration of temporary street closure for Austin Avenue between Lakeshore Drive and Uhl Avenue.

– Authorization of GAP grant application;

– Consideration of supplementing the city staff using people who have been convicted by the court of a misdemeanor;

– Authorization to file a grant application for a bikeway grant;

– A claim submitted Feb. 22 by Deon Bell for $5,950.

– Consideration of declaring old and broken items being stored at the Public Works yard surplus property.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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