Public Safety Building housing Council Chambers, Yelm

2015 is the year that the City of Yelm has to get new contracts in place via Collective Bargaining Agreements of the city’s two represented groups: the recently approved agreement with Public Works and the yet to be ratified contract with the Yelm Police.

Editor’s Note:
While this town has grown into a city nearing 10,000 inhabitants, Yelm lags behind in staffing/funding key labor groups. Therefore, the Yelm City Council is expected to approve 3 resolutions tonight, quoting the Staff Reports:

* Resolution No. 555 Establishing a Policy for Payment of Retroactive Pay.
This year is unique in that the bargaining with the Teamsters and Public Works began after the 2015 Budget adoption. Council ratified the 2015-2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement with Public Works membership on March 10, 2015. The terms of the agreement include a retroactive payment of wages effective January 1, 2015 to the membership.
Any adjustments will require an amendment to the Salary and Benefit Schedule based on the terms of the agreement. For non-represented employees, Resolution No. 555 would establish a policy to allow the City to make adjustments to the compensation of the non-represented employees.

* Ordinance 997 Amending 2015 Salary and Benefit Schedule Appendix II and Appendix III for Rate Adjustments and Benefits related to the 2015-2017 Public Works Collective Bargaining Agreement and on-represented employees.

* Ordinance 998 Amending 2015 Salary and Benefit Schedule Appendix II for Market Rate Adjustments for Public Works Director and Police Chief.

Historically, the City has provided consistent wage and benefit adjustments to all employees, including both represented and non-represented when financially and operationally able. The wages and benefits determined in the Salary and Benefit Schedule is adopted as part of the annual budget with consideration of the Collective Bargaining Agreements of the two represented groups in place. The 2012-2014 CBA agreement with Public Works and the Yelm Police expired 12/31/14, prior to the start of bargaining for a 2015 agreement. The terms of the previous agreements remain until a new agreement is in place.

Recommend to amend the 2015 Salary and Benefit Schedule Appendix II increasing the salary of the two exempt positions found to be significantly below the market comparables for Public Works Director and Police Chief.

In addition for approval tonight:
* 2015 Water Conservation Program – Commercial Irrigation
The City Council adopted a water conservation program in 2010 that established a water budget for each water customer with an irrigation meter. The budget was based on the amount of water according to the Washington Irrigation Guide needed to maintain healthy and productive landscaping, or the customers use in 2009, whichever was less.This program was anticipated to reduce irrigation usage in half. The program was highly successful and water customers saved over 65 million gallons (200 acre feet) of water since 2010. These water savings, along with residential water conservation, helped to realize the City’s conservation goals and extend the life of existing water system infrastructure.The Council has continued the program each year since 2010.