Wasilla council pay hike returns

June 25, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

WASILLA - Don Savage will attend one last city council meeting as Wasilla's police chief Monday night.

To honor Savage's retirement, Mayor Dianne M. Keller will read a proclamation to the chief.

After that, the public will have a chance to weigh in on four proposed ordinances. Two ordinances would amend the 2006 budget, which closes out at the end of the month.

A third ordinance proposes an change to the 2007 budget by appropriating funds for capital project construction funds. The fourth new ordinance for public hearing would authorize the lease to the junior hockey team, the newly renamed Alaska Avalanche, at the Multi-Use Sports Complex.

The only unfinished business on Monday's agenda is the ordinance to increase the salaries of city council members. Council member Steve Menard proposed the increase, which would do away with the current pay-per-meeting structure of compensation for the council. Instead of earning $75 for each meeting attended, council members would receive a flat rate of $6,000 per year.

After much debate about the ordinance at the last council meeting, and several statements from the public opposing the change, members voted to postpone a vote.

Monday night will be the first chance council member Howard O'Neil will have to weigh in on the subject, because he was out sick for the last meeting.

Two new resolutions will be brought before the council under new business. One resolution would authorize a discretionary bonus to employees who enrolled in the city's group health insurance plan last year. The other resolution would adopt new salary ranges and pay structures for city employees.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.