The Grand Marais City Council met December 28 and held a short, but important meeting. Two councilors, Dave Mills and Tim Kennedy, couldn’t attend, but a quorum consisting of Mayor Jay Arrowsmith-DeCoux, Tracy Benson, and Anton Moody were on hand to conduct city business.
Council approved and certified the 2017 budget and levy of $909,993.88, which is a 4.37 percent increase from the previous tax.
Council approved a 2 percent salary increase for the city’s eight non-union supervisory positions. The increase is consistent with the sum granted to employees in their newly ratified contract.
Councilor Tracy Benson suggested the city implement performance reviews, setting goals and objectives for employees, noting accomplishments in a worker’s performance that could be documented and kept in those employees’ records. Arrowsmith-DeCoux said the library board did annual reviews for the library director and he thought the practice could be extended to the rest of the city’s employees, especially department heads.
Moody agreed, noting automatic raises without performance reviews were one area the public sometimes frowned upon. “That’s how you get into government waste and accountability,” Moody said.
“Make a note to approve the 2 percent raise and approve a review of jobs,” said Arrowsmith-DeCoux, adding that the council would discuss how to go about setting up performance review or performance structures for employees.
The second reading of Ordinance 2016-04, which clarifies the rules regarding nonconformities in building, was held. The purpose and intent of the ordinance are to allow nonconforming structures, uses, site characteristics and lots to continue to exist and be put to reasonable and productive use. The ordinance also encourages such nonconformities to be brought into compliance when sensible to do so and to establish the requirements under which nonconformities may be operated and maintained.
“I think this is a drastic improvement over what we had before,” said Mayor Jay Arrowsmith-DeCoux.
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