Las Vegas City Commission Minutes, November 20, 1957 to December 2, 1959, lvc000011-79

The 1958/59 Budget, as recommended, is based on the Salary Survey and Classification Plan that was recommended by the Public Administration Service for the City of Las Vegas upon the completion of their survey. The recommendation has been followed as to classification and pay plan only and to the ability of the City to finance it. Between now and prior to the First of July the Pay Plan should be adopted by Ordinance. The Ordinance should make this Pay Plan a full Five Step Plan with one step per year upon recommendation of the Department Head, the City Manager and approval of the Commission. Our present plan is a Five Step Plan but under the method by which it is in operation an employee reaches the end of his Schedule between three and one-half to four years. At such time part of the effectiveness of the plan has been lost, as at the end of three and one-half to four years they have reached the end of their Schedule that they should not reach until five years, putting them in the position of no place to go in advancement unless unless they are promoted. The salary survey was derived by Public Administration Service by making a comparison of salaries in private industries, Federal, State, County and City in this area and in similar areas, and is based on a reasonable pay for classification. Cost of living in the area was taken into consideration, but this was not a Cost of Living Survey only, and therefore, should not be interpreted as an overall pay raise for all City employees, as this will not be a fact. In certain classifications the pay schedule, as presently paid, comes very close to the recommended. There are certain classifications which are presently above that which is recommended for that classification, which will not mean a reduction in pay to the people in those classifications, but will mean that they are at their highest point. In implementing this into the next year's Budget we financially could not adopt by schedules and steps straight across the board, but in recommending the method of adopting it each and every person working for the City of Las Vegas was studied. We will arrive at the persons being within their schedule and their classification, the difference being, what step in that schedule they will go to. This is also based on the fact that this will take place at the date of July First, which is the new Budget period for 1958/59. For identical personnel under the old plan, if the new plan were not adopted, it would cost for total salaries $2,591,546.00. If the plan is adopted as recommended by Public Administration Service and implemented into the 1958/59 Budget, salaries paid by the City of Las Vegas would be $2,677,528.42. Therefore, it is costing the difference between the old plan and the new plan of $85,982.42, or 3.32 percent. In recommending the 1958/59 Budget for adoption by the Mayor and Board of City Commissioners, we have also taken into consideration the fact that some services that are not a service to each and every person but have gradually grown over a period of time, are going to have to be abandoned. To mention a few: People cutting their tree branches and throwing them in the parkway or street and expecting the City to come pick them up. This is a function that is only requested by a few, but tuns up a cost to the City. The method for this type of rubbing being hauled away has been set up in the contract with the Southern Nevada Disposal Service, Inc., who will take care of this service providing it is properly bundled and handled according to the contract. Secondly; the fact that people rake leaves out into the street and then call the City to come and pick them up. We did have a leaf machine that was originally purchased for the purpose of doing this in the Park, Cemetery and Golf Course and it got around and the cost of operating this machine gets greater each year. The machine is a suction type and if a pile of leaves remain in the street for two or three days they wind up with beer bottles, beer cans, pieces of rock, concrete, etc., in the pile and when these hit the workings of the machinery they completely ruin it, which means another repair bill for the machine. This service is also set forth in the Disposal Service contract, which says that the Disposal Company will pick up leaves if they are in containers such as, boxes, etc., This is the proper way that it should be handled, for in a container they do not blow all over the area prior to being picked up. Another service into which we are getting more and more and which is becoming more and more expensive, is the matter of escorts. We believe that this should be a fee service, paid for by the people who actually need the escort. Attached is a breakdown of the recommended Budget showing Budget Summary, General Fund Source, Operating Expenses, Capital Outlay and Expenses by Departments, each department showing on its individual sheet an explanation for any major change within the Department in the 1958/59 Budget. Respectfully, s/ A.H. KENNEDY A.H. KENNEDY CITY MANAGER AHK:da Encls. Mr. Kennedy briefly explained the charts on the wall of the Council Chambers portraying the Budget as presented, and discussed some of the points in his letter of transmittal as set forth above. His Honor asked if there were any questions from the audience on the proposed budget. None were voiced. Commissioner Bunker then asked if these were all of Mr. Kennedy's recommendations, and when advised that they were, the Commissioner made the following statement which he asked be made a part of the record: "I received permission from the City Manager to discuss with each Department Head the 1958-59 Budget, during various stages of its preparation. To make a complete and an analytical study of the Budget would require far more time than I was able to give this study. My study did bring to light a few items which, in my opinion, cannot be justified by either the Department Head, the City Manager or the members of the City Commission. I, for one would be at a complete loss, in some instances, to make any justification for some of the items that appear in the present budget under preparation. 3-5-58