City Clerk sworn in while police salaries are frozen

Eureka saves $250k holding back cop raises, then hires zookeepers

David Courtland, Humboldt Sentinel
8/21/09

Eureka

Eureka's police officers have agreed to go without raises for the next two years, a cost-cutting move that will save the city $250,000, city officials said at a Tuesday council meeting dominated by cost-cutting measures.

The Council unanimously voted, with Mayor Virginia Bass absent, to amend the city's contract with the Eureka Police Officers Association after reaching an agreement with the union during labor discussions.

Dropping the raises that were supposed to go into effect in January saves the city $174,000 this fiscal year and $87,000 for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Officers' benefits will remain the same for the next two years.

Pam Powell was sworn in as Eureka's new city clerk by Mayor Pro Tem Mike Jones, a move that city officials claim will save money by eliminating an assistant to the city manager's job and giving some of those duties to the city clerk.

City Manager David Tyson said Powell will continue advising his office on risk management, one of her previous duties, as well as taking on administrative tasks.

The council voted unanimously to approve leasing the Cooper Gulch Recreational Building for $600 a month to the Redwood Coast Montessori School, which will share the cost of maintenance with the city.

Public safety and prosperity

The council also heard reports from Assistant Fire Chief Bill Gillespie on the fire department's July 24 special training drill with equipment used to pull people out of tangled vehicles, which was held in the parking lot of John's Used Cars and Auto Wreckers.

Gillespie noted that Eureka ranked second in traffic collision injuries and deaths and third in pedestrian injuries and deaths among 96 California cities in 2007. That year 392 motorists or their passengers and 23 pedestrians were killed or injured in collisions.

Police Chief Garr Nielsen told the council that in response to complaints, traffic officers Gary Whitmer and Greg Hill recently worked 20 extra hours to make 40 traffic stops, handing out 20 tickets to drivers in the neighborhood around the zoo.

City Councilmember Linda Atkins presented Nancy Only, Unity of the Redwoods' minister, with a proclamation declaring Aug. 20 a day to acknowledge Eureka's prosperity.

"“I have been a resident of Eureka for 20 years, I have absolutely felt like I was in paradise on earth,”" Only told the council. “"It really disturbs me when people talk about what we lack. Gratitude should come ahead of gripes.”"

In addition

Other actions the council took were:

Voted 3-1, with Larry Glass dissenting, to accept a $20,949 donation from the Sequoia Zoo Foundation to make the education coordinator position at the zoo full-time again. The position had been cut back to part-time earlier this year.

Glass said he preferred spending any money for the zoo on a study to form a zoo assessment district.

Voted unanimously to grant two hiring freeze exceptions for the zoo, letting it fill two vacant zookeeper positions.

Voted unanimously to grant waivers excluding four people from the garbage and recycling program. The four had all been eligible for exclusion but didn't file applications on time. City Attorney Sheryl Schaffner said 19 more appeals are pending.

Jones said the council decided in closed session to join the California Redevelopment Association's lawsuit against the state's redevelopment funds grab.