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A winter snow storm swirling outside making for treacherous driving conditions did not keep the Center City Council from discussing an unprecedented proposal from an employee for over an hour Tuesday, Dec. 4.

All the city's monthly business had been addressed and it seemed the council meeting was winding down with committee reports when the council read the letter of resignation from Deputy Clerk Norma Anderson and then a letter of response from City Clerk Terrie Trudeau.

Anderson has worked for Center City for more than 11 years. She retired from full-time status several years ago, then came back to the city in October 2005 as a temporary full-time clerk during the hiring process for a new full-time clerk. After March 2006 Anderson began working for the city as temporary on-call employee, then in May 2007 was hired as a permanent on-call employee. Anderson's schedule is 12 hours a week at city hall.

These dates are central to Anderson's recent request for a performance review and $1 an hour raise. The Personnel Committee recommended that the council not act on this request. The reason for the denial was that Anderson's review date would be May 2, 2008, the date of her last employment status change, according to the council. Anderson argued that her review/wage increase date should follow the city's precedent of a six-month probation from the May 2007 date of hire.

Acting on the letter of resignation would have been one matter for the council, but City Clerk Terrie Trudeau's letter proposing that she would rescind 50 cents of her wage increase effective January 1 and apply it to Anderson's hourly wage increase resulted in a lengthy discussion.

Trudeau said she consulted with the city attorney but that Anderson did not know about the letter.

Trudeau also said she was not doing this to accommodate Anderson, but for her own benefit. Trudeau said she enjoys her job and wants to continue being an efficient and effective clerk. Trudeau felt that it would be difficult to train in a new deputy clerk in addition to managing the upcoming administrative events for Center City that include the 2010 census, a comprehensive plan, hiring a new city attorney and annexations.

"I believe that hiring a new person for Norma's current position of Utility Billing and Safety Coordinator is going to include undisclosed costs . . . I appreciate the council fully looking into the costs that will be involved in hiring a new Deputy Clerk prior to accepting Norma Anderson's resignation," she wrote in her letter to the council.

The council did not question Anderson's qualifications, abilities or value as a city employee. Mayor Mark Wolcott stated that this request would put the deputy clerk's wage above the clerk's, and he did not want to see that happen. Council member Barry Moe commented that the city should not be "muscled into changing a decision." (The approved minutes from last month's meeting state "The council indicated . . . that Norma Ander- son's review date would be May 2, 2008."

Item six in an attached handout to the minutes that outlines the recommendations of the Personnel Committee to the council states "Recommended no actions on deputy clerk's review if start date is May of 2007 not Oct. 2005."

Mike Hilber, as council representative on the Personnel Committee, asked that the council act on this matter and suggested meeting in a closed session. The meeting remained open and the council addressed the questions in several motions.

Council member Moe made a motion to reject Terrie Trudeau's offer of the portion of her salary increase, which was supported by Hilber, Vetter and Wolcott. Mary O'Reilly voted no.

Wolcott made a motion to accept, with regrets, Anderson's resignation. Moe seconded the motion and voted yes. O'Reilly, Lloyd Vetter and Hilber voted against the motion. Discussion turned to addressing the details of meeting with Anderson to resolve the issue.

The council members voted to invite Anderson to meet with them after the Truth in Taxation Hearing the following evening. As an emergency meeting, this meeting does not need to be posted. The city clerk called Anderson who agreed to meet and requested that the meeting be open to the public.

In a telephone interview with Trudeau Thursday, December 6, the press learned that the full council was present for the meeting with Norma Anderson Dec. 5.

Mike Hilber facilitated the meeting and made a motion to offer Anderson a 2.5 percent cost of living increase retroactive to November 2. This would amount to a 42 cent an hour raise, and would make her wage equal to the city clerk's wage at $17 an hour. This motion was approved 3 to 2 with Lloyd Vetter and Mary O'Reilly opposed. Anderson had until 4:30 p.m., Thursday, December 6 to accept.

Mayor Wolcott, followed with a motion to raise the clerk's wage one cent an hour so she would make more than the deputy clerk, but after passing four to one, the motion was rescinded when the council realized the clerk's wage was not on the agenda, and such action could not be taken.

The next day, December 6, Anderson did resign and did not accept the retro pay on her proposed pay increase to November 2, 2007.

The clerk also informed the Press that no property owners had attended the Truth in Taxation Hearing, so the council will likely approve the proposed 2008 budget at 6:30 p.m. December 12.

City staff hosted an open house before the meeting Tuesday evening with cake and coffee to recognize Barry Blomquist for providing legal services to the city for 37 years. Blomquist has agreed to consult with the new attorney regarding ongoing legal matters if necessary. During the meeting the council considered proposals from two law firms for the city's legal services contract. By unanimous decision the city retained Peter Grundhoefer of the law firm of Johnson, Grundhoefer and Alliegro, LLC, Center City.

The council also narrowed the field of 12 proposals from city planning and land use firms to write the city's comprehensive plan. Three firms will be interviewed at the December 20 Planning Commission meeting: MSA, Yaggy Colby, and Sanders, Wacker, Bergly.

MaDonna Higgins reported that the Park Committee has organized a community celebration at I.G. Long Park starting at 4 p.m., December 29 to publicize this neighborhood park's skating rink. In addition to ice skating, there will be sleigh rides, a bonfire for roasting marshmallows, cocoa, coffee and holiday cookies.

Higgins also informed the council that Lynn Karwand has stepped down from the Park Committee. The council accepted Midge Zemlin's application to serve and appointed her to the Park Committee.

The council congratulated Terrie Trudeau for her appointment to the Governor's Council on Fire Prevention and Control. Mayor Wolcott raised the question as to whether the clerk would attend these meetings on city time. He felt state committee meetings should be reimbursed by the state. Trudeau volunteered to attend the meetings on her own time, but Mary O'Reilly made a motion that the clerk's attendance at the state Council Fire Board meetings would be included on her city time sheet. Hilber, Moe and Vetter voted yes, Wolcott voted no.

The council also unanimously approved to pay the tuition for Trudeau to attend a one-day grant writing seminar on city time.

The council rescheduled its next meeting from Tuesday, January 1 to the second Tuesday, January 8.

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