by Mari Radtke
Suggested amendments to the Marcus Employee Handbook were approved by Council at their regular meeting on Monday August 11. Currently the street and utility crew, a 3-man team, work four 10-hour days Memorial Day through Labor Day. That set up requires one person to be on-call on Fridays. The current handbook allows that person overtime for the day, which adds up quickly. The effort to contain costs gave way to making a change to the 4-day summer work schedule. Instead of overtime for Friday on-call, the person who works on Fridays will then have Mondays off, trading the day and removing overtime work.
The consent agenda approved the July minutes and claims and the treasurer’s report without amendments. Funds transfers were approved moving money from certain city fund, usually the general fund into a restricted fund.
A returned check fee was passed by resolution and the procedure and charges for a special city council meeting were also set in the consent agenda. That is now $30 for each over-drafted check to the City. When a citizen requests a special meeting for any concern a charge is now implemented to cover the cost of council member pay and publishing. That cost is set at $180 plus $300 per hour if city attorney has to come, $45 for each city employee other than city clerk who is required to attend and $50 for publication.
Ames Auto Body was approved for the signage incentive grant program. The council declined doing extra mosquito fogging in the last spray for this year.