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City staff compensated

Council reconsiders prior vote

By Bert Lehman


Hankins

The Clintonville City Council reconsidered a vote from the previous meeting and will pay city employees for the full day of work they missed when city hall closed for a snowstorm.

At the July 10 meeting, Council President Mike Hankins addressed the council about the payment of vacation/compensation time for the April 16 emergency closure.

He said he originally made the motion at the June council meeting for city employees affected by the closure to receive a full day’s pay for that day, which would mean city employees wouldn’t have to use vacation or compensation time.

After that motion failed at the June meeting, the council agreed to pay the affected city employees 50 percent of their wages for that day.

At the July meeting, Hankins asked the council to reconsider the vote of the original motion from the June meeting.

Alderman Ben Huber asked Hankins what his thought process was for asking for reconsideration of the vote.

“I think there was some discussion of it and in talking to people afterward, it sounded like to me we kind of, not everybody understood or clearly grasped it, and others have approached me about it too,” Hankins said. “And I appreciate your suggestion because the first one failed. I can now call for reconsideration because I was one of those who voted for that, because half I figured was better than nothing. But probably I should have tried harder to push for the original, so that’s what I’m trying to do tonight.”

The council voted 6-2-1 to reconsider the vote. Huber and Alderwoman Julie Stumbris voted no. Alderman Brandon Braden abstained. Alderman Brad Rokus was excused from the meeting.

Immediately after the approval to reconsider the vote, Hankins made a motion that the city pay city employees affected by the emergency closure on April 16 for a full day of work.

After the motion, Clintonville Mayor Richard Beggs stated: “One of the things that I felt after that vote was we agreed to do half of it, which is like saying we were half wrong. Either we are all right or all wrong. We can’t be half right or half wrong, I don’t think. Also I think it was not the correct vote. I’m glad to see reconsideration.”

Braden told the council he abstained from the vote to reconsider because he was not present at the June meeting. He added that his opinion is that city employees affected by the emergency closure were not given the option to come to work, they were told not to come to work.

“In my opinion, if my boss were to call me and say, ‘Do not come in to work,’ I’d be really peeved that now I just lost a vacation day that I was hoping to use sometime else in the year,” Braden said.

Huber said he didn’t agree with reconsidering the vote.

“Personally I think once the board or common council makes a decision, unless there’s really good reason, I think you ought to stick with it,” Huber said.

The council approved full compensation for the city employees affected by the emergency closure by a 7-2 vote. Huber and Stumbris voted no.

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