Mayor Calls for Employee Pay Increase

The Imperial Beach City Council will meet Wednesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall to discuss issues like the city's operating budget for the next two years and reinstating funds for Habitat for Humanity homes.

A meeting will also be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at City Hall to gauge public interest and seek volunteers for a sandcastle competition.

The City Council meeting will start in closed session where possible lawsuits will be discussed.

Labor negotiations will also begin Wednesday with SEIU, Local 221, the Imperial Beach Firefighters' Association and non-union employees.

Despite a tight budget, Mayor Jim Janney urged city staff to find a way to raise employee pay at a workshop meeting in January.

"It comes down to budget, and I know it's going to be tight," he said."I've been here for a while, I feel very badly that we have not given a salary increase to city staff in more than five years but prior to that basically we gave a few bucks and took a few bucks back."

Janney asked city staff "what would it cost and what would we have to sacrifice" to get employees a pay raise.

"I would like sit there at maybe that first meeting and start discussing whether there's a way to accommodate some sort of benefit for the employees, because you can only expect so much from these folks," he said.

The city will take its first look at a proposed 2013-15 budget Wednesday. No increase to employee compensation have been added to the new budget at this time, the report said.

General fund expenses are expected to decline five percent in the coming fiscal year from $15.4 million to $14.7 million.

$50,000 has been set aside for marketing after City Council eliminated a public relations budget last June.

Among potential threats to city finances in the future include unknown future Port of San Diego revenue and an increase in the cost for sheriff law enforcement.

See the attached PDF for 2013-15 budget details and a review of the current city budget.

This is agenda item 6.1.

The city will discuss installing a street light at the corner of Palm Avenue and Rainbow Drive in agenda item 6.3 and the extension a contract with a Human Resources Technician in agenda item 6.2.

Last December the state Department of Finance approved funding for determined that funding for the city's Clean and Green program and a Habitat for Humanity project. Both were supported by the city's former redevelopment agency.

The City Council, acting as the city's Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency, will decide what to do with the funds Wednesday.

On the consent calendar, the council will be asked to approve the warrant register for city expenses of $150,720 and $123,590 in payroll from Feb. 8-25.

This is agenda item 2.1.

Also on the consent calendar is a permit to approve condo conversions for 36 units near the corner of Florida Street and Donax Avenue.