Council mulls proposed planner, budget

RITZVILLE — The City Council met Nov. 14 to look at its budget and what would be the most likely match for a new new development planner.

“Balance is huge,” Councilwoman Brooke Scheel said. “You’re either going to get somebody who’s maybe younger and has some work experience, fresh out of college, that’s willing to commute, or hybrid and really great on the computer, or maybe a working parent, or somebody that’s been out of the field for a minute but has a lot of experience and wants to ease back into a professional life, or somebody that’s in the environment and is really ambitious.”

The discussion followed a previous meeting where the council agreed it needed more staffing to assist with growth and development.

The council seemed to have many options to consider.

“The next part would be the wages,” Mayor Scott Yaeger said.

“All the wage information you have,” City Clerk Julie Flyckt said, noting she looked into budgeting for the position.

There were estimates about computer equipment and necessary software.

Scheel mentioned the state might be looking at a $10 billion deficit in the upcoming biennium, “and to me the writing has been on the wall for a long time because that’s kind of where we’re heading.

“We spent all this money during COVID and so if we aren’t looking for opportunities to increase the bottom dollar, which we have not been doing, that’s where we’re going to head. I think we’re still ahead of it enough to where we have the opportunity to spend a little bit more and get the right people in the right places.”

Scheel questioned the budgeting process for a new position.

The council discussed employee pay and cost of living increases.

“When I’m getting job offers from cities that are the same size, the same number of employees, less departments to take care of, less responsibility, and make $50,000 more a year, that sparks my mind a little bit,” Public Works Director Dave Breazeale said. “So, when you’re talking about doing COLAs (cost-of-living adjustments) for all employees except department heads... “

“The thing that’s crappy is that there’s only so much money to go around,” Scheel said. “I agree department heads are underpaid across the board...

“I think staff need to be valued and I think they need to be paid fairly and I think there’s a substantial amount of inequity in a lot of issues around staff, right now.”