The Perryville Board of Aldermen cleared up one issue at its latest meeting on March 5.
The board approved the 2024-2025 pay plan. There is a 3.6 percent pay increase for city employees across the board save for some positions in the Perryville police department because that would mean they would exceed the pay for the Chief of Police.
“Historically those numbers have been frozen,” Perryville City Administrator Brent Buerck said. “They have not received that 3.6 because they would exceed the Chief’s salary and we can’t adjust the Chief’s salary in between elections. You only get to do that every four years. We are looking at ways to do it better. But right now the Chief’s salary is frozen for the next 18 months.”
Buerck said the reasoning for the pay of some in the department is not due to ordinance, but was always customary.
“I don’t think we should hold other people’s pay back, just because we don’t want it to exceed the Chief’s,” Alderman Clinton Rice said. “As quick as the inflation is going up, we don’t want to lose the qualified people that we have.”
The board approved the first reading, but wanted updated numbers to reflect the updated pay for some of the positions.
“It may look different now, but then in the next election cycle, we can catch up the Chief,” Rice said.
In other news, the board entered into an agreement with Nathan Brown to become a member of the Perryville Police Department. Brown is a recent graduate of the Law Enforcement Academy but was committed to another city through a program somewhat like the City of Perryville’s “cadet program.” Due to changes in his wife’s employment, Mr. Brown became available and wanted to work here in Perryville instead. In order for him to do so, the City will need to reimburse the academy expense, essentially “buying out” his previous employer’s contract. With the addition, the police department is fully staffed on the patrol side.
The Board entered into an agreement with Southeast Missouri Pets in terms of housing.
Similar to what Perry County has had in place for years, this will enter the City into a contract with the Humane Society in Cape Girardeau for placement of dogs. It is the PD’s plan to only use this option after other resources have been exhausted. This will also lift the current prohibition of dogs privately placed at the Humane Society from Perryville addresses.
The board approved the amended Code of Ordinances relative to Contractors Required to Maintain Workman’s Compensation Insurance.
As discussed with the Board, it doesn’t set up fair bidding processes when some contractors provide their own workers compensation, while others do not. When this occurs, a year-end audit is done and the City of Perryville is actually billed for those contractors that didn’t have workers compensation. This seems to negate the even bidding process. This new ordinance will require all contractors interested in bidding on City work to provide their own workers compensation unless a waiver is granted for the project by the City Administrator. This was done to catch smaller projects such as changing a core on a door knob or something else that would not otherwise trigger a 1099 Tax Form.
The board kicked off the meeting with the introduction of three new city employees.
Clayton Farris, Maintenance Technician Water and Wastewater
Dustin Morris, Maintenance Technician Water and Wastewater
Garrett Schott, District 32 School Resource Officer
