Seven city council members gathered at the senior center to discuss a few issues within the community on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.
The issues ranged from Rich Park, the water tower and adopting an ordinance that will increase wages to nonunion employees.
Currently the water tower project is underway but council members are concerned with the sewage run off, especially since there had already been one encounter.
The update on this issue will be discussed at the next council meeting on Oct. 6, as well as the verified number of volunteers in support of Rich Park.
The ordinance to increase nonunion employee wages to three percent was discussed mostly.
“[The ordinance] gives nonunion employees a three percent increase,” council member Robert Mcomber said.
He petitioned to adopt the ordinance as well as add an emergency clause. The ordinance was agreed upon and passed.
“We wanted to make sure [employees] would get this in their paychecks [soon],” he said. “Before council has tried to treat employees similarly— non unionized employees and union employees.”
President of city council stepped into the discussion, agreeing with Mcomber.
“Ever since I’ve been on council, it has been the intent of what [Mcomber] said,” Mike Aspacher said. “And it gives us the ability to continue to do so.”
Mcomber is confident in the council’s decision.
“I don’t want anyone to feel as if they’ve gotten a better deal than a nonunion or union [employee],” Mcomber said.
Two students from Notre Dame Academy and residents of the city feel they have gotten a better deal by attending the meeting than they originally expected.
“I thought it was very organized and reminded me of [high school] city council,” senior Camille Bratton said.
Her classmate agreed with her and said she gained more knowledge by going to the meeting.
“At first I thought it would be boring, so I brought homework,” senior Isabella Genson said. “But I was interesting to realize what’s going on in your city.”
While the council meetings are typically on every first and third Monday of the month at 7 p.m., the meeting on Oct. 20 will be at 8 p.m., after the Public hearing meeting in the library.
