New Job, Salaries On Jonesboro Council Agenda

Jobs were on the agenda Tuesday night as Jonesboro council members added a communications director’s post, plus heard from police officers about their jobs and issues with their salaries.

Council members approved the request by Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin to add the communications director job for the 2015 budget.

Perrin said the growth of the city, with its 20 or so departments facing many issues on a daily basis, provides a good reason for the position.

“Any organization, regardless of its size, needs good communication,” Perrin said of the job.

The person hired for the job will be the city’s point person in handling media relations including public information and Freedom of Information Act requests.

Perrin said the person would also work with the city’s public access television station as well as working with a new city website.

The website, launched earlier this year, is more interactive and will allow residents to send complaints to department heads directly, Perrin said, noting a resident can take a picture of a downed street sign using an iPhone and email it to city officials.

The person will also work with other city departments, like finance and parks and recreation, to let residents know about upcoming projects, Perrin said.

The position was approved by voice vote. Perrin said the city will begin advertising for the job once the city’s 2015 budget is passed later this month.

The person will make between $43,000 and $65,000 a year, depending on the experience level.

POLICE SALARIES
Council members also voted to create a committee to look into issues involving the salaries of police officers.

The council heard from local Fraternal Order of Police official Tony Zaffarano, who had several dozen officers standing behind him in the audience, about concerns over holiday pay as well as base pay for officers.

“There are several here who have been here eight, nine or 10 years who are paid at the same rate as new officers,” Zaffarano said.

Zaffarano said Jonesboro has lost several officers to smaller agencies due to the pay issue, noting a recent study done by the FOP showed Jonesboro near the bottom in pay for the largest cities in Arkansas.

“We need a pay scale to be separate,” Zaffarano said.

Perrin told the council that his office met with officers earlier this year to discuss the concerns and addressed some issues including letting officers take home their vehicles.

Perrin also gave council members copies of spreadsheets dating back to 2003, listing salaries.

Perrin also gave reporters a two page report, detailing salaries and the history of the issue.

“When the Condrey pay plan was being implemented in 2003, it changed the current pay plan in effect at that time from a grade and range system to an expanded grade and step system,” the report from Perrin’s office read.

“Therefore, all employees had to be migrated to the new grade and step structure. The holiday pay policy that was already in place did not change. A list of all current employees with their hire date, base pay including holiday pay was prepared. This list was used to establish the new grade and step for all employees. The annual salary for non-uniform employee did not include holiday pay while the annual salary for the uniform personnel did include the holiday pay. All employees were then assigned to the appropriate grade and the nearest step within that grade that did not result in a loss of pay.”

Zaffarano said the issue needed to be addressed.

“In this line of work, experience means everything,” Zaffarano said.

The committee is expected to start meeting early next year to go over the issues.

OTHER ACTION
In other action, council members:

• Approved the first reading of the city’s 2015 budget. The budget, which will cover city government from Jan. 1 until Dec. 31 next year, will be discussed at a special meeting at noon Dec. 29 at the city hall.
• Agreed that city offices will be closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Dec. 26.
• Heard from Perrin, who presented a proclamation to ASU Head Football Coach Brian Anderson and members of the team in honor of the team going to the GoDaddy Bowl Jan. 4 in Mobile. ASU will play Toledo during the game, which will be televised on ESPN.
• Heard from Perrin, who presented outgoing City Attorney Phillip Crego a plaque for his years of service to the city. Crego, who has been city attorney for 20 years, is retiring Jan. 1.
• Honored several city employees who have worked for the city for 25, 30 and 35 years.
• Received a copy of the financial statement for the Jonesboro Airport Commission through Nov. 30.