City enacts hiring freeze due to revenue decline
(Photo by TONIA BROOKS) The Bonners Ferry City Council met at 6 p.m. on June 2. Along with approving a payment of $168,413.49 to Wink Inc., council members also agreed to enact a hiring freeze to help with city budgeting issues.
BONNERS FERRY — The Bonners Ferry City Council meeting appears to be back to normal with all members seated in the city office and a few attendees still utilizing the Zoom app to attend remotely.
Prior to getting into the new business area of the agenda, a discussion was conducted regarding the Wilson-Solomon Corridor Project.
Considering the April 20 start date of the Wilson-Solomon Corridor Project, the council believes that the project is moving along very well.
According to the engineering firm, Century West, “The work includes installation of approximately 1,500 feet of water main, 750 feet of gravity sewer main, hydrants, valves, manholes, and appurtenances. Roadway excavation work may also be included as an additive alternate.”
Council members have been receiving complaints concerning the construction crew driving large construction trucks on Lincoln Street. Council members agreed that the city cannot do much to stop the truck travel onto Lincoln Street and figured that the company would be hauling rocks for two more weeks.
Darrell Kerby discussed health insurance processes and the attempts to keep rates as low as they are able to for the city employees. The Council is concerned with getting a renewal rate prior to when the budget is due.
John Youngwirth was appointed to the Golf Committee.
The council considered an attachment regarding a new business agenda item to consider a pay application from Wink Inc. for the Wilson-Solomon Corridor Project. The council approved the payment of $168,413.49.
Item seven on the agenda was a consideration by the council to approve a hiring freeze due to some “budgeting challenges” per councilman Val Thompson. Council members agreed that the city has suffered a 10 percent decrease in revenue.
Thompson said she has investigated staffing of city departments and in initiating the hiring freeze with the varied city department managers. Thompson explained that managers are looking at where they will utilize resources best, and this prompted Thompson to ask that a hiring freeze be put on the agenda.
The council approved the hiring freeze until the end of calendar year 2021. Managers will not hire a vacated position until it is approved by Council or January 1, 2021.
The meeting ended with the council entering into executive session to acquire an interest in real property which is not owned by a public agency.
The Bonners Ferry City Council meets at 6 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of the month. The next Bonners Ferry City Council meeting is June 16 via the ZOOM app. The app is free to download from your smartphone play store. For more Info: 208-267-3105 or visit bonnersferry.id.gov for info on how to participate and for the meeting ID and password.