2008/02/06 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

February 6,2008 The regular meeting of the Everett City Council was called to order at 8:30 a.m.,February 6.2008 in the City Council Chambers of the Everett City Hall,President Nielsen presiding.Upon roll call it was found that Mayor Stephenson;Council Members Roberts,Olson,Hatice,Gipson.Nielsen. and Stonecipher were present.Council Member Affholter was excused. Council Member Roberts led the Pledge of Allegiance. The minutes of the January 30.2008 Everett City Council meeting were approved as printed. COUNCIL Council Member Olson explained that following last week's vote by the Council,there has been further discussion regarding the interpretation of the City Charter goveming the effective date of the salaries set forth in the new salary schedule adopted by the Salary Commission last spring. Section 2.8(i)of the Charter does state that any new salary schedule adopted by the Commission"shall become effective ninety days after fling"with the City Clerk. A review of the ten year history of the Salary Commission reflects different and inconsistent answers to the question of whether the term"salary schedule"means the salaries themselves,as is the approach of the Washington State Salary Commission upon which Everett's was based,or refers to a plan which may have different dates of implementation.The language of the Charter does not leave the issue of effective date to the discretion of the Commission. To conclusively resolve the question today and to provide guidance for future salary commissions the following motion was made. Moved by Council Member Olson,seconded by Council Member Roberts that the City of Everett engage the outside legal services of J. Robert Leach to examine and determine this question. Referencing only the Charter,historical records pertaining to the 1996 Charter Review process which adopted the Salary Commission 36