Tuesday, May 11, 1999
Newport to reorganize departments
Controversial merit pay issue set aside for now
BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT — The city commission, by a 3-2 vote, approved City Manager Phil Ciafardini's plan to restructure the various city departments, including elimination of a finance director position and incorporating a merit pay program.
The commissioners then immediately voted unanimously to remove and table the section of the new organizational chart calling for merit pay, subject to recall and further discussion by a majority vote of the commission.
In voting against the city manager's organizational plan, Commissioner Jerry Peluso said he was totally opposed to a merit pay system “which pays employees over and above the regular (pay) increases.”
“At a time when all cities and counties need to be very fiscally conservative, and when we recently asked our residents to pay 30 percent more on their water bills to pay for much-needed upgrades in our system, I don't feel we can ask them to also pay additional money to workers are are already paid for doing their job,” he said.
Commissioner Beth Fennell, who voted with Mr. Peluso against the ordinance creating the new departmental lineup, said she had concerns about the language of the merit pay proposal but also was against eliminating the finance director position.
“I think the finance division should be a separate division with a director, and not reporting directly to the city manager,” she said. “I think the city manager should be involved in larger issues.”
Mr. Ciafardini, the former director of finance and administration, pointed out that Norma Tyree, who has worked as a financial officer with the city for many years and more recently has performed all the duties of a finance director, would be running the department and would merely report to him.
The new organizational formation also places the code enforcement section, including a building inspector, five housing inspectors, citation officer and coordinator, in the police department under the direction of the chief of police.
In other business:
• Historic Preservation Officer John Paquette introduced new design review guidelines for the East Row Historic District, updating the original guidelines adopted in 1990.
Where the earlier document contained areas where procedures and materials were rec ommended, the updated version contains strict guidelines to be followed in rehabilitation of historic property.
“There are no gray areas in the guidelines,” Mr. Paquette said. He said the new draft fully explains what is involved in the design review process, including what is required of property owners.
• Commissioners approved the first reading of an order authorizing a $50,000 grant application to the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs to replace identification/direction panels for Gen. James Taylor monument and park. Many of the signs were stolen or vandalized over the winter.
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Newport to reorganize departments
Proposed tax increase to benefit parks
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Reading toughens its blight law
Residents like plan for police
Suspended township cop resigns
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