City Council examines bonuses for workers

BELLA VISTA — The City Council took a close look at a resolution adjusting the 2021 budget by $86,555 to pay bonuses for city employees who have worked through the covid-19 pandemic.

Council member Steven Bourke said he believes this is a good use of some of the

Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES act money the city received.

The proposed bonuses would be $500 for most city employees and $1,000 for police, he explained, with a prorated amount for workers who were hired during 2020.

“We’ve had first responders … all members of city staff who have had to work our way through 2020,” he said. “Although these are modest bonuses, they do reflect our appreciation.”

Staff attorney Jason Kelley added any city personnel who received a bonus in 2020 will not be eligible for this round of bonuses.

Council member Doug Fowler said he was in favor of this measure and eager to do something for city staff. “I think it’s fair,” he said. The council also discussed purchasing an asphalt zipper, a piece of equipment that can help repair roads.

“It is a game-changer for us,” Mayor Peter Christie said.

The machine will cost $215,000 and the city could expect to get it about two months after purchasing, he said.

Street superintendent Mike Button said that this piece of equipment, which can mill out roads without the need to dig or haul anything, will give the Street Department capabilities that will drastically reduce the work that needs to be contracted out.

“I believe that this piece of equipment will pay for itself and then some just in the first year of ownership,” he said.

The council also discussed the purchase of a fingerprint machine and two vehicles for the Police Department, as well as a contract for data backup and recovery services.