Hobart: No raises, but paid days off are an option

No Hobart city employees will be receiving raises next year, but they might get a few more paid days off.

The City Council Wednesday discussed the possibility of adding two more paid holidays for all city employees — the day after Thanksgiving and Martin Luther King Jr. Day — on a permanent basis, as well as a one-time offering of four paid personal leave days for sworn police officers and members of the Teamsters union working in the public works department only. The extra days are being considered for the police and Teamsters members only because the council had to rescind their previously scheduled raise for 2021 due to financial reasons.

The council noted that the raise was always contingent upon money being available to finance it. The extra days are for 2021 only.

The council discussed the options during an ordinance committee meeting and may vote on them during the next regular council meeting on Dec. 16.

Po l i c e C h i e f R i c k Zormier and Public Works director Tom Laco both said the additional days off could be accomplished without overtime, but Enrique Lopez, president of Hobart Professional Firefighters Association Local 1641, wasn’t so sure.

“My only concern is we’re at 60 vacation days that were canceled this year alone. We’re not fulfilling our vacation days now,”

Lopez said.

In other matters, the council discussed adding a $100 late fee for owners of rental properties in the city who don’t register those properties by the city deadline, and the possibility of establishing a business license.

City Attorney Heather McCarthy said the city now charges owners $5 a year per rental community, regardless of size, and could charge late fees up to $2,500 for the first violation and $7,500 for the second violation. She said owners of properties listed on Airbnb also must register. She said there are more than a dozen known Airbnb listings in the city.

“The key is to make sure we know who the key holder i s ,” Mayo r B r i a n

Snedecor said.

The late fee may also be voted on during the May 16 meeting, while the council agreed more discussion is needed on possible business licenses before any action is taken.

McCarthy said most municipalities that require a business license charge a flat fee, but she questioned whether Hobart should charge according to square footage instead. There were questions on if and/or how businesses operated out of a person’s home and movable businesses, such as food trucks, would be charged.

“I don’t care where we draw the line, just so we have one,” Councilman Dave Vinzant, D-4th, said.

Vinzant said the economic development and planning departments are interested in knowing where the community is going in terms of business. He also noted that revoking a business license is one tool that can be used when a business misbehaves.

“We don’t have that tool now,” Vinzant said.

Co u n c i l man Mat t Claussen, D, at-large, said the discussion should continue in light of the unanswered questions and the fact that so many businesses are hurting now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The council also agreed that the city needs to have its first corporate credit card and will probably vote on the matter at its next meeting.

Clerk-treasurer Deborah Longer said in the age of COVID-19, more vendors are only accepting credit cards as a form of payment.

She said the mayor has been paying for the Zoom meetings and other bills with his own credit card and getting reimbursed by the city each month.

Longer said the mayor would get a credit card in his name and she would probably have one in the city’s name. She said the person using the card would have to keep a log of when they used the card and keep all receipts, which must align with the card statement.

Snedecor said the card is also needed for emergency purchases.

“It’s time for the city to get a credit card,” Longer said.