Competition woos city staff

Council ponders pay, effects of building and planning department inspectors, and grant

Pay raises could be coming for Lorain’s Building, Housing and Planning Department, but City Council members say wages must be competitive with other cities.

A Lorain City Council Finance & Claims Committee met May 13 to discuss legislation that would bump up pay rates for staff in the department.

The changes would cost about $34,527 more, with $19,583 coming from the city’s general fund and $14,944 covered by federal block grant funding.

As other cities offer larger salaries to hire away Lorain staff, the moves will help Lorain retain workers in a department vital to quality of life in Lorain neighborhoods, said Safety-Service Director Dan Given.

The committee members agreed, voting unanimously to send the legislation for consideration by the full council. Council members Mary Springowski, Mitch Fallis, Pamela Carter and Beth Henley all praised the work of the department.

For months council and the city administration, with the building inspectors, Law Department and Lorain Municipal Court judges, have examined ways to bolster housing code enforcement to improve the look and safety of Lorain neighborhoods.

The May 13 discussion was part of a reorganization or revamping of the Building, Housing and Planning Department, Given said. Council also heard from Kellie Glenn, department director, and Lisa Zamiska, human resources director.

Many of the workers are loyal to the city and do good work, Given said. But Lorain has lost workers leaving for other cities that offer more money and lighter workloads, he said.

“We’re looking at this and saying these people have unique skills, unique qualifications,” Given said. “These positions and these people are the ones that are dealing with council’s complaints the most.”

He cited emails and phone calls from council about problems in the community and getting property owners cited into court and cleaning up their homes and lots.

“This staff has gone above and beyond,” boarding up some of the most dangerous properties around Lorain, Given said.

“They don’t have to, but they’re doing it to cooperate and they understand it’s for the betterment and for the health of the community,” Given said. “Everything we ask of them, they’re trying to do and all we’re trying to do is present the information to council so we can pay them competitively.

“We’re not rewarding them,” he added. “We’re paying them a competitive wage that most of the communities around here are paying them.”

The legislation is one ordinance and memoranda of understanding between the city administration and United Steel Workers Local 6621, the union that represents city workers.

Koziura, the committee chairman, did not oppose the legislation but said he did not support using memoranda of understanding to negotiate with employees.

“This is not a good way to do it,” he said. Given countered that Koziura knows the city administration cannot negotiate with the city unions in council meetings.

The answer lies in council’s hands, Given said.

“Either we vote to pass this and pay our employees or we continue to lose employees and we cannot fill positions, I’m going to have to come back and say, members of council, what do you want to do? Because our hands are tied,” Given said. “From an administration point of view, we’re here to perform. We can’t perform if you don’t give us the tools to perform and our employees need to be paid competitively.”

Carter, who represents Ward 3, and Henley, who represents Ward 1, commended the city workers for their responses in their respective wards. Henley, a first-term councilwoman, noted she is on her fourth building inspector assigned to her ward.

Speaking from the public, resident Patrick Horn said Lorain inspectors were responsive when he had problems in his neighborhood. Horn said Lorain’s biggest problem remains the burned out, boarded up houses that remain in the neighborhoods.

Resident Denver Casto asked if it is possible to get commitments from city workers to stay in Lorain.

Richard Negron, assistant chief electrical safety inspector for the city, said he has worked for the city and moved back to Lorain because that is where he is from. Negron said he has turned down an offer from another city offering more pay.

“I don’t have a problem with it because I love the city of Lorain. This is where I was born and raised,” Negron said.

Resident John Wargo reviewed the costs and supported the increased pay.

“I think it’s worth it,” he said. “I think it’s worth the jobs that these people do.”