CITY OF ASHLAND

PLANNING MEETING

 

MARCH 30, 2006

 

 

     A planning meeting was held on March 30, 2006 at 4:00 P.M. in the Ashland City Hall auditorium.  The media was informed of this meeting.  Mayor Terry Turner presided over the meeting, but no business was conducted.

 

     Council Member Mike Beale gave the invocation.

 

     Those in attendance were as follows.

 

Mayor Terry Turner, Council Member Zeola D. Echols, Council Member Bobbie J. Steed, Council Member Gail E. Thompson, Council Member Rebecca G. Boddie, Council Member Mike Beale, City Clerk Charles E. Foster, Asst. City Clerk Donna J. Bennett, Police Chief Derrick Forbes, Asst. Chief Chris Mathews, Ashland Housing Authority Investigator Tony Knight, Officer Jason Gentry, Officer Benny Davis, Officer David Martin, Officer Cecil Chappell, Dispatcher Supervisor Teresa Williams, Dispatcher Randy Gidley, Maintenance Supervisor Randy Hanners, Officer Chris Smith, Kim Crist, Donna Smith, Kenneth Forbes, David Nolen, Bobbie Street, Debbie Houston, Leland Steed, Robbie Lett and Justin Dean of the Clay Times-Journal.

 

      The meeting was called to discuss a possible pay raise for the police department and other city employees.  Chief Forbes along with Council Member Beale had presented the Mayor and Council with a proposed pay scale to be used for the Police Department which was in comparison with the City of Lineville at a previous meeting.

 

     Discussion was held again on the possibility of implementing the compensation plan that was created by the staff at Jacksonville State University.  It was explained that this plan could be modified to reflect the changes that Chief Forbes along with other Department Heads would submit.

 

     Mayor Turner asked each Council Member for their comments or concerns.  Members of the audience, including citizens that attended, also addressed the Mayor and Council.

 

     It was the general consensus that if the City awarded any raises to the employees it would be for all employees not just one department.  After discussion, it was decided that before any raises were given or the compensation plan was approved, Council Members/Department Liaisons would look over their departments and make suggestions for pay rates/ranges/steps, etc. with possible increases for raises. City Clerk Foster will calculate these changes and report back to the Council the approximate cost to the City.