The increase was recommended for council approval by Human Resources Director Katie Knisley, who during a May 3 work session said the city’s previous maximum wage of $14 per hour was “not doing us any favors as far as getting people to come back.”
“(These workers) are finding jobs at Target and McDonald’s ... and we want to stay competitive,” she said. “They really love being here, they love the jobs, so we’d like to bump that up to $20 (an hour).”
Knisley clarified that approval of this increase does not mean seasonal workers are automatically guaranteed a wage of $20 an hour from the start of employment. According to Chodkowski, employee pay rates vary at the Rose based on roll, function, seniority, and tip eligibility.
The resolution passed 7 to 1, with Councilman Ed Lyons as the lone dissident. Lyons cited the issue of funding for the approved hiring of additional firefighters/EMS employees as the reason for his vote.
In April, council approved a resolution to hire four new firefighters at the request of fire department Chief Keith Knisley. According to Chodkowski, Knisley told city officials these hires are not needed immediately and could be incorporated into a phased-in plan over two budget cycles. In May, council voted down a resolution to fund these positions through supplemental appropriations from the general fund for hire in 2022.
“I’ve taken a position that, financially, if we’re going to spend more money, we need to spend it on the fire fighters, which do not have the funding for those positions,” Lyons said. “We (approved) the additional firefighters, but council decided not to include the funding.”
The city’s workforce consists of approximately 180 regular full-time and part-time employees, and up to 130 seasonal laborers, 125 of which can be hired for the Rose Music Center, Knisley said.
The Rose is currently hiring. To apply, visit www.rosemusiccenter.com.
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