PUC delays action on new salary schedule

Full-time, non-

union workers

are affected

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Full-time, non-union Public Utilities employees must wait a while longer for their raises because the Public Utilities Commission tabled action on a new salary schedule until the February meeting.

Like the full-time, non-union city employees who got their raises retroactive to Jan. 1 at last week's City Council meeting, PU employees are in line for a 3 percent increase as well as an identical employer match deferred compensation program increase of $50.

Commissioner James Hogen, newly elected president of the commission, raised the concern that approval of the proposed package at this time might interfere with the PUC's negotiations with its unions.

Because City Manager Brian Gramentz was not there to address that concern, Commissioner William O'Connor, who serves on the Personnel Committee that recommended the increase, moved to defer action on the proposal until the next meeting. Indications from several commissioners, including Hogen, were that if the union negotiations weren't resolved by then, action on the package would be delayed further "since the increases would be retroactive anyway."

The City Council approved a 3 percent increase for city employees, retroactive to Jan. 1 despite there being one union whose contract had expired Dec. 31, 2001, and as yet had not been renegotiated. Contracts for the city's other two unions do not expire until the end of this year.

Under the proposal, the Director of Utilities' salary would increase by $2,351 to $80,371.20, and the lowest paid position -- clerical assistant III -- would increase from $23,088-$28,704 to $23,940.80-$29,556.80. The total wages and benefits package would increase $88,472 to $1,351,308, a 7 percent increase.

In other action, the commission accepted the low bid of $188,726 submitted by Donlie Underground of Lakeville for installation of the 3M/North Express Feeder cable to the 3M plant. The bid, the lowest of three submitted, includes an alternate to continue the project to the North Side Substation.

The commission also approved a 10-year contract with Great River Energy of Elk River for the purchase of surplus wind-generated power. Utilities Director Robert Stevenson said his intention was to replace the current contract with Xcel Energy with the Great River Energy contract because it would be $15 per megawatt hour cheaper.

In recommending the contract, Stevenson said, "We're going to be mandated to do this forever, and it doesn't appear feasible to build our own (wind generation) system."

Commissioners voted to provide a Certificate of Support to Parents in Partnership who is seeking financing for a non-profit daycare center from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development section. The draft certificate supplied by P-i-P was rewritten in accordance with the certificate language approved last week by the City Council, eliminating "will have no adverse impact on other facilities providing similar services."

The commission also was told that the year-end financial statement for 2001 wouldn't be available until March.

One of the two new commissioners, James Schuetzle, was sworn in; however, Lloyd Schauer was reported to be unable to attend the commission's first two 2002 meetings because of previous commitments.

Commissioner Tom Hendel was elected vice president, and Hogen, O'Connor and Gramentz will serve on the Personnel Committee. Commissioners Schuetzle and Hendel, Gramentz and Stevenson will serve on the Service Territory Committee for 2002.