City reviews new federal overtime rules
Staff writer
Certain city employees could fall under new federal labor rules that go into effect Dec. 1.
Although council members made no decisions on how to comply with new regulations at Monday’s meeting, city manager Roger Holter gave them a rundown on the new rules.
A recent amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act raises the salary level at which an employee is exempt from overtime, Holter said.
State and local governments can give employees comp time at the rate of one-and-a-half hour per overtime hour worked instead of pay overtime, Holter said.
Small fire and police agencies are exempt if they employ five or fewer personnel. They also can have overtime calculated based on a work period of up to 28 days instead of a 40-hour week.
“Our local policies would need to be modified,” Holter said.
His recommendation is to allow comp time.
Mayor Todd Heitschmidt asked whether a decision was needed Monday, and Holter said council members have another meeting before the deadline to modify policy.
In other matters:
- Council members voted to seek proposals for enhancement of the city website as a way of gathering information to decide if they should stay with the current service provider,
- Approved a 2017 pay and holiday schedule,
- Approved invoices for Evans-Bierly-Hutchison & Associates engineering for services on East Park and Marion Main St. projects,
- Held an executive session for attorney-client discussion, and
- Approved an employee recognition event near Christmas.