Sullivan announces $1,000 extra for city employees

Jul. 22—MINERAL WELLS — City employees will see an extra $1,000 in paychecks going out on Aug. 3, City Manager Dean Sullivan told an enthusiastic council on Tuesday.

The action is designed to stop staff attrition and, ironically, will be funded with the unpaid salaries of employees who have left Mineral Wells for higher paying cities.

"This has no impact on the taxes to our public," Sullivan said. "This gives us some time."

The plan will draw $114,000 from the general, daily operations, fund. Another $53,000 will come from the water account and $4,000 from the airport fund.

The source is salary savings created by departing employees, minus overtime the city is paying staff who stay to perform duties their former co-workers handled.

For instance, salary savings in the general fund is $696,000, but the city has paid $115,000 in overtime beyond what it budgeted. That nets to $581,000 — more than enough for the $114,000 general fund expense.

The same formula yields $183,670 in the water fund and $11,238 on the airport's books.

Sullivan said recent departures have included five police officers and one firefighter in the past two weeks. There are 19 empty positions, out of 168, and the water department is six workers shy of its 59 budgeted positions.

The move comes on the eve of budget discussions during which a more permanent fix will be proposed, Sullivan said, adding it might take a three-year phase-in to bring Mineral Wells pay to a competitive level.

The ongoing attrition bites twice — it forces those who stay to take on more work, which wears them down.

"And that will cause even more attrition, because they will leave," Sullivan said.

Sullivan said Mineral Wells is not alone in losing employees. He cited a recent news story from Fort Worth about the hard time Cowtown is having keeping staff.

The $1,000 will go to every full-time employee below the director level, he said.

Council members were supportive.

"I've said it before," Mayor Pro Tem Doyle Light said. "The people that work for the city are our greatest assets. It's not enough, it's only a beginning. We've got to do something to try ad address this mess we're in."

"I would just like to see it done as quickly as possible," Councilwoman Beth Watson added.

In other action and discussion Tuesday, the council:

—Approved a zoning change to allow an H-TEA-OH outlet to open downtown.

"It's a widely known, high-end tea and water place," Economic Development Corp, Director David Hawes told the council.

The shop will be off of Southeast First Street between Southeast Seventh and Southeast Ninth avenues.

—Approved an update to the city's drought contingency plan.

Utilities Supervisor Richard Choate told the council much of the changes are handed down from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The update includes when conservation plans are triggered by drops in the level at Lake Palo Pinto, the city's main water supply.

"We've studied that lake for years," Choate said. "We know when it's too low."

Light added the city, like most, faces big water supply challenges amid drought and a growing population.

"Water is a huge concern for the city of Mineral Wells," he said. "This (update) is not even a good stop-gap measure for the water woes the city of Mineral Wells is facing."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Ward 1 Councilman Jerrell Tomlin seconded Light. "We're all excited about the signs of progress we see around Mineral Wells, but water is the key."

—Hired Municipal Planning Services to recommend development regulations for downtown. Consultant Tony Allender told the council a set of standards will allow the city to control what businesses build and open downtown.

"It's a fragile type of situation," Allender said, explaining that without codes any business could set up shop "with something that doesn't conform to the character of the area could be detrimental."

Allender also said retired Weatherford Development and Neighborhood Services Director Craig Farmer is on the team that will develop recommendations. Allender said he's known Farmer for 28 years.

"I think it's a good idea," Ward 2 Councilman Carlos Maldonado said. "We need to protect our investments and future investments."

Allender said the firm will charge a maximum of $10,000. Hawes said he expects the money to come from the downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone.

—Retained Gauge Engineering to seek Texas Water Development Board grants for drainage and maneuverability projects. Hawes said the board is expanding its grant program into the $10 million to $20 million range.