PANAMA CITY BEACH — Salaries for a majority of the city’s employees could increase to bring them up to par with the pay of their peers in other cities under a salary plan endorsed by the Panama City Beach City Council on Thursday.
The council endorsed a plan brought forth by Evergreen Solutions, which evaluated the job functions of the city’s 251 employees and compared their salaries to their public sector peers in other similar municipalities.
The vote was 3-2, with council members Josie Strange and Rick Russell voting against the salary structure plan.
City employees got a 2 percent increase in pay in October.
The council endorsed the midpoint pay plan brought forth by the firm, which would cost the city $427,387 to raise the salaries of 161 employees, and the city would have to shell out another 30 percent or more with additional benefits. The other 90 employees would not receive raises.
City Manager Mario Gisbert recommended a phased-in approach where the salaries are brought up over several years. Employees could earn more than the amounts in the plan in the future based on performance.
Gisbert recommended a maximum initial increase in salary for employees who would be getting raises to 5 percent, or $5,000, whichever is greater.
He will bring back a budget amendment that will have the exact amount at the council’s January meeting.
Gisbert told the council that the study looked at employees with similar municipal jobs in cities such as Jacksonville, Pensacola, Destin and Key West, plus Bay County. He said these are the types of entities Panama City Beach “would lose our people to.”
In other action:
-The council approved an ordinance that would exempt organizers of free large events from having to install a fence or dual fences that run parallel to the water line. The vote was 3-2, with council members Strange and Keith Curry dissenting. That fencing requirement, which was in the initial version of the ordinance, would have killed the two-day Spring event featuring Luke Bryan at Spinnaker Beach Club, said Sparky Sparkman, owner of the club at a previous council meeting. Curry questioned how the city would know how many people were at the event if there was not a fence by the water. Gisbert said the promoter of the event will have to determine that. “He could give wristbands. He could give cups,” Gisbert said.
-Council members approved of re-adopting a city ordinance that requires scooter rental businesses to provide vests for riders and insurance coverage. The city has been sued by California Cycles, a scooter rental company, which alleges that state law regarding insurance and safety equipment supersedes city laws. The ordinance describes scooters on the beach as being used “primarily as amusements and not transportation.” Assistant City Attorney Amy Myers said this document will be introduced in court.
-Gisbert informed the council that the Panama City Beach Conservation Park will reopen on Friday all of its more than 24 miles of trails to the public. The western portions of the park had been closed to allow the removal of many of the commercially planted pine trees from 600 acres of park land. This was the third, and last, major tree harvesting effort at the 2,900 acre park as the city continues its management plan to restore the native plant ecosystem and improve wildlife habitat.
-The council approved of a plat for Pier Park North that subdivides land and could pave the way for a Fresh Market grocery store, which wants to own the property behind Rooms to Go.
-Council members gave final approval to an ordinance that adds political signs to the list of vehicle signs outlawed near city streets. The current city ordinance makes it illegal to essentially use vehicles with business signs as commercial advertising by parking them within 100 feet of a street. The vote was 3-2, with Councilman John Reichard and Curry dissenting.
-The council voted 4-1, with Curry dissenting, to increase the hourly rate of Myers from $175 to $190 an hour. Curry said he has concerns about how much the city is spending on legal fees and the extra salary should be taken on by the law firm Myers works for.
- The council approved of a plat for Pier Park North that would pave the way for a Fresh Market grocery store behind Rooms To Go.