RE: Step Increase

From: Jennifer Cline

Sent: Fri Mar 11 11:52:10 2016

To: Dan Huff

Subject: RE: Step Increase

Importance: Normal

Hi,

Is this the email you are referring too? It is the only one I can find.

I will work to have the evaluations complete next week.

Thanks,

Jennifer Cline, P.E. | Public Works Director

Licensed in OR, WA

City of Molalla

117 N Molalla Ave. | PO Box 248 * |Molalla, OR 97038

O: 503.759.0218 | F: 503.829.3676

From: Dan Huff [mailto:dhuff@cityofmolalla.com]

Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2016 3:27 PM

To: Jennifer Cline <jcline@cityofmolalla.com>; Heather Penni <hpenni@cityofmolalla.com>; Sadie Cramer <scramer@cityofmolalla.com>

Subject: FW: Step Increase

So, here is Ashley’s opinion on the Jason Clifford issue. I could really care less about the potential of a grievance being filed – I just want to be right. We do, however, need an evaluation.

Dan Huff

City Manager

City of Molalla, Oregon

(503) 829-6855

dhuff@cityofmolalla.com

"file:///C:

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From: Ashley Driscoll [mailto:AshleyD@gov-law.com]

Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2016 11:01 AM

To: Dan Huff <dhuff@cityofmolalla.com>

Subject: RE: Step Increase

Hi Dan,

I agree the employee is likely eligible for a step increase. The language is not crystal clear on how the City handles employees who are not hired at the bottom step, but I would guess the City has faced this situation before and given an employee hired at a higher step a one-step increase after one year on the job. Did the employee get a 6 month increase?

Also, increasing his step aligns with the theory behind step increases. Generally, employees get step increases because the longer they work at the City the more valuable and self-sufficient they are, and therefore deserve higher pay. That is only true to a certain point. A three year employee is likely more efficient and able than a one year employee, but the differences between a 10 year employee and a 12 year employee are slim. So steps are designed to reflect the growth during the first few years at the City. When the City hired Jason at Step 3, the City was basically saying that his experience at other employers equated to at least a couple years of Molalla-specific experience and therefore he was more like a 3-year employee than a normal 1-year employee. Under the steps theory, a 3-year employee still gains value experience during the 3^rd year and is worth more at as a 4-year employee. So that employee would deserve an increase.

So, first I would see how the City has handled this in the past. If the City has NOT given step increases to employees hired at the higher step until the employee catches up, then I would NOT do that for Jason. But if the City has given the increases, or there is no evidence either way, I would do the step increase.

Thanks,

Ashley

Ashley Boyle Driscoll

Attorney

Beery Elsner & Hammond, LLP

1750 SW Harbor Way, Suite 380

Portland, OR 97201

t (503) 226 7191 | d (503) 802 0007

www.gov-law.com

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From: Dan Huff [mailto:dhuff@cityofmolalla.com]

Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2016 10:37 AM

To: Ashley Driscoll

Subject: Step Increase

Ashley – Could you take a look at this for me. We have a waste water employee (Teamsters) that we hired one-year ago and brought him in at step 3. Is he eligible for a step or do we wait to catch up?