After a 15-minute closed session Tuesday, the Clearwater City Council voted, 3-1 to give City Administrator Kevin Kress a step wage increase.

 

The closed session was called as the last agenda item in the regular city council meeting for the annual performance evaluation of the administrator. Kress was hired last February.

 

When the open meeting was re-convened, Mayor Pete Edmonson said the council had asked Kress questions and reviewed staff comments.

 

Before voting on an increase, Edmonson asked each council member to give their rating of the administrator using a performance scale: E for exceeds expectations; M for meets expectations and D for did not meet expectations.

 

Councilmen Rollie Lange, Mike Ranum and Kris Crandall gave Kress an E. Edmonson gave him an M. Councilman Chris Ritzer was not present.

 

Crandall then made a motion to move Kress from his starting salary of $61,500 to Step 2 at $64,600.

 

Crandall, Ranum and Lange voted for the increase. Edmonson voted against.

 

Earlier in the meeting, the council clarified its travel and expense policy.

 

Kress said there had been some confusion about who had the authority to approve travel and expenses.

 

The council recently approved a policy that allowed the city administrator to make decisions regarding staff, as long as it was within the budget. But that was amended during a council meeting, putting those decisions back at the council level.

 

“In talking with members of the council, there was some confusion that they thought I had some authority over the staff, that I could send them to training,” he said.

 

Under the clarified policy, the administrator as the authority to approve travel, conferences, schools, lodging and training for office staff, the maintenance department and the fire department.

 

Any similar items for members of the city council will be approved by the city council. “So this clarifies it so it gives you more freedom to make decisions whether staff goes?” asked Councilman Rollie Lange.   Kress said as long as the money is in the budget.

 

“I work within the budget,” he said. “If it’s going to go over the budget, I would approach the council.”

 

The council approved an increase in the fire relief association retirement benefit from $1,350 to $1,450 per year per firefighter.

 

In other action the council:

• Approved a tax-exempt temporary gambling permit for Clearwater/Clear Lake Big River Ducks Unlimited to hold a raffle at the  Clearwater Legion on April 7;

 

• Approved allowing two members of public works attend a tree certification workshop in Savage, MN on either March 23 or May 11 at a cost of $85 per person;

 

• Approved allowing four Clearwater Fire Dept. members to attend the Regional Hotel Burn in Nisswa, MN on March 12.