Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Pay and abesentees topic of city debate

City council members are slated to consider an ordinance that will accomplish two tasks - change the time of monthly meetings and the absentee policy for council members.

Councilman James Roy Cornelius presented the plan during the councils regular monthly meeting, held Jan. 15. Cornelius suggested that the council move their meeting time back to 5 p.m., and that council members be allowed to miss one meeting per year.

Council members are paid $300 per month, according to information from city hall. By the current standard, council members are paid every month, regardless of how many times the council meets and whether or not the council members attend those meetings. Corneliuss plan indicates that council members will be paid as normal if they miss one meeting, but will lose the monthly pay for missing any subsequent meetings in a single year.

The council meets monthly and Cornelius said the attendance rule would apply only to the regular monthly meeting. By the proposed standard, the council members would not be penalized for missing special meetings or committee meetings.

Cornelius said he was presenting the attendance requirement in response to the wishes of his constituency.

Councilwoman Susie Meeks said she never misses a meeting unless she is ill or out of town.

Councilman Jerry Wilson suggested a clause allowing for extenuating circumstances. For example, Wilson asked what happens when a person has already missed one meeting but then has a death in the family.

That prompted a brief discussion on the possibility of considering excused absences, doctors excuses and other viable reasons for missing a council meeting. Citing the complications that arose, Wilson withdrew his suggestion and seconded Corneliuss motion to consider both the time change and the attendance requirement.

Meeks indicated support for the time change, but cast one of two dissenting votes against the measure. Newly-installed councilwoman Elaine Williams cast the only other dissenting vote. Neither explained the reason behind their votes.

With the passage of Corneliuss motion, the citys attorney was instructed to draw up an ordinance to address the two issues.

On the subject of the meeting time, Cornelius cited other boards that meet earlier in the evening. He said setting an earlier meeting time would be more convenient. He cited the fact that most people leave work at 5 p.m., then go home and return to city hall for the meeting at 7 p.m. If the meeting were earlier, it would give most people the option to go directly to city hall after work.

Several suggestions were discussed, including 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. with Wilson suggesting a compromise of 5:30 p.m. The February meeting will be held at the normal time - 7 p.m. - pending formal acceptance of the ordinance.