Because of her request, the council will meet in a work session later this month.

At its Nov. 14 meeting, the council, on a 5-0 vote, approved a 3 percent cost-of-living pay increase for city staffers, effective Jan. 1.

City Administrator Mike Yanez’s pay plan also calls for a maximum merit increase of 3 percent.

But Roberts disagreed with that portion of the pay plan.

She said it was unfair to give a 3 percent merit increase to an employee who makes $22,000 annually and an employee who makes $43,000 annually.

Yanez’s 2006 budget also calls for pay upgrades for certain employees whose current wages are below area cities’ pay.

Roberts questioned why certain employees were receiving pay upgrades.

Yanez said he was giving “immediate attention to those that were really out of line.”

“We’re in the recruitment business, and it’s competitive to retain employees,” Yanez said.

Because council member Steve Gumm was not yet at the meeting when the topic was brought up, council member Jason Ward requested that the issue be tabled until later in the meeting.

When discussion resumed, Yanez said the city’s pay plan — which he inherited when he took the city administrator’s job seven months ago — was confusing to many people.

“I may propose a brand new entire pay plan at this meeting,” Yanez said.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 in council chambers.

In other matters Monday night, the council:

• Approved a revised contract with Springsted Inc. for financial advisory services. The services will be on an on-call, as-needed basis.
• Rescheduled its next regular meeting from Dec. 26 to Dec. 27. City offices will be closed Dec. 26. The meeting Dec. 27 will begin at 7 p.m.
• Agreed to have members of the planning commission continue to also serve as the city’s board of zoning appeals. Council members noted that the current system seemed to work well. In addition, it’s difficult to find enough volunteers in the community willing to fill another board.
• Discussed the trees being decorated along Fourth Street. Council member Ron Cranor said that he had heard many positive comments about the decorated trees. This year, fire department officials decorated the trees downtown.

“A lot of people have complimented the city on the lighting,” Mayor Dave Taylor said.