The Chelsea City Council unanimously approved a 2-percent raise for all city staff and a 3-year contract extension for City Manager John Hanifan through June 30, 2018 at its regular meeting on July 7.
As part of the city’s 3-year contract agreement with its staff, the City Council agreed to re-open the contract to consider employee salary increases with the Teamsters Local 214 and the Police Officer’s Association of Michigan.
In addition, all non-union and part-time employees also received a comparable 2-percent wage increase.
The City Council also approved a 1-year renewal of a $37,500 Chelsea First marketing contract for the FY 2014-15 by a 5-2 vote with Council Members Jim Myles and Rod Anderson voting against the contract.
Prior to the vote, Craig Common owner of The Common Grill, spoke during public comment and strongly recommended that the City Council approve the contract for the marketing effort describing it as important to not only downtown Chelsea but also to the whole city.
“It helps tell the story of our community,” he said, not only within the city but also outside its borders.
As part of the contract approval, the City Council asked the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce, which oversees the marketing effort, to give an annual report on “the marketing effort with measureable(s) showing a positive impact on Chelsea businesses,” according to the motion.
The city will pay $25,000 and the Downtown Development Authority will fund $12,500 to the effort. Previously, the DDA paid $25,000 toward the effort, but when approving its FY2014-15 budget, the DDA board set aside 50 percent of its discretionary funding to assist the city in paying for its fight against the proposed McCoig sand mine.
The City Council also unanimously approved the $10,000 purchase of a piece of land adjacent to the Garfield substation from the Prinzing Family Trust, which will allow the city to expand the substation in the future if it becomes necessary.
Also by a unanimous vote, the Chelsea Police Department will have a new 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe scout car this fall.
