The Plymouth City Council approved two ordinances on second and third reading on Monday night.
City Attorney Sean Surrisi explained that one ordinance pertains to wages and disbursement of those wages to the fire department.
“This is to accomplish the changes for the increase in the payment for the volunteer fire department raising the amount from $12 to $15 per call,” commented Surrisi. “Recently, there’s been a change in the city’s policy of making one lump payment for all of the volunteers had been in December to making those payments monthly. This reflects that change as well.”
The other ordinance detailed information for increases in pay for the fire department. Surrisi noted that another change in this particular ordinance allows departments heads to waive the probationary pay status for new hires.
“That’s something that we’ve seen with the tight labor market. When you’re recruiting folks that often times come with a lot of experience having to take a reduced rate of pay for three months was a big detractor sometimes when competing for talent. This would waive that for new hires.”
The council members unanimously approved the ordinances on second and third reading.
The next task will be to analyze the police department’s wages. Council members Gary Cook, Don Ecker, Jr. and Bill Walters will compile similar data that was presented to the council members when reviewing the fire department’s wages.
