By John Pacenti
One thing you can say for certain about Ocean Ridge Town Manager Lynne Ladner: She is fiercely loyal to her staff.
During budget season, she fought for pay increases for some non-union police employees while commissioners bristled. She succeeded in getting pay increases for some, including Police Chief Scott McClure.
Ladner has told the commissioners it is important for equitable compensation between non-union and union employees (police line officers) for morale and retention reasons.
At the commission’s Dec. 9 meeting, Ladner told commissioners that under the new police contract, union members earn more vacation time than non-union employees based on their time with the town. Past commissions routinely rectified this discrepancy, she said.
“I think it will show consistency and stability across the organization. It will also vastly simplify the calculation of vacation approvals within the payroll system and the accounting system to have just one set of accruals for all employees,” Ladner said.
McClure tried to explain to commissioners why having all employees on equal footing was a good idea.
“If I have a sergeant who is under the contract gaining more time than a lieutenant would, why would you want to get promoted and have a lesser benefit package,” he said.
The non-union police employees affected are the chief, lieutenant, dispatch manager and dispatchers.
As happened during the budget scuffle, the commissioners were not on board with Ladner’s proposal. Commissioner Ainar Aijala Jr. said the recent consultant’s report — which cost taxpayers $14,000 — found town salaries and compensation to be competitive. He said he was disappointed Ladner didn’t provide a competitive analysis — no easy lift.
“I don’t know why we would feel in any way that we should give everybody the same vacation,” he said.
Aijala then took a shot at the regular staff, saying police officers have demanding schedules. “If we let the police go home at 3 o’clock every day, and if we gave them every weekend off, then I would say you have parity.”
Ladner said that though Town Hall closes to the public at 3 p.m., administrative staff continues to work and puts in a 40-hour week — including some weekends.
Vice Mayor Steve Coz then said new employees start at two weeks’ vacation, which is typical in the United States. “That sounds pretty good,” he said.
Ladner had a warning for commissioners. “I really hope you’re prepared for the potential that our employees will seek employment elsewhere,” she said.
Recently, a longtime police dispatcher — a position that is hard to train and fill — left the town to go work at Gulf Stream.
Coz then complained — similar to Aijala — that the material presented by Ladner to commissioners for the Dec. 9 meeting was scattered, incomplete, late and incorrect. “I wouldn’t get on my high horse about this,” he told the manager.
It wasn’t all Scrooge and humbug. The commission did approve allowing staff employees to work half days on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve — though a resident told commissioners to be aware of those shrewd employees who will try to take the whole day off and still get paid.
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