By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
tribune staff writer
KEYSER — In the face of resistance from employees who did not want to fill out an extensive questionnaire, the city of Keyser has abandoned plans to have an outside firm conduct a comprehensive salary evaluation.
City Administrator Deborah Pamepinto said she gave city workers two weeks to complete the 26-page surveys, and only one non-police employee returned the packet by the deadline.
“They complained about having to fill out the booklet,” Pamepinto said. “If they aren't that concerned about salaries and job descriptions, why should I worry about it?”
The City Council agreed in March to retain the South Carolina-based Archer Company to conduct a salary study that would evaluate various job duties and compare the positions and salaries to similar municipalities. The council approved the no-bid contract at an estimated cost of $7,000, directing Pamepinto to secure the company's services as quickly as possible so that recommendations could be incorporated into the 2010 fiscal year budget, which took effect July 1.
In the wake of the decision to drop the study, the council agreed to provide all employees an across-the-board 2 percent pay raise.
Pamepinto said her decision to drop the salary study was approved by the council. The city has agreed to pay the Archer Company a portion of the full contract price to cover their services to date, which included a visit made by company officials to Keyser.
The company has not yet billed the city, Pamepinto said.
The city administrator said she had left it up to supervisors to have their workers fill out the forms, but the supervisors reported
that their workers resisted completing a questionnaire that asked very detailed questions about the types of jobs performed and the responsibilities associated with their positions. Pamepinto said the supervisors were also reluctant to fill out the forms.
“I asked the city council for their opinion on it and they said, 'OK then, let's forget it. We can use that money to spend on something else,'” the city administrator said.
The Keyser City Police Department was an exception, however, with Chief Karen Shoemaker and her staff working hours on their own time to fully complete the forms.
“Karen told me the police department had completed theirs,” Pamepinto said. “I felt bad for them because evidently they had worked hard on it.”
The city administrator said the 2 percent raise for fiscal 2010 would be the only increase employees see in their paychecks. “That's it for this year,” she said.
Keyser, W.Va. —
