North Frontenac looking at changes to cost-of-living increases for employees

Craig Bakay | Dec 15, 2021

Employee compensation was front and centre at North Frontenac Council’s regular (online) meeting Dec. 10 popping up at three places in the agenda.

“Generally, North Frontenac is competitive to the market comparators on aggregate for employee benefits,” concludes the minutes of the Township’s Personnel and Audit Committee from Nov. 23, 2021, following a report from Jane Mizanski, of Gallagher Consulting.

As a public sector employer, the Township is required to show evidence that pay equity has been achieved and maintained and this analysis identified no pay equity gaps.

The report, however, does propose a new salary grid to be implemented effective 2022 wherein incumbents will be assigned to the 2021 grid and then Cost of Living Adjustment (based on the August Consumer Price Index) be applied thereafter. But how that COLA will be applied raised the hackles of a couple of councillors.

“As identified in the Gallagher report, the current method for calculating annual increases that has been used since 2015 is atypical,” Treasurer Kelly Watkins said in her report. “Gallagher’s recommendation is effective 2022, the method would be updated to include the per cent increase at each step, rather than the current policy where the same set amount is applied to each step on the grid. The current method creates a different effective percentage depending on the step the employee is at.

“For example the 2020 CPI rate was 1.9 per cent. However, employees at Level P (starting level on the grid) actually received a 3.12 per increase and the employees at level A (top level of the grid) received 1.27 per cent increase. Those in the middle would be close to the 1.9 per cent.

Every employee received the same fixed dollar increase under the status quo system.

Coun. John Inglis said the 2015 system was introduced under then-mayor Clinton (Bud) Clayton using the logic that the price of a loaf of bread is the same whether you’re at the top of the grid or at the bottom.

“I don’t think that (a new system) is an equitable way to proceed,” Inglis said. “I don’t think we need to follow what the herd does.”

Coun. Vern Hermer agreed.

Watkins said that in 2021, the August CPI and hence the COLA increase was 0.01 per cent. In 2022, it was 4 per cent for a two-year average increase of 2.01 per cent.

Staff Recognition

Council acknowledged seven staff members for long service including firefighters Beth Webster (15 years), Matt Wheeler (10), and Alex Ross (10), Roads workers Jonathan Tooley (15), Dale Wise (15) and Teegan Wise (10 years in 2020) and Treasurer Kelly Watkins (15 years).

“Sorry we couldn’t see you in person to present the awards as we normally do,” said Mayor Ron Higgins.

Song Writing Contest

Manager of Community Development Corey Klatt announced Tom Bishop of the Mackie Lake area was winner of the North Frontenac song writing contest for his song I Can’t Wait to Get Back.

Klatt said they had 13 entrants in the contest.

“We’ll be producing a video to put on our social media and to play whenever it’s appropriate,” Klatt said.
“Maybe you should sing that before each Council meeting,” said Coun. Vern Hermer.

Deputy Mayor

In a 5-1 vote Gerry Martin was re-elected Deputy Mayor over Coun. Fred Fowler.

Martin made one of the more amusing pre-vote speeches ever in making his case.

“My experience has been that whenever residents get annoyed at the mayor, they call me,” Martin said. “That seems to happen quite often and with all that experience, I’m getting used to it.

“I also like the title and I’ve already got business cards printed up.”

Fowler cited Frontenac County’s practice of allowing each mayor a chance to be warden for a year and he’d like to get more experience on Council, especially from the Deputy Mayor position.

But the later may have been his undoing.

“I do feel like there is a learning curve to the job and since this next year is the last for this Council, we may need someone more experienced,” said Coun. John Inglis.

Cemetery Fees

Dep. Mayor Gerry Martin on changes to cemetery fees: “So, if gramma dies, we have to pay $400 to put up a headstone?

“It doesn’t seem fair. The price has doubled and it’s outrageous.”

Recreational Vehicle Bylaw

Coun. John Inglis on a proposed public meeting to discuss proposed storage amendments to the draft new recreational vehicle bylaw: “If you’re going to have a public meeting, they’re going to have to be a lot smarter than me.

“This is very complicated.”

“This bylaw is costing the Township a lot more than it’s taking in,” said CAO Cheryl Robson. “When we get the final number, you’re going to be blown out of the water by the numbers we have.

“It’s one of our biggest enforcement issues.”

“This could be a pretty low-cost solution to seniors housing,” said Inglis. “For $250,000, we could bring in five trailers and use a communal system.”