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City Council Meeting <br />September 9, 2002 <br />Page 4 <br /> <br />Mayor Pfiester announced that the next item on the agenda was approving a <br />proposed response to a letter from the Paris Firefighters' Association. Their <br />proposal was to accept Fire Chief Ronnie Grooms budget request for Fire <br />Department wages (5% annual increase for each of the next three years 2003, <br />2004 and 2005) along with step increases and rank restructure. <br /> <br />City Attorney Schenk said the city received a letter that was associated with the <br />current election and pay referendum for the firefighters. He said he had <br />prepared a draft letter in response that he felt reflected the position of the City <br />Council and he was submitting it to them this evening for their review, <br />comments, and suggested changes that they would incorporate at this point. <br />City Attorney Schenk advised that he had set this for an executive session if <br />necessary, and at this point he did not see the need for that, unless the City <br />Council felt the need to have further legal advice on this matter. <br /> <br />City Attorney Schenk read the letter to the City Council, which is attached <br />hereto as Exhibit A to these minutes. <br /> <br />City Attorney Schenk advised that the election now belongs to the citizens of <br />this city and they will have to decide the issue. The city cannot stop that <br />process, nor can anyone else. It belongs to the citizens of the City of Paris and <br />that is who will make the decision. He said he can tell the City Council that <br />they cannot accept this because, if the election passes, the City Council will be <br />bound to fulfill those requirements, regardless of any discussion they have in <br />regard to this proposal. So, whatever happens in this election will bind this <br />City Council one way or the other. If it passes, the City Council will be <br />obligated to implement that pay raise. <br /> <br />After discussion, a motion was made by Councilman Bell, seconded by <br />Councilman McCarthy, adopting the letter composed by City Attorney Schenk <br />to the Paris Professional Firefighters' Association regarding correspondence <br />received September 6, 2002, from the Association regarding a pay increase. <br />The motion carried 7 ayes, 0 nays. <br /> <br /> <br />