A contentious Tuesday meeting of the Henderson City Commission saw Commissioner Robert Pruitt standing alone in a sharply worded debate on the proper role of city government in personnel issues.
At issue was a plan to split a position in the Finance Department into two part-time positions, which Finance Director Robert Gunter said would save money on benefits, and a plan to privatize the reading of about one-quarter of the city's utility meters. Both were approved on 4-1 votes. The majority of the commission praised Gunter and other city staff for their efforts to save money, but Pruitt characterized it as "going in the wrong direction."
"It's the wave of the future," Commissioner Robby Mills said of the split positions. "It's the taxpayers' money and it's our job to do everything we can to squeeze every bit of service ... out of that money. I applaud Robert (Gunter) for looking at that." Mayor Steve Austin and Commissioner Mike Farmer also used the word "applaud" in their comments to Gunter. "We're seeing the same thing in most progressive businesses," said Austin. "I applaud Mr. Gunter for taking the initiative to move forward on things like this."
"I have the utmost respect for you, and don't take it personally, but I don't applaud you," Pruitt said to Gunter.
"If you work for the city of Henderson I think you deserve benefits" and the city should not "work out some kind of scam" to avoid it.
Privatizing a meter reader position is to be tried only as a test, Gunter said. "I want to try this and see how it goes," he said. "If it doesn't work we'll cancel the contract" and fill the position through normal methods.
Pruitt, however, argued that citizens have certain expectations of city employees that private contractors cannot meet.
"You're going down the slope of let's get rid of as many city workers as possible," he said. "Why don't we go out and contract our policemen?"
Farmer said there is no harm to "test the water with a private contractor. We have to be responsive to those 27,000 people out there who pay the bills."
The mayor pointed out the city's precarious finances: "If things go well we're going to end the year $500,000 in the hole," so the community "expects us to be very efficient" in running city business.
"We can spend thousands of dollars to send somebody to the Netherlands? And you want to cut a meter reader and take his benefits," Pruitt retorted.
Austin replied by saying, "Over the course of 20 years we may bring back $20 million" as a result of that trip.
The rest of the commission also strongly objected to Pruitt's boast that he had obtained a recent $900,000 federal grant to help with Canoe Creek improvements. "City commissioner Robert Pruitt was the only one there," he said.
Mills said the grant was the result of "a team effort" for years on the part of city and county officials. "I think it egregious for Commissioner Pruitt to say he brought the money back."
Other matters before the commission Tuesday included:
HazMat day: The commission voted to contract with Environmental Enterprises Inc. of Cincinnati to dispose of household hazardous waste on a date before the end of the year. The exact date is to be determined later. The cost will not exceed $20,000, which is to be covered by grant money.
Riverfront: The commission voted to hire American Structurepoint of Indianapolis to inspect riverfront improvements.
Bond issues: The commission passed first reading of ordinances issuing $2 million for a new south end fire station and nearly $10 million for water and sewer improvements.
Stormwater basin: The commission approved a resolution acknowledging that the city will be responsible for the cost of new storm water retention basin planned in the area of the North Fork of Canoe Creek, over and above grant funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
330-340 N. Green St.: The commission approved first reading of an ordinance rezoning portions of the lots from residential-3 to central business district, which will eliminate split zoning of the lots and allow Bill and Martha Polk to pursue plans to erect a state government office building there.
Sidewalks: The commission will consider final reading of ordinances formally accepting city maintenance responsibility for 872 feet of sidewalk on Kiawah Drive and Kayak Lane and 2,570 feet of sidewalk on Cobblestone Drive.
