Walker board discusses money with maintenance employee

gfranklin.nevadadailymail@gmail.com

City maintenance employee William Jeffery discussed his increased workload with city of Walker board members at a Tuesday evening meeting.

“I have something I would like to talk to you guys about,” Jeffery told the board. “It’s something that has been bothering me for a while and I just want to get it out there. Whenever I originally agreed to my $1,500 salary, I was working 24 hours a week that was it. Now, I’m working way over that and a lot of things have been added to my list. I worked 184 hours last month trying to keep up with everything that has been added to my list plus the water.”

Mayor Phil Martin asked Jeffery to explain.

“We never weed-eated before; I never did an inventory list; I’m doing all kinds of non-emergency texts, and emails, and calls,” Jeffery said. “I do the water classes.”

“That’s for your job,” Martin said in regards to Jeffery’s attendance to continuing education classes.

“Yes, but that is still additional hours I have to work,” Jeffery said.

“That’s for your job,” Martin said.

“What does that mean?” Jeffery asked.

“That means you can’t perform the job unless you have...” Martin said.

“Ok, but that is still hours that I work for the city of Walker that is required by me to do the job. So you’re saying I shouldn’t get paid for those hours?” Jeffery said.

“Did I say that?” Martin asked.

“Well that’s the way I took what you said so please explain is what I am asking,” Jeffery said.

“You have to have those classes in order to be qualified to work for the city according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources,” Martin said.

“I should still get paid for going to those classes. I’m not going to go to those classes for free,” Jeffery said.

“When you go to those classes you are not working for the city in the city, so you are being paid, aren’t you?” Martin said.

“I’ve never been paid any extra for going to a class since I started taking the classes, any additional hours, ever,” Jeffery said.

“I don’t know that anybody else ever has,” Martin said.

“That’s not what I’m asking. What I’m saying is a simple question — do I get paid to go to the water classes. You just said I am not working for the city. Well, yes, I am. I am working for the city. I’m going to those classes to keep DNR happy with you guys as the city of Walker and keep my licenses to work for the city of Walker,” Jeffery said.

“What do you think it’s worth?” Martin asked.

“Well, it just depends on the hours,” Jeffery said. “But that’s not even the only thing. Now, the additional things that have been added, now I am using my own vehicle for the city of Walker. So that’s just another additional thing that keeps getting added to my list and I worked 184 hours [in the month of March] when I originally agreed to work 24 hours per week. That’s a huge jump in hours.”

Jeffery said under his original agreement with the city, non-emergency tasks would be done on his own time as he could fit them into his schedule. He said he is spending four or more hours a day now on city business.

“It’s taking a lot more time than I originally agreed to do,” Jeffery said.

Jeffery said he is required to attend 30 hours of continuing education classes every three years to maintain his water system operators license.

“I put 425 miles on my truck last month working for the city of Walker, most of that within the city limits of Walker,” Jeffery said. “I don’t think anyone here realizes all the stuff I do for the city of Walker.”

Jeffery has been asked by the board in recent months to begin maintaining an inventory of parts and materials the city has on hand.

“I’m trying to get something worked out on inventory but to be honest I don’t think we have what’s necessary to properly inventory that storage wise,” Jeffery said. “There is just too much stuff in too small a space.”

“If I go out there to grab water parts, there is not time to write down every single part when I am trying to get the water back on,” Jeffery said.

Jeffery and Martin then discussed the possibility of buying industrial warehouse shelves for the city’s maintenance barn, a set of pallet forks for the city tractor, and procuring parts bins. Martin asked Jeffery to check on prices.

“We’ll take everything into consideration,” Martin said while asking for a motion to adjourn.

On Thursday, Jeffery said he started as a part time employee of the city seven years ago mowing, and helping with maintenance. He then picked up extra duties reading water meters five years ago then took over water billing and collecting about four years ago. Jeffery said Martin asked him to get his water operator license three years ago. In 2016, water billing and collecting was taken over by Phil Thompson in order to reduce Jeffery’s workload. Russell Hays took over the meter reading at the same time.

“He’s lucky we didn’t ask for a reduction in pay,” Martin said Friday in regards to the water billing, collecting, meter reading, and office duties that had been reassigned to other city employees.

Martin said this was not the first time this conversation has taken place.

In other business:

• Martin said letters are being sent to owners of unlicensed dogs and to people with unlicensed or inoperable vehicles in their yards. Unlicensed or inoperable vehicles must be behind a nine-foot tall enclosure.

“There are quite a few,” Martin said. “It’s time to take over our town again.”

• Martin gave an update on the MFA building partially built on city property.

“I talked with Ed Long again,” Martin said. “He was not exactly happy with the outcome but we’re going to leave the agreement that we had originally as far as makes up for their sins basically for not having the property surveyed. I know William told them several times to do it. His statement was well, OK. I guess that is what I needed to know. What other problems are we going to have up there?’ I said none at all as long as you stay within the surveyed perimeters.”

• Martin said the shelter houses in the park need to be painted and have the roofs replaced.

“I’m hoping we can maybe get the community together and have volunteer labor for that,” Martin said.

• City maintenance employee William Jeffery said the city’s water pump used to drain water around water main leaks is broken. The shaft on the engine has been damaged.

“It would be a gamble if we tried to fix it,” Jeffery said. “We can’t work on the water without it.”

The board voted unanimously to purchase a new pump. The cost will be approximately $400.

• During the recent election, both Phil Thompson and Mike Newman were reelected. Thompson received 5 votes and Newman received 9 votes. Both ran unopposed.