City Council approves city manager salary, higher trash collection fee

McCOOK, Neb. — The McCook City Council approved a 5.5% raise to the city manager’s annual salary and increased trash collection rates.

With no discussion, the council approved the annual salary for Nate Schneider that will increase his current salary of $101,957. The new salary includes a 2% cost of living adjustment ($2,039) and a 2.5% merit raise ($2,549), for a new base pay of $106,545. With a 1% longevity raise at $1,065, the total annual salary is $107,610.

The ordinance setting the salary was approved on the first motion instead of the usual three-reading rule. This was done as the salary is part of the 2019-20 budget and the budget must be submitted to the state by Sept. 20, said Mayor Mike Gonzales.

The council also approved suspending the three reading rule on increased trash collection rates, that will go up by 50 cents for residential and $1 for commercial use. Residential use will increase from $23.25 per month to $23.75 and commercial, $64 to $65 per ton.

Approved unanimously by the council Monday night was new agreement between the city and the union representing city police department employees.

The city and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 57 have reached a proposed agreement for a two year term. City Manager Nate Schneider noted that the agreement can be amended later, if needed, to implement findings of a wage study that will be done next year.

There are no major changes in the agreement, Schneider said, except for compensatory time for some positions.

This includes dispatchers who serve as the training dispatcher for new hires will be eligible for an addition 5% of base pay during the training periods; pay for employees called back to work after completing their regular shift and call back time will change from one hour to 1.5 hours and sick leave for a 32-hour position dispatcher will change to a bi weekly accrual of 2.96 hours.