Farmington increases pay for three city workers

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | May 22, 20130

Raises for city employees were granted at Monday night’s Farmington City Council meeting.

City Superintendent Brian Oliver’s salary was raised from $12.50 to $13 per hour while city water maintenance worker Todd Lobdell went from $300 per month to $11.67 an hour. City Clerk/Treasurer Barb Dial-Flomer’s salary was lifted from $13.50 an hour to $15.05 per hour.

The first up for discussion was Oliver’s.

“The mayor has nothing to say about what city employees make,” said Mayor Ron Dugan, indicating that matters of town salaries are designated by the city council. “You raise it 50 cents, that’s $650 a year. I don’t think that’s going to break Farmington.”

Discussion followed, with Councilman Dave Baker suggesting it’s too soon to give Oliver a raise, since he has just been on the job six months.

The council then asked for Oliver’s input.

“I’m not going to tell you what I need to make or don’t need to make,” Oliver said. “That’s up to you all.”

Dugan talked about how Farmington has a new setup for their maintenance department, with two part-time workers now, who work for the town in addition to their regular jobs. Oliver is the more senior of the two, both of whom work 10 or 15 hours per week, depending on the season.

There was also speculation about what other towns pay their maintenance workers.

It was noted that Baker has mowed grass at Farmington’s cemetery for 10 years without a raise.

Baker then made a motion to make Oliver the lead maintenance man, and thus, increase his pay from $12.50 to $13.

The council approved.

Next up was Lobdell’s pay.

“There’s nothing dearer to a town than its water,” said Dugan.

The town had been paying him $300 per month, which led to the mayor writing Lodbell additional checks to keep the town from violating the state minimum wage law.

On Monday night, Dugan advised the city council to increase his salary, talking about what Lobdell does, from testing water samples for state and federal standards, flushing hydrants twice per year, reading meters, sending shutoff notices and more.

“The question is, if he decides to not do it anymore, how can you possibly replace that?” Dugan asked.

Lobdell, also a city councilman, was asked how many hours he puts in.

“When there’s no projects and no problems, I’m at about 30 hours a month,” he said.

“I have a hard time justifying us paying less than someone mowing lawns,” Councilwoman Noreen Ewing said.

“I agree with that,” said Oliver from the audience.

“The way I see it,” said Dugan. “If the town doesn’t want to pay the water guy $11.67 an hour, they can buzz off.”

“I’m ready to vote,” said new Councilman Joel Abbott.

Lobdell’s wage was raised to $11.67 an hour.

Councilman Baker abstained.

The next pay issue was for Dial-Flomer, the town’s clerk/treasurer.

The mayor introduced the situation, citing what he has learned in his many years in business.

“The way I see it, money does not motivate people, but it can de-motivate people,” he said, explaining that if you suddenly gave everyone a 20 percent increase in salary, he didn’t think it would result in increased productivity. But if someone is being paid $15 an hour and finds out someone elswhere is making $18 an hour in the same job it will make them disgruntled.

Lobdell listened and said that Dial-Flomer should be given the average pay of any city clerk.

“The job doesn’t change with the size of the town,” he said. “Whether it’s for the population of Tekoa or Spokane, it’s the same amount of paperwork, it’s the same across the board.”

“I say pay her the going rate,” Dugan said. “I think we’re doing her a disservice if we don’t. She’s actually gone to Tekoa to get people medicine.”

The council voted to approve to pay her $15.05 an hour.

“I suppose you want a raise too, Ron,” said Baker.

“A 100 percent raise,” said Lobdell amidst laughter. “One hundred percent of nothing is still nothing.”

Dugan has never taken any salary as mayor.