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LOCK HAVEN -- Lock Haven City Council is looking to amend its ordinance regarding its relationship with the city's fire departments.
The merger of Hand in Hand and Hope Hose fire companies is what led to the discussion during Monday's meeting.The two historic companies, after lengthy discussions for over a year, chose to combine into the East Side Fire Company.
Hand in Hand's building along North Henderson Street is currently up for sale, with plans for the members and equipment to be transferred to Hope Hose's location along Church Street by Jan. 1.
City Manager Gregory Wilson said the amendment would account for the change from three departments to two.
Councilmember Steve Stevenson requested the second reading of the ordinance be pushed back as much as possible to allow the Fire Advisory Board to meet and discuss the proposed changes.
Stevenson said the board received a copy of the changes via email with a request for comment. He said an in-person meeting felt important in this instance.
"You're supposed to have a meeting, you sit down and you go to a meeting and you talk about these things that are in here and then the advisory board makes a recommendation," he said.
Stevenson said he isn't against the consolidation.
"It's just the logistics. There's things to talk about. Now's the time to change it if you're going to change it, for the betterment," he said.
Wilson said the amendments would need to be in place by the first meeting in December so it can go into effect before 2024.
The amendments were approved in its first reading in a 5-2 vote, with Stevenson and Councilmember Jeff Brinker voting no.
Council will next view the amendment at its first meeting in December.
NON-UNION WAGES
Following a half hour Executive Session, council set the salaries and wages for its non-union employees for 2024-2026.
The Executive Session led to the adjustment to the original amendment regarding how the city would handle wage increases in the years 2025 and 2026. The ordinance said the base salaries and wages would be the percentage increase in the assessed value of city real estate in the previous fiscal year. The assessment would be based on information released by the county assessor.
According to City Manager Gregory Wilson, the percentage would be no less than one percent but wouldn't exceed 2.5 percent.
In 2024, Wilson said the rate would be based on the same one it provided union employees.
Both sections were struck from the ordinance through a motion made by Councilmember Rick Conklin and seconded by Councilmember Barb Masorti.
Masorti said she wanted to make it clear members of council do want to give its employees raises.
"Some of us were not comfortable with the idea that we'd be setting a standard for the next two years by basing raises on an unknown income that may or may not happen," Masorti said. "We wanted to have the ability to have fair and equitable raises next year as we have considered in years past. We thank the staff for their patience with us."