GF Park Board approves wage increase

Ryan Bakken

Nov. 3, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Grand Forks Park District employees will receive a 4 percent raise in 2010.

Every employee will receive a 2 percent hike. Another 1 percent will go into a merit pay pot. And the other 1 percent will go to those workers who are underpaid for their jobs compared with market standards.

Galen Cariveau, the director of the UND's Work Force Development Office and the intermediary between district employees and Park Board members, said workers would find the offer acceptable "because there's more money across the board for all employees."

The increase will amount to about a $76,000 wage increase overall.

Cariveau said the cost of living for Midwest cities the size of Grand Forks has dropped in the past year. It's about .75 percent cheaper to live here, "so there's deflation rather than inflation. However, I expect that number to go back up in the future."

The health insurance issue will be decided at December's meeting. The Park District paid employees' entire health insurance premium until this year. For 2009, the two sides agreed to equally split the health insurance cost increase.

Employees are asking the district to pay 75 percent of any increase for 2010. The increase likely will be small because employees decided to go with a Blue Cross Blue Shield program that costs less. The plan is cheaper because the employees' deductible goes from $100 to $500.

Board Chairman Bill Hutchison said commissioners favor a 50-50 approach for health insurance premium increases over the next five years.

Lease disagreement

In other action, the board:

- Delayed approving a rental lease with Altru Health System for the proposed fitness center. In the minds of some commissioners, the lease gave Altru too much control over what other medical providers could be tenants in the center.

Altru has agreed to annually pay $30 per foot for 7,500 square feet to provide services for fitness members.

"Altru has a lot of rights here," said John Staley, district director. "Altru is the partner we went to the dance with and want to come home from the dance with. But we have to rent all 12,000 square feet of our space to make it work (financially)."

- Approved spending $8,000 for a site survey for the fitness center along South Washington Street.

- Purchased a new Zamboni for $83,000

Reach Bakken at (701) 780-1125; (800) 477-6572, ext. 125; or send e-mail to rbakken@gfherald.com.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0074-39420656