Marion Mayor Mary Olson asked when the council would consider raises for city employees at Monday’s meeting.

“I understood the council approved a 4 percent cost-of-living raises for employees,” Administrator David Mayfield said, referring to an across-the-board pay increase for all full-time employees.

Olson said she thought, when Marion City Council had discussed pay increases last summer, the council was going to see what other businesses in the area were going to give for raises and follow suit.

“I understood it was not to be more than 4 percent,” Olson said. “At the time, I didn’t know how much the people around us were going to be giving.”

“The council has already approved the raises,” Bill Holdeman said.

“We approved it in the budget but I didn’t understand it that way at all,” Olson said. “I thought (the 4 percent) was what we could give. I thought we were going to look at the budget at the end of the year before giving it.”

In the end, the council determined the raises would stand as approved.

In other business:

• The city was pleased with the services provided by Ranson Financial Consultants, LLC, and approved another year’s contract with the firm. The contract will require the city to pay $85 per hour for services. A fee schedule was also approved for debt financing.
• Olson asked city officials if they had received complaints about smoke from the city tree dump. Street Superintendent Marty Fredrickson said the tree rubbish seemed to have ignited on its own Friday when the direction of the wind changed.
• When Jim Cloutier, owner of the Historic Elgin Hotel Bed and Breakfast, had shown interest in acquiring a public parking lot west of his residence and business, the city set a requirement that the parking lot be improved within 18 months of the transfer of property. Attorney Dan Baldwin said Cloutier would not meet the requirement and wanted to further negotiate.
• Baldwin suggested the city have a fence and the property surrounding it surveyed at North Cedar and Hudson streets to determine exactly where the street and alley are located. Councilman Bill Holdeman asked if the top of the fence could be cut to address the visibility issue. The council wants to remain on friendly terms with the family and remedy the situation. Baldwin said he would continue to negotiate.
• Tornado sirens will continue to be tested on Mondays with the installation of new battery-powered sirens. Testing will be alternated between the electric and battery-operated sirens.
• Olson read two proclamation noting that this week is American Education Week and National Family Week.
• Payments were approved to Smoky Hill LLC for $55,650 and Kirkham Michael Consulting Engineers for $9,100 for street projects.
• Former Marion County resident Larry Hampton introduced himself to the council. Hampton, a 1970 graduate of Centre High School, is a councilman in Sierra Vista, Ariz., and was visiting in the area.

The next regular council meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 30 in the city building.