The Kenai City Council failed to pass Ordinance 3213-2021, which would increase revenues and appropriations in the general, airport, water and sewer, and senior citizen funds for city employee COVID-19 resilience pay. If it passed, it would have authorized payments to employees on a retroactive monthly basis. The bill was sponsored by Councilmembers Teea Winger and Jim Glendening. Through this proposed retroactive compensation, the ordinance aimed to recognize city employees in their role to the city’s response to the public health emergency.
In introducing the Ordinance, Winger said, “This resilience bonus is more about more than just a job or getting a paycheck. It’s about appreciating our amazing employees. The boots on the ground that kept our services going during this unknown. I would like to say thank you. Thank you for sticking with us. Thank you for working hard in all your dedication to providing the top notch services even in those unknown. Right now, we are moving to do $175 a month payment over a 13 month period. That breaks down to about a dollar an hour raise.”
However, councilman Henry Knackstedt said, “City employees are appreciated for what they did, but I think that essentially it’s kind of a poor public policy to kind of divide between the tax payers, taking taxpayers funds. People that are going through the same thing that are outside of the walls of the building, here and using those funds for this purpose and not for everybody else. I think if I was listening in or outside of these walls, I would feel the same way. Everybody was taken care of. Everybody had a life jacket. Everybody had a life raft. They’re still here. They were taken care of very well by the city manager. I think its time just to move on.”
Ordinance 3213-2021 failed to pass on a 5-2 vote.