City Council Adjusts City Benefit Offer for New Hires, Appoints Board Members

In an unusually quick meeting Monday night, the Culver City Council voted to offer new hires a reduced package as one solution to cut costs in an ever-tightening city budget as well as appointed new members to city boards and committees.

The resolution for the new benefits package is the first step toward an ordinance that will allow the city to amend its contract with the (CalPERS), allowing the city to have new employees pay a larger part of their retirement contribution. While this is not expected to save the city money in the short-term, as new employees come into the system, the city will begin to see savings of 2.7 percent in approximately 10 years, according to the staff report on the item.

The councilmen repeatedly offered thanks to the city managers and employee unions for coming to the agreement for new hires.

"This will help us have a more financially sustainable community," said Vice Mayor Scott Malsin.

Councilman Andrew Weissman concurred, acknowledging that the agreement between the city and its unions was achieved without rancor and threats of strikes by saying, "This is a consequence of negotiation. This is something we ought to be very proud of." 

Said Mayor Micheál O'Leary: "These are tough times and our bargaining units really stepped up to the plate," acknowledging the difficulty of the negotiations.

In other council news, the Culver City Council voted to appoint Chu-Tang (Sean) Yee and Marcy Sookne to the newly expanded Disability Advisory Committee after committee chair Jay Shariff endorsed the two during the public comment section and thanked the council for expanding the committee.  In addition, Michael Hamill was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Redevelopment (ACOR), and Kyle Jones as Tenant Representative on the Landlord-Tenant Mediation Board.

"We want to encourage participation," said Councilman Christopher Armenta as a consolation to the other applicants who were not chosen. "I'm very happy with the selection."

Sookne and Hamill will serve four-year terms and Jones will serve a three-year term, as designated by city mandate.

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