Council agrees to pay workers premium pay

Employees can get extra money for becoming fully vaccinated

The Forrest City City Council has passed a resolution to give premium pay to eligible city employees.

Forrest City Mayor Cedric Williams read the resolution to the council, allowing for premium pay for eligible fulltime current employees hired at the start of the pandemic on or before Feb. 1, 2020. The amount would be pro-rated to the amount of $237.50 per month for those who began after the 2020 date.

For eligible part-time employees, the amount would not exceed $2,375, or a pro-rated amount of $118.75 per month.

Some of the clauses in the document would also allow the city’s chief executive (Williams) to add any additional sectors in case the rules for the American Rescue Plan funds decided to include elected officials into premium pay.

Councilman Marvin Metcalf presented the council with an email from the Arkansas Municipal League, dated Oct. 14, that he said he received regarding inclusion of eligibility of premium pay and elected officials, specifically the city clerk position.

Williams said he was aware of the email and had spoken with officials at the Municipal League several times for clarification on what was needed and was told they were waiting on further information.

“I do not know what other clarifications we need,” said Metcalf, who added it was his understanding that the eligibility of elected officials was for city councilmen who were considered part-time. “Full-time employees would be what we have here, a full-time city clerk.”

Williams explained that the rules for the use of the funding are still a mercurial document and changing daily and he was advised it would be better to wait for the information on elected officials to be solidified rather than risk any elected official having to pay back the funding.

“With this resolution here though, with the way it is written, once they set that information for elected officials, we won’t have any problems making those payments,” said Williams.

“We are not talking about the council,” said Metcalf. “We know we are part-time employees.”

Metcalf added he felt it was procrastination to not award the city clerk the amount with other employees. He also said he felt the email from the Municipal League was enough documentation for the council to amend the resolution to include the city clerk.

“I am not trying to put anything off,” replied Wiliams. “If this passes tonight, it will move us forward with payments to our employees.”

Williams then again stressed the wording of the document to remind the council that once the Municipal League receives clarification to include certain elected officials and the documentation needed to include those elected officials, the city would be able to write the checks for that as well.

Councilman Chris Oswalt asked for the city to look at individuals who are getting 19 months of pay versus the full 20 months of pay due to only missing the time date by a few weeks, to which Williams said they could look at those workers more closely.

Councilman Danny Capps wanted to make sure employees remembered they are responsible for the taxes on the incoming lump sum.

When put to vote, the council voted unanimously to pass the resolution for adopting premium pay.

In other business, the council also passed a one-time payment of $300 to eligible employees who provided information that they were fully vaccinated by Dec. 1, 2021.

Oswalt asked what is considered eligible workers, to which Williams replied those receiving a W-2 from the city.

“This $90,000 seems like a lot,” said Capps of the total set aside for the premium pay.

“That includes the city’s portion of taxes and for FICA coverage and such,” said Williams. “It will be like we do from the licenses standpoint where you have to show your vaccination card and then sign an affidavit stating it is true.”

Metcalf asked if booster shots became available if employees would have to receive those to become fully vaccinated.

Williams replied that they would base ‘fully vaccinated’ on the CDC’s current consideration of the term.