NIAGARA FALLS — City lawmakers on Monday approved raises for a number of city employees, including the top two administrators in the Department of Public Works and the secretary who oversees council affairs.

In a 4-1 vote, the council approved DPW Director David Kinney’s plan to re-organize his staff. As a result of the Monday’s decision, Kinney’s pay will be increased by $4,000, from $63,056 to $67,056. His deputy director, John Caso, will also get a raise of $2,800, increasing his annual salary from $55,000 to $57,800. The re-organization plan also will allow 10 more DPW staffers to earn more money. The total cost of the plan is $36,001.48, including $30,172.24 in wages and $5,829.24 in FICA tax, life insurance and pension cost. 

Council Chairman Sam Fruscione and council members Charles Walker, Kristen Grandinetti and Steve Fournier Jr. voted in favor of the proposal.

Fruscione noted that the 10 staffers in question would be receiving position upgrades that required them to take on additional duties and, in some cases, additional training. He said he felt it was necessary for the department to upgrade several mechanics and technicians to senior mechanics and senior technicians because it would allow them to become better equipped to perform repairs on new vehicles that have been purchased by the department in recent months.

“I needed to make sure that when we spend $2 million to $3 million on equipment and trucks, we’ve got auto technicians that can fix them,” he said. “We have a lot of money being put at risk here by not having these guys properly trained.” 

Councilman Robert Anderson voted against the reorganization plan. He noted that at the end of last year the council rejected requests made by several department heads who wanted raises for their employees as part of the 2010 budget. Given current economic conditions, Anderson said he couldn’t support raises at this time for DPW employees or anyone else on the city payroll.

“People can sit down and try to justify what they earn, but as far as I’m concerned, you ought to be blessed that you have a job,” he said. ‘You’ve got people out of work with 30, 40, 50 years of experience and they can’t find a job sweeping streets.”

Anderson abstained on a measure calling for council secretary Geri Mondi to receive a $3,000 increase in her annual salary. The rest of the council voted in favor of the request.

Fruscione said Mondi is the council’s only full-time employee and is responsible for handling all mail, correspondence, scheduling and other duties for all five council members.

“We work her hard and to me it was well worth every penny,” he said.

In other matters, the council:

n Received a complaint about sex offenders from Eighth Street resident April Jones. According to Jones, her neighborhood is home to 75 registered sex offenders, way too many for her liking. Jones encouraged the council to do whatever it needs to do to reduce the number of sex offenders that are being placed within the city limits.

“I am a mad, taxpaying citizen and I tell you I will not live under siege and I am under siege in my own home,” she said.

n Heard from Cayuga Island resident Gary McCunn who asked lawmakers to reconsider plans for an improvement project at Jayne Park. Council members scrapped the project earlier this month, citing outcry from island residents who did not favor plans to upgrade the park. McCunn requested further discussion with lawmakers and the mayor before a state grant for the project is returned.

“We are very aware of the fiscal plight of this city and would be disappointed if this grant money that could be used to enhance this park and shoreline would be returned,” he said. “We have the privilege of living on the Little Niagara River and enjoying all of the wildlife that inhabits this are and would like others to enjoy it too.”

n Fielded a concern from Deborah Andersen, owner of Andersen Electric Supply. Andersen took lawmakers to task for their decision months ago to authorize a change in the name of what was once called Factory Outlet Boulevard to Fashion Outlet Boulevard. Andersen chided the council for granting the request based primarily on the desire of the owners of the Fashion Outlets mall, which she noted has an address on Military Road in the Town of Niagara. Andersen said her company, the only one on the street with a Falls address, endured added costs of upwards of $4,000 as a result of the street change which she said also caused many headaches and billing problems for her customers.