The Peachtree

City Council has approved a pay plan that's slightly more expensive than

original estimates, although the cost difference will be "saved"

when some positions remain vacant during the year.

The plan, which

was unanimously approved by council at its meeting Thursday night, is

$66,000 more than originally estimated. That was due to two recommended

changes from staff one that gives a step increase to all employees with

an outstanding evaluation in the past two years, and a modification to

the formula for determining the length of time an employee has held his

or her position.

The raises

recommended by the plan will be retroactive to Oct. 1.

Nineteen employees

appealed the initial results of a recently completed pay plan study, and

changes were made to 11 of those positions. Five employees have indicated

they want to appeal the results to council, and the plan was approved

as a plan was devised to have several council members meet with the employees

and representatives of city staff to try and resolve the complaints.

City Manager

Jim Basinger recommended that the plan be enacted with the additional

$66,000 funded. The extra funds will help eliminate potential morale problems

caused when employees with unsatisfactory evaluations get raises that

bring their salaries close to those who have received outstanding evaluations,

he said.