Studies and safety

While the Green River City Council had a relatively quick and light meeting Tuesday night, they took time to approve a compensation plan study and discuss local issues, particularly safety on the Greenbelt. 

Compensation Plan Study 

The council members unanimously approved an agreement with Graves Consulting for a Compensation Plan Study for the city. 

"It has been just over five years since the City conducted a significant review and redesign of our classification plan," council documents explained. "During this time the job market has seen many changes, making it necessary for the City to once again reevaluate our positions and pay structure to help us remain competitive in acquiring new talent and retaining our existing staff."

Cari Kragovich, the director of Human Resources, explained the last study was done in-house.

"We felt this time going to a regional consultant was a better idea," Kragovich said. "That also gives an independent third party who is neutral, so there's no perception of any favoritism or anything going on." 

The company chosen to do the study is Graves Consulting. The study itself will include things like reviewing job descriptions, doing job questionnaires of employees, and building a plan that's designed with certain things in mind, rather than using a "cookie cutter approach" like other agencies, according to Kragovich. 

"We're really excited to work with this company because they do the classification plan studies that we need, not only taking into account other municipalities but the local workforce here, not only of Rock Springs, Sweetwater County, but then the competitiveness that we have to maintain with the mines and plants and industry in this area," Kragovich said. 

Greenbelt safety

During the updates and reports of council members at the end of the meeting, the subject of safety on the Greenbelt came up. 

Mayor Pete Rust noted that he has received calls and complaints about safety concerns on the Greenbelt, including a report of a young person who was riding a motorcycle on the Greenbelt four different times in one day. 

"Motorcycles on the Greenbelt - that's a dumb idea," Mayor Rust said. "It's not good, it's unsafe."

Rust said he has talked to City Administrator Reed Clevenger about the need to address the issue. 

"We need more signs, we need education in the schools, cause somebody's going to get hurt," Rust added. 

Looking at other cities with greenbelts and their enforcement could help the city come up with some solutions, Rust noted, as well as just getting the word out and encouraging people to be more considerate. 

Councilmember Gary Killpack added that he has an e-bike and has noticed how easy it can be to get up to 25 or 30 miles per hour, and that e-bikes can be just as dangerous as motorcycles. He said that greenbelts in other cities sometimes have passing zones or speed limits, and added that speed lights might be an option. Killpack also noted that there hasn't been an accident on the Greenbelt yet, although there could be. 

Rust said there are certain areas of the Greenbelt that would be more conducive to some of the mentioned solutions, but that everyone can continue to work on the problem.