Council to Discuss IPA Pay, Nguyen Reappointment as Vice Mayor

In its last meeting of 2012, the City Council on Tuesday will discuss issues varying from lease agreements and property sales to pay increases for the independent police auditor and council/board appointments for 2013.

Here are some of the key items the council will consider:

• The compensation package for Independent Police Auditor LaDoris Cordell. Councilmember Pete Constant argues in a memo that Cordell should not receive a 9.65 percent salary increase.

• The Rules Committee’s report on appointments for the upcoming year, including the reappointment of Madison Nguyen as vice mayor.

• A report on the five-year PBID (Property Based Iprovement District) program downtown as well as an extension of the program for 10 years. The PBID area encompasses “Fourth Street and City Hall complex to the east, St. James and Devine streets to the north, Highway 87 and the HP Pavilion to the west and Market and First streets south to Reed Street,” according to the report.

The Improv getting a new 10-year lease.

• Mayor Reed, Nguyen and Councilmember Don Rocha want the city to consider turning the Singleton Landfill into a softball complex. The memo also wants staff to consider the county fairgrounds as a potential site as well.

• The demolition of a Chevy’s and construction a BJ’s brewpub near Coleman and Autumn streets.

Affordable housing in North San Jose.

• Updating and/or extending private-public partnerships with companies such as Republic Services and temporary staffing companies.

• Updating the conflict of interest code and Form 700 requirements.

• In closed session, the council will discuss labor negotiations, two former Redevelopment Agency properties in downtown San Jose (62 S. 2nd St, and 88 E. San Fernando St.), lawsuits and potential threats to public services or facilities with Police Chief Chris Moore.

• Among people receiving commendations will be UFC fighter and action movie star Cung Le.

Click to read the full City Council Agenda for December 18, 2012.

16 Comments

  1. Are you serious ?? Discuss Labor Negotiations??? That would be a first under the Reed Regime! You mean the imposition right.

    So the Mayor wants to increase The IPA – Ladoris Cordell salary by 9.65 %  really? why not impose a 10% total compensation paycut just like every other city employee . Maybe because she does the Mayor dirty work for him . Hmmmmmmmmm. Hows that SUNSHINE reform working out San Jose??

  2. OMG!!!! You have GOT to be kidding. A 9.65% pay raise when the other employees have not had a raise in YEARS!!!!!!!! Doesn’t she make enough for the little that she does? Disgraceful.

    • Last I checked, employees were still getting step increases,increased pay for simply surviving another year in the trenches. It’s been a while since everybody has received “true zero” salary increases.

      • When was the last you checked?!  Anyone represented by CAMP, AEA, AMSP and probably most other groups have not had step increases in years…years. Anyone in the City Manager’s Office who reads this will confirm that.  For your information, my current salary and take home pay is nearly exactly what it was in 2007, yes 2007 over 5 years ago, and it is eroding even more.  With looming annual 4% employee contributions that cap at 16%, for retirement medical, my salary will eventually be back to what it was in early 2000’s.  Are you kidding me?! No wonder management at all levels are leaving. 

        As for the IPA’s compensation, why was a raise even being considered?  This is a direct slap in the face to every, dedicated City employee who has had their salary cut and frozen, and who has lost all hope in ever having any of it restored because of what we were told were the City’s budget problems.  Apparently the budget problems stop outside the door ofo the IPAs office. 

        In my previous post (IPA Takes Issue with Police Shirt…Skull) about the IPA having profiled another City Department about a tee shirt, and of having taken an openly hostile position against this same City Dept, the Council should be discussing the removal of the IPA for these unwarranted attacks.  Now this IPA raise issue will be enough to get other City employees to leave…even faster.

        • One correction is that the employee’s contribution for retirement medical was going to increase by just over 7%, but that has now been deferred for a while, no doubt due to the resistance of those in unit 99 who earn more.

      • All mid management groups are not getting any salary increases, step or merit. However, Unit 99 members are getting increases. Many got them last fiscal year, when we were in a fiscal crisis. Most are Council office staff (D 2, 3, 5,7, & 9). Some have had 2 increases. Several directors and deputy directors also. Two staff actually got 40% increases. Why? The Merc should report on that.

        Why are the City Manager’s staff and Council staff getting raises? Especially when all other management staff have been told they can’t get their step increases because there isn’t a process in place to make it happen. But our City Manager found a process for her staff.

        This is all public knowledge. Just do a public records request and see for yourself.

  3. I also agree that increasing Cordell’s pay at this time is ridiculous, but the fact that Constant cited the MN article in his memo makes me question his motivation.  It makes it seem that his opposition to her pay raise might be more payback for her honesty in stating that the increase in violence has been a direct result of the decrease in police staffing than a matter of principle.  I wasn’t even aware that Constant had principles.

  4. Speaking in dollars and cents, I do believe Ms Cordell deserves a raise. She did save the City of San Jose money by piggy backing on to the utility bills….thereby raising her efforts to justify her meager existence. More business….more stats to qualify her for more money.  Cordell also stirred the pot and got publicity by nixing the police tee shirt business and raised awareness that no one, to this day, gives a damn about. Why not move Cordell’s office into City Hall, and save money by vacating whatever rat hole she operates out of.  She and Chuckee’s crew would be proud of that too! Are all these people aware of how foolish they look?  Everyone seems to be taking hits on salaries, yet Cordell has no problem taking on a raise, even though she is on a pension and under a political microscope.  One last comment; why can’t the Merky news, or any other news outlet, publish articles without quoting or include what Constant has to say? Its as if Petty Pete opinions matter—-how annoying is that?

  5. Regarding LaDoris Cordell; If I’d known being a second guesser payed so well I wouldn’t be doing it for free here on this blog. Maybe the City’s got some job openings for backseat drivers too.
    I’m in favor of the 9.65%- just make it a decrease- her first annual COLA (Cost Of Leeching Adjustment).

  6. I thought the city of San Jose was going broke?  Wow, with all the money the city is saving with the mass exodus of employees its time for pay raises to those that have a non essential jobs (mayors office, city managers office, Police babysitter, etc).  This is worse than the oversight of spending by the county supervisor…..I just don’t get it….Politics as usual…..

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