BRISTOL, Va. — The Bristol Virginia City Council gave final approval Tuesday for a one-time bonus for city employees.
The council voted 4-1 to approve the one time 1.5% bonus for city employees who were not included in a bonus for Virginia Compensation Board-funded positions included in the new state budget.
The Comp Board funds state-required positions in constitutional offices such as the sheriff, circuit court clerk, revenue commissioner, treasurer and commonwealth’s attorney.
“In the city we have approximately 40 to 45 employees that are constitutional officer employees and they will get that 1.5% bonus. Employees who work in that department that are fully funded by the city will not get that same 1.5% bonus for doing the same job. That’s unfair to the employees fully funded by the city,” City Manager Randy Eads told the council.
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The appropriation of $277,000 would provide the bonus to all city-funded positions, not just those working in constitutionally-mandated departments.
Funds are coming from a one-time revenue source.
“We have really worked hard on retention of employees…I know when I first came on, we had a lot of employees leaving and going other places. I feel like, over the last several years, we’ve gotten our pay where it needs to be,” Mayor Becky Nave said during the council’s discussion.
In other matters, the council unanimously approved, on first reading, a proposed rezoning of 50 acres from R-3C, moderate density residential with conditions, to FRD, or flexible redevelopment district.
If approved on final reading next month, the change would allow property owner Shim Development, LLC to include a commercial component to a proposed residential development.
The conditions, which would continue to apply if rezoned, would limit lot sizes to 7,500 square feet and permit a maximum density of one unit per 3,750 square feet. City officials said that would result in nine fewer units per acre.
The council also approved the city’s Community Development Block Grant action plan for the upcoming fiscal year.
The more than $338,000 in funding – which includes some carryover — includes $77,000 for sidewalk improvements in targeted areas, over $77,500 for emergency housing rehab, $10,000 for removal of unsafe structures, over $15,000 for economic development, $37,500 for code enforcement and over $54,600 for administration.
The city received nearly $132,000 in funding requests and will disperse $38,000 to six agencies including Crossroads Medical Mission, Highlands Community Services, Bristol Public Library, People Inc., Family Promise and Girls, Inc.