By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The Pelham City Council will hold a public hearing on a proposed new city employee pay plan during its Aug. 5 meeting after the city’s Personnel Board approved the plan during a July 24 meeting.

During the meeting, Personnel Board members Jim Collins, Greg Darnell and Bobby Hayes – who was involved in the meeting through a conference call – unanimously approved the plan.

During the Aug. 5 public hearing, city employees and citizens will be able to voice their opinions on the proposed pay plan. After gathering public input on the proposed plan, the City Council will then be able to vote on the matter.

If the council approves the new pay plan, the city will provide the plan to Pelham’s department heads to use for budgeting purposes for the 2014 fiscal year, which will begin in October.

In the proposed new pay plan, the number of pay grades and steps varies per city department.

During the July 24 meeting, Personnel Board members said they still have concerns about pay levels for the city’s laborer positions, which they said are “inconsistent” between Pelham’s departments.

“There is still work to be done to get balance, to get consistency with the laborers citywide,” said Personnel Board member Greg Darnell. “I think we can debate that later.”

The city began formulating a new pay plan nearly a year ago after Waters said the city’s current pay plan violates Pelham’s civil service law.