Council Restores Street Maintenance Job

A supervisory post in Spokane’s street maintenance division that fell to spending cuts two years ago is back in the budget.

The City Council on Monday voted unanimously to reinstate a job department officials deemed unnecessary in 1995.

At the time, then City Manager Roger Crum had instituted a voluntary severance program aimed at reducing the size of City Hall to help balance strained budgets.

Applicants had to convince city officials their job could be eliminated or shared by other employees. Those accepted into the program were given a lump sum payout that equaled up to four months’ salary, as well as money for unused sick leave and vacation time.

A supervisor in the street maintenance division opted for the program, telling his bosses the assistant supervisor’s job wasn’t necessary, said Deputy City Manager Pete Fortin. The assistant supervisor was promoted to the top supervisory post, and the former supervisor got $15,501 in severance pay.

“At that point, we thought it would work,” Fortin said. “The scope of supervision necessary was simply too great.”

The assistant supervisor oversees crews that plow the streets at night, as well as seal cracks in streets. , DataTimes