In a 6-1 vote last night, city officials in Rochelle approved an 80 cent an hour increase for all generation plant personnel for RMU. Voting against the proposal was Don Burke.
The pay increase is retroactive to May 1st of this year. The city plans to save money in overtime with the agreement along with reducing positions as operators retire over the next few years.
The Council also approved an electric cost service and rate design study for RMU at a cost of $21,000.
For the first time in nearly 10 years, hangar rates will be increasing at the Rochelle Municipal Airport. The average hike will be between 10 to 15 percent with the highest figure at 50 percent.
The city is looking at 3 year leases with the additional money at around $8,000 a year with the rate increase. They will begin in 2017.
The airport has also seen double in the amount of air traffic and sale of fuel this year compared to numbers in 2015.
City officials amended the ordinance for sales of alcohol through a drive-up window at a business along with engineering costs of $48,000 for the northern interchange yard involving the local railroad.
The Council met in executive session to talk about personnel and pending litigation. No action was taken.
