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Show Ciiy Council To Review Btfl. Holidays By GARY R. BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL City employees em-ployees will continue to get their 12': days of holidays each year at least that's the city council's decision for the time being. THE COUNCIL voted 4-1 to maintain the holiday schedule for the first six months of 1 98 1 . At that time, a review of the entire employees' benefit package will be made and the holiday schedule will again be reviewed. THE FIRST six-months' schedule met with a lot of debate de-bate and some opposition along with a few jokes. One city official said that Arbor Day "is the worst excuse for a holiday that he has ever seen." COUNCILMAN Paul Allen said he opposes at least four of the declared holidays as being "excessive." "I don't approve of city employees em-ployees being granted Arbor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Veter-ans' Day and Lincoln's Birthday Birth-day as legal holidays," said Councilman Allen. I've voted against these four dates as being excessive before and I'll do it again." Councilman Allen cast the only dissenting vote. MAYOR ELMER W. Barlow Bar-low said the dates, which city employees have used for several sev-eral years, coincide with state-approved state-approved holidays and holidays holi-days observed by other municipalities. muni-cipalities. "I don't think we should compare with other entities," countered Councilman Allen. "I want to do all I can for our employees I really am on their team but I still feel that I2'j days are excessive and local taxpayers should not have to pay for some of these holidays." LINCOLN'S Birthday is considered a "floating holiday" holi-day" during which employees may either take the holiday or use it as a holiday for their own birthday, it was explained. Newly appointed City Manger Man-ger Thomas R. Hardy said he would like to see a report indicating in-dicating how much it costs to shut down city hall for each holiday. 1 HE SAID the holiday schedule sche-dule is "the most generous of any city that I have been affiliated" affili-ated" and asked that a study be made within the next few months of the entire employees' em-ployees' benefit program not just the holiday schedule. "It might be that some of the holidays considred by some as excessive may have been granted to the employees in lieu of other benefits," said Mr. Hardy. "I don't know the answer but I think a study should be made before any definite de-finite decisions are made." SO IT was agreed that for the first six months employees will receive all of the previously previous-ly approved holidays. After that, the council will decide just which holidays will be observed. Meanwhile, one city official was overheard commenting: "I DONT mind you taking to task President Washington or President Lincoln, but when you challenge President Arbor that's going a little too far." I |
