Altoona Personnel Committee Meeting – September 22, 2026

The Personnel Committee met in the Council Chambers at Altoona City Hall (1303 Lynn Avenue) at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Present were Mayor Brendan Pratt, members Tim Lima, Matthew Beeran, Bruce Thielen, and Terry Magnuson; Dion Sonsala arrived after roll call and was noted present during new business. Also present were Director of Administrative Services Betsy Bowley and City Clerk Cindy Bower (the agenda lists the clerk as Cindy Bauer).

Consent Calendar

• The committee approved the September 8, 2026 Personnel Committee meeting minutes. The motion carried with one abstention from the member who was not present at the prior meeting.

Discussion Items

• Assistant City Administrator reclassification from Grade P to Grade Q. Betsy Bowley presented the request, saying the role has evolved into a key executive leadership position with responsibilities for organization-wide operations, personnel and policy matters, strategic plan implementation, major projects, intergovernmental coordination, and department leadership support, as well as leadership continuity in the absence of the City Administrator.
• Bowley stated that an independent market analysis by Cottingham and Butler evaluated comparable positions and determined that Grade Q is the appropriate classification. The Grade Q wage range is $106,620.80 to $137,092, placing the position just below the police chief, public works director, and city engineer/assistant public works director.
• Several committee members questioned the rationale for the change, asking whether it was intended primarily to increase the current Assistant City Administrator's pay before an anticipated leadership transition, how the employee would be slotted in the new range, and whether the change would set a workable precedent for future reclassifications.
• The committee heard that the employee would not automatically become City Administrator; that position would be opened to the market. Members discussed the 11-step wage progression, noting the employee is currently at step nine in Grade P with an annual salary of approximately $117,166.
• Bowley said no wage increase was being proposed as part of the reclassification; the action would only move the position's classification. Members also discussed a previous citywide wage study that found nearly all city positions were 10% below market and resulted in across-the-board 10% raises.
• One member suggested the employee should be slotted at least one step above his current salary, and noted the City Administrator would request the step. Others expressed support for the reclassification as a justified market-based adjustment.

Miscellaneous Business

• A member reported that a city job posting appeared to list different dollar amounts in the title versus the description and said they would provide a screenshot to the City Clerk.

Key Outcomes

• The Personnel Committee voted to recommend the reclassification of the Assistant City Administrator position from exempt Grade P to exempt Grade Q.
• The recommendation will be considered at the September 24, 2026 Common Council meeting.
• The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.