Politics & Government
Council OKs Retirement, Time Off Programs; Airport Gets $69K
Watsonville first introduced the programs during the Great Recession. Also: The airport will receive federal coronavirus relief funding.
WATSONVILLE, CA — The Watsonville City Council will reinstate early retirement incentive and voluntary time off programs first introduced during the Great Recession as the city looks to save, anticipating taking a financial hit as a result of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Vacant positions would likely not be filled as a cost-cutting measure, Deputy City Manager Nathalie Manning and Administrative Services Director Cindy Czerwin wrote in a report to the council. The city also offered retirement incentives last year to save money, according to the city report.
Employees interested in the voluntary retirement program must retire on or before August 1.
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Staff can choose to maintain their medical coverage for 24 months or receive a $15,000 lump sum. Some higher-paid public safety employees would qualify for an extra year of medical leave and a $10,000 payment because their salaries are so high.
The city said it's unsure how much money it could save by offering retirement incentives, but there are many eligible workers.
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The council also voted to reinstate Watsonville's voluntary time off program through June 2021. Employees interested in the voluntary leave program must commit to at least six months and reduce hours in four-hour increments.
The program first began in May 2009 and allowed employees to reduce their hours but maintain benefits. This year the city saved about $135,000 with eight participating employees. Up to 22 employees have participated in previous years, according to the city report.
In other coronavirus council news, councilmembers also moved to accept $69,000 in Federal Aviation Administration coronavirus grant aid for the Watsonville Municipal Airport.
The money is expected to arrive by the end of May and is part of a $10 billion economic relief program for airports approved by President Donald J. Trump in late March.
Watch the council meeting here.
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