The Cleveland City Council met yesterday.

The meeting began with a proclamation recognizing September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Vice Mayor Ken Webb and Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis presented the proclamation alongside local advocate Aaron Weatherford, who lost his own daughter, Olivia, to cancer.

The Council then heard results from a citywide compensation and classification study conducted by Evergreen Solutions.

The study found that Cleveland’s pay structure is about eight percent below market averages, especially in emergency services.

Consultants recommended moving employees into new pay scales based on years in their current classification, which would cost the city about half a million dollars in recurring salary adjustments.

The council accepted the Evergreen compensation study and approved doubling longevity pay for city employees.

The changes will be retroactive to July 1, with updated paychecks and back pay scheduled to be issued around the end of October.

Council also approved annexation and zoning requests for nearly 23 acres on Varnell Road, where developers plan to build 28 single-family homes.

In addition, the council passed an ordinance amending zoning rules to allow upper-story residential units in neighborhood commercial districts.

As previously mentioned in our report on the County Commission meeting, the council approved a new fire tax policy. Under the agreement, the City of Cleveland will pay the lost fire tax revenue to Bradley County during the first two years after annexations that occur between the old and new urban growth boundaries.

The next Cleveland City Council meeting will be held on Monday, September 22.