GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Green Bay is going to be taking another look at its proposal to pay city employees to volunteer.
Tuesday night, the city council voted 8 to 4 to re-tool the plan, which would give city employees three paid days off per year to volunteer.
Mayor Eric Genrich proposed the idea while on the campaign trail.
Negative feedback from residents is why the council voted to make changes to the policy.
“I’ve gotten more negative calls than on anything, including the wheel tax, from people,” said Alderperson Barbara Dorff.
Under the proposal, 500 employees would be eligible for 24 paid hours off per year to volunteer. Supervisor approval would be needed for the time to ensure normal city work was not impacted.
“These are new concepts for us, but certainly not in the corporate world,” said Genrich. “These changes are incremental and they’re fiscally responsible.”
The executive directors for the area’s chapters of Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters told the city council the plan would have many benefits.
“Last year, we were fortunate enough to have 58,000 hours donated by volunteers,” said Cora Haltaufderheid of Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity. “That is how we’re able to do what we do.”
“It gives you individual fulfillment,” said Katie Hess of Big Brothers, Big Sisters. “It helps you advance your career.”
“That warm fuzzy feeling that true volunteers get for helping out worthy organizations should not be paid for by the over-taxed residents of Green Bay,” said Bronson Smith, a Green Bay resident who spoke at the meeting.
The council agreed changes need to be made to the proposal. Some council members believe the proposal needs to be better sold to the public.
“We are basically giving up 12,000 hours of our staff labor that quite frankly is very much needed within the city,” said Alderperson Jesse Brunette.
“The purpose of this benefit is to attract and retain youthful workers, millennials,” said Alderperson Randy Scannell. “There might be some tweaks we could do, but let’s keep in mind what’s being done out there and we don’t want to tweak this where it’s no longer effective.”
Under the current proposal, police officers, firefighters, and transit workers who are represented by a union with collective bargaining ability would not be eligible for the paid volunteer days off.
A re-tooled proposal could be taken up as early as next month.
