Cheney council OKs fire crew compensation

At its final meeting in August, the Cheney City Council approved an ordinance modifying the city’s salary structure in a way that will allow some employees to collect additional compensation when on state fire mobilization.

The ordinance, X-47, specifies that city staff in exempt positions may work on occasion as part of the Washington State Fire Service team in fighting wildland fires. If so, the Cheney employee will now be paid one and a half times their normal pay rate for work outside of their normal work hours.

City Administrator Mark Schuller told the council the ordinance was needed bec...