Council refers living‑wage proposal to Economic Development advisory committee after robust public comment

City staff presented an initial living‑wage proposal at the Sept. 24 meeting and the council heard nearly two hours of public comment before referring the measure for further review. Community Development Director Alisa Montoya described a draft proposal that would raise the city’s base minimum wage from $15 per hour to roughly $17.50 per hour, add a formula that links future increases to a combination of CPI and HUD fair‑market rent with a 5% annual cap and set a one‑year hold on implementation if approved.

Montoya said staff’s outreach included two public meetings and an online survey that, as of the meeting, had nearly 500 respondents with about two‑thirds supporting a raise. Staff also said the survey remains open through Oct. 10 and that they would provide additional analysis to the council after the survey closes. The presentation summarized published economic research that finds modest employer responses to municipal minimum‑wage increases, including small price changes and reduced turnover; staff told the council those studies generally show little employment loss.

Councilor Cassatt moved to waive standard committee sequencing so the proposal could go to the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) on Oct. 1. The governing body approved the waiver and the referral. Councilors and community speakers raised questions about potential price impacts for small businesses, the adequacy of the increase for covering the local cost of living and the need to pair wage policy with housing and other cost‑of‑living interventions.

The council’s action sends the proposal to EDAC for detailed review and returns it to the council with committee recommendations and further staff analysis.