CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou City Council discussed a one-time stimulus package that would help both employees and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The item was introduced as a first-read during an April 21 meeting. Councilors can vote on the stimulus package during their next meeting on May 4.
The stimulus would give each full-time employee $500 worth of gift cards to local businesses and each permanent part-time employee $250 to spend locally. Employees could choose how much they would like to spend at each business. The city’s finance department would then contact those businesses and make arrangements for the gift certificates.
Goughan explained that the council had been discussing this benefit in executive session during prior meetings as they did not want to announce a benefit package that they might have to take back if the budget did not allow for it. With a clearer picture of the city’s budget, Goughan said the city should be able to offer the bonuses.
In the council packet, City Manager Dennis Marker wrote that the city had been discussing a way to thank employees for their work in 2019, when the council emphasized reducing expenses and generating more revenue. Departments responded by saving the city more than $202,000 in expenses.
In addition to this, revenues from last year exceeded projections by $156,000, leaving the city with more than $300,000 additional monies, some of which was placed in a reserve account to offset future taxes.
Marker and Goughan stressed that these savings would not be possible were it not for the hard work of city employees, and that the bonus would not only reward their efforts but also assist local businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
”Along comes this virus, and businesses are being told to close their doors,” Goughan said. “We were thinking, how do we help our businesses?”
City council had been discussing providing employees with a $500 bonus before the virus hit, and the mayor credited Councilor Hugh Kirkpatrick for suggesting that the money be distributed via gift cards to support local businesses.
In addition to providing the benefit to employees who worked for the city in 2019 and in 2020, Goughan also asked that the council give honorary status to former Deputy City Clerk Kalen Hill as a full-time employee for the year of 2019 so she could also receive the benefit.
Hill was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer last year and, due to restrictions related to the pandemic, is unable to receive a vital liver transplant in Massachusetts until the virus is under control.
The mayor asked the council if they had any comments, and Kirkpatrick said he was in support of the plan and of the suggestion to also provide Hill with the benefit.
Goughan asked Marker to put the item on the next council meeting agenda for a possible vote.
In addition to the benefit, the city has also outlined a number of resources for small businesses on its municipal website at cariboumaine.org.
Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect that Councilor Hugh Kirkpatrick did not suggest providing employees with $500, only that the city distribute this money via gift cards to support local businesses.
