Mike Pratt, a representative from the city employee's union, UAW Local 867, asked the city finance and personnel committee for reimbursement of costs of members sent to negotiate in the 2004-05 labor agreement.

The UAW agreed to pay $7,918.98 in wages during the negotiations, but were also billed for $3,440.69 in benefits costs, which Pratt said the union did not agree to.

Tom Dankert said the union had agreed to pay those benefit costs.

The committee noticed that 11 members had been involved in the negotiations and questioned why that many people needed to be involved in the process.

Pratt said two from each department were involved so they could best represent their groups.

After a discussion, the committee agreed to pay back the $3,440.69, but wanted to make sure this confusion does not happen again. They decided to bring it up again at a later time. The committee also wanted to see how many people needed to be at the negotiations.

In other finance/personnel business, the committee:

n Approved $25,000 for mosquito spraying for next year. The Public Works committee suggested that the city should spray a minimum of four times a year.

n Approved up to $400 for 100 pictures from the Mower County Historical Society to be put on the city's Web site.

n Discussed a plan that Wayne Goodnature and county commissioner Gary Ellingson have been talking about as a solution to the Mower County jail overcrowding problem.

Goodnature said Ellingson estimated that $225,000 to $500,000 would be spent in boarding fees when the county has to send inmates elsewhere.

Goodnature proposed an annex to the jail in the Silver Bullet building in which inmates would be housed who are on work release and do not pose a threat to the community. He said that one-third to one-half of those jailed fit this profile.

Council members seemed interested in the plan.

"I think it's a hell of an idea," said council member Dick Lang.

The committee decided to put it on the agenda of the next joint city/county meeting.

Cari Quam can be reached at 434-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com