ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — The Robertsdale City Council more than doubled its budgeted amount for the 2017-18 fiscal year cost of living adjustment for city employees at its meeting on Monday, Feb. 20.

After budgeting just a 1 percent increase for 2017-18, the council approved a 2.1 percent increase following the 2016 Consumer Price Index from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The additional cost will add $25,000 to the budgeted amount over the next six months, said Robertsdale’s Chief Financial Officer Ann Simpson, for a total increase of more than $50,000 for the city.

“We’ve had one city employee retire and we are not replacing that position,” Simpson said, “which should more than offset the cost of an additional increase.

The budgeted amount was based on the increase from last year’s budget of 1 percent, which cost an estimated $35,000 over a six-month period, Simpson said following the council’s action in 2016.

The approved amount is based on this year’s U.S. overall average, which is slightly higher than the CPI adjustment for the Southern Region of 2 percent. The city’s 5-year average of COLA adjustments is 1.9 percent, according to figures presented by Simpson during the council meeting.

“We just spent that amount of money on electrical improvements for the city,” said Mayor Charles Murphy, “and our city employees are certainly more important than that.”

In other business Monday, the council:

-- Agreed to address drainage concerns presented by resident Shirley Bell.

-- Approved the resurfacing of Michigan Street from Alabama 59 to St. Paul Street with the addition of East Silverhill Avenue.

-- Agreed to surplus a vehicle from the Robertsdale Police Department in order to donate the vehicle to the Silverhill Police Department.

-- Approved a request by the Robertsdale High School Naval Jr. ROTC to place temporary structures on city property for use as an obstacle course.