ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — Robertsdale employees will be seeing a little extra in their pay checks soon.

The city council passed a 1 1/2 percent “Cost of Living Allowance” unanimously at their meeting Monday morning, with Mayor Charles Murphy abstaining. According to the city’s Chief Financial Officer, Ann Simpson, the raises will take effect April 1. All members of the council, with the exception of Aubrey Grant, were present.

The city had budgeted for a 3 percent increase, Simpson told the council, and presented copies of the 2008 Consumer Price Index that showed an increase in the cost of living in the area.

The CPI is compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics on what it calls a representative basket of goods and services.”

The CPI, Simpson says, rose about 4.2 percent for the Southern Region.

The 2009 budget, Simpson said, included a 3 percent COLA,.

“… considering the current economic conditions, I recommend the Council consider a 1.5 percent increase resulting in a budget reduction of approximately $24,888/53,” Simpson wrote the council.

“We’ve already reduced overtime to almost nothing,” Simpson said. “All department heads are watching every dime, every hour.”

“We really appreciate what you are doing,” said council member Joe Kitchens. “We are trying to avoid layoffs.”

Kitchen then moved the COLA be passed.

In other matters,

— The council granted the youth group of Robertsdale United Methodist Church permission to use part of Honeybee Park for an activity at the end of April. Council member Sue Cooper abstained from voting on the measure.

— The council passed an “ID Theft Prevention” measure. Federal statues require entities that bill after services are rendered to have such a policy. This would apply to Robertsdale’s utility department and other city departments. The deadline for passage was April 1.

“Is this gong to create extra work for you?” Council member Paul Hollingsworth asked Simpson.

Simpson replied that the measure would not create extra work. The city has already replaced some credit card processing equipment that showed now-forbidden information.

The measure passed unanimously.

— The council reappointed Amanda Brill to the Park, Tree and Street Committee and Bo Dyal to the Industrial Development Board.