The Denver City Council advanced a pair of proposals Monday that would provide $400 COVID-19 vaccine bonuses and up to $2,500 in pandemic hazard pay for some city employees, sending the proposals on to a final vote on Oct. 25.

While the hazard pay proposal advanced unanimously without comment, the vaccine bonus split the council with an 8 to 4 vote, with Councilwoman Kendra Black absent.

If passed, the proposal would use $5 million from the city’s general fund to give $400 bonuses to city employees who complied with Denver’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate by the Sept. 30 deadline — including those who were granted religious or medical exemptions.

Exempt employees would have the added requirement of not violating any exemption accommodations by Dec. 10, including masking, testing and physical distancing.

“Our city doesn’t have unlimited funds and I believe the taxpayers would prefer we used this money to invest in our community,” said Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer, who voted “no.” “I find it difficult to allocate money to bonuses when there are so many outstanding projects that need to be funded.”

Sawyer said the $5 million could build 5 miles of sidewalk, install seven stoplights, renovate four city playgrounds, complete the renovation of the downtown central library or staff foot and bike patrols and community policing in 10 neighborhoods for an entire year.

Other council members raised issue with the concept of vaccine bonuses in general, saying they send the wrong message and reward something that should be expected.

“Hundreds of thousands of Denver residents have done their civic duty and gotten vaccinated because it’s the right thing to do and they’re not getting bonuses for that,” said Councilman Jolon Clark. “I’ve been told by many of my constituents that Denver rewarding city employees for doing the right thing feels, to them, like a slap in the face.”

Clark also criticized the $5 million being used as a reward, rather than incentivizing vaccinations or filling vacant city positions. No new employees or employees who weren’t already fully vaccinated by Sept. 30 would receive the bonus.

On Oct. 1, 98.7% of Denver’s 10,869 full-time employees were in compliance with the mandate, according to city data. This included 652 employees who received an exemption.

All full-time, part-time and on-call city employees would be eligible for the bonus. The bonus proposal wouldn’t apply to elected officials like the council members.

“I think this is an important way to reward our employees,” said Councilwoman Debbie Ortega, who voted “yes.” “I think folks need to be reminded that our employees took a number of furlough days in 2020. … They took a huge financial hit in 2020 at a time when many of them were having to work at the vaccine sites and at the testing sites and food distribution sites.”

The second proposal would use $16.6 million in federal funds to provide premium and hazard pay for career services and uniform city employees who worked in high-risk positions at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible employees must have worked between March and December 2020, been required to perform the eligible work and spent more than 50% of their work time having in-person interactions and/or handling items handled by others.

Employees would receive up to $250 for each month they met the eligibility requirements, which would be a maximum of $2,500 per employee over the 10-month period. The payments would be funded by $8.8 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and $7.8 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Chief Financial Officer Brendan Hanlon said he estimates 4,273 career services employees and 3,170 uniform employees would be eligible for the premium and hazard pay.

If both proposals are approved, vaccinated city employees would receive the $400 bonus on Nov. 26 and eligible exempt employees would receive it on Dec. 23. The hazard pay would be distributed on Nov. 5 or Nov. 19.