GREEN: After 11 months of negotiations, the city’s 41 firefighter/paramedics have a new contract.
Also, nonunion city employees will receive lump-sum payments for 2011 after almost two years without any wage adjustment.
Both issues were approved at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
As a result of binding conciliation, the firefighter/
paramedics will receive increases of 1 percent this year (averaging $1,000) and 1.5 percent (more than $1,500) in both 2012 and 2013.
Fire Chief Bob Calderone said the new contract, which includes language about staffing regulations — nine per shift instead of 10 — and about overtime pay, will save the city about $168,000 in 2012.
The city’s 27 nonunion employees, including Mayor Dick Norton and all city directors, will receive increases of 1.75 percent for this year. The lump-sum payments will range from $63 to $1,400.
Human Resources Manager Jeanne Greco said that the low figure is for an employee who has been with the city just over a month.
Council also agreed to a three-year contract with consultant Dave Hart and his Municipal Service Group for project management, inspection and liaison services through May 29, 2014.
Council is expected to vote Dec. 13, its last meeting of the year, on a new three-year contract with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office to continue providing police services in Green.
The pact totals nearly $5.8 million for the three years for 16 patrol officers, a full-time detective, who also provides security at council meetings, and a part-time direct-indictment officer.
Council President Joel Reed said the contract is substantially less than what it would cost if Green established its own department.
Sheriff’s Patrol Commander Lt. Doug Smith told council that assigned cases-closed cases in Green this year were 31 percent higher than the 58 percent in 2010, when deputies had to handle criminal investigations as well as patrol duties.
He said that productivity of the patrol bureau has increased 63 percent through the first three quarters as a result of the city hiring sheriff’s Detective Larry Brown to handle criminal investigations.
Smith also said patrol overtime has decreased about 70 percent through scheduling and the addition of the detective.
In other business, Councilman-at-large Bruce Manwaring asked for another update on storm-water work.
City Engineer Paul Pickett said the Melanie Drive ditch clearing is complete, as is light cleaning of the Anderson Ditch, with more to be done there by the end of this year.
He also assured a Mars Road resident who has had water in her basement in the past that work will be done this year to help rectify the problem.