By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
The city of Caledonia and the Caledonia Police Department union came to terms last week on the 2008-2009 collective bargaining agreement. Union members will receive a pay increase of 3.75 percent for 2008 (retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008) and a 3.5 percent increase for 2009. The city council reviewed and approved the employment contract at the Sept. 8 meeting.
Councilmembers Randi Vick and Gary Klug, who were part of the negotiating committee, stated they were pleased with the final contract, and felt it was very workable for both the city and the police association.
According to the agreement:
• The average of pay steps 3 and 4 ($19.86 per hour) will be increased by 3.75 percent, with 74 cents per hour added to each 2007 step. For 2009, the average of steps 3 and 4 ($20.60 per hour) will be increased by 3.50 percent with 72 cents per hour added to each 2008 step. These increases apply to the part-time officers’ steps as well as full-time officers’ steps.
• Night shift pay differential shall be paid at the rate of $1.30 per hour and $1.35 per hour during calendar years 2008 and 2009.
• Officers who may be required to use their own automobiles for any authorized or required city business such as attending out of town seminars at the direction of the city, trips for performing city business, and the like, shall be reimbursed at the rate posted by the IRS business rate on the date of travel.
• A part-time police officer may join the Caledonia Police Association when his/her hours of work average more than 14 hours per week, calculated over a period of one year, or when the city council, police chief, and association agree that an officer is expected to be scheduled for work more than 14 hours per week for the next six month period.
• The city agrees to pay an annual uniform allowance to each full-time officer in an amount of up to $650 and to each part-time officer in an amount of up to $275. Uniform allowance is specifically allotted for the maintenance and replacement of uniforms and equipment worn on the officer’s person or used in the course of duty with the standard issue items being of first priority. Reimbursement shall be paid upon presentation of invoice/receipt.
In other council action:
Equipment purchase approved
Newly hired police officer Chad Heuser asked if he could use the $650 annual uniform allowance to purchase additional clothes he felt he needed.
According to City Administrator Bob Nelson, all new hires to the police department receive three long sleeve shirts, three short sleeve shirts, three pair of pants, three ties, a summer hat, a winter hat, one intermediate jacket, one hat badge and one chest badge.
Heuser had recently purchased an equipment belt for his service revolver and other items required for the job. The belt was approximately $200.
“I have a hard time granting the entire year’s uniform allowance right now, when he’s just starting out,” Mayor Mike Morey said.
Klug said he felt the city could compromise by approving the purchase of additional work clothing, but to include the $200 equipment belt in the $650 annual allowance.
A motion made by Klug and seconded by Morey to go along with Klug’s suggestion was unanimously passed.
City will pay glasses bill
By a 4-1 vote, the council approved a request to pay an $84 bill for a pair of special glasses that fit under an air pack mask. Nelson explained that a member of the Caledonia Area Fire Department requested the special glasses when his regular glasses prevented an adequate fit with the air pack mask.
“The glasses have been ordered, made, and the city received the bill,” Nelson noted. “I don’t recall ever dealing with this type of request in the past. I spoke with several former fire chiefs, and they indicated there certainly could be a need for special glasses to get a good seal with the air pack mask, but they never had a request like this.”
Morey said he understood how the request could come up, but asked, “where do we draw the line? Do we purchase knee braces for employees with weak knees? What about the hearing impaired?”
Councilwoman Peggy Perry said she agreed with Morey and echoed his question, “where do we draw the line?”
Nelson suggested he contact the League of Minnesota Cities “to see where this could take us.”
Because the bill had been received after the last council meeting, Nelson felt the city should pay it, check with the League, and if need be, ask the fire department to reimburse the city.
Vick made a motion that was seconded by Morey to do just that. Vick, Morey, Klug, and Councilman Bob Standish voted in favor of the motion. Perry voted against it.
Setback variance approved
The council approved a setback variance for Brenda Beckman, 218 West Caledonia Street. Beckman proposed to construct a 24 by 30 foot cement slab for a future garage, replacing the existing concrete slab. The slab would be located approximately seven feet from the east property line, which would require a three-foot variance.
Letters were sent out to adjoining property owners about the variance request. No one submitted written objections to Beckman’s plans, nor did anyone speak out against the plans at the public hearing on the variance request.
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a month ago the members of our dept asked the city to accept the donation of a water pump $1100.00 payed for through the charitable gambling fund and through the non profit fundraising group , it was declined , this pump replaced a old pump that wore out many years ago, it would be used for drafting from creeks to support rural fires , it would be used for pumping water from buildings after a fire or in may be used during a flood situation, declined?
we recently were able to replace our 32 year old tanker through 50/50 rural and city funds, we negotiated about $14000.00 worth of extra equipment be "thrown in" , we also negotiated the rust repair of our 2000 tanker (about a $2000)value,under warranty, i "hitched" a ride from the caledonia haulers to pick up the repaired truck , saving mileage/fuel, funny how you don't read about those items in the news?
we built the skids for our gator ourselves ,had fundraisers,requested donations,scrounged up a nice used trailer, when is the last time you saw a municipal department do that?
the city tells us we are over budget but if you read it (after you removed the capital purchase of the tanker)as of july 31 we were about $50,000 under, pay the balance of the customery bills and we are on track to be $35,000.00 under, that after taking a budget cut of $10,000.00 !
our cheif does a very good job he has had to deal with repeated CITY officials not being very supportive and constantly questioning his decisions, he was the whipping boy when the paperwork was not handled properly for the fireworks and frankly he needs our whole town and rural support (we are a rural and city district)!ther have been many other issues also!
we have 33 very very trained knowledgeable members of the our dept that DONATE in excess of 2500 hours of training per year not to mention birthdays , anniversary's,etc. which get set asside to answer the call to help , this repeated questioning of our leadership is working on the morale of the dept. please step forward and support us before our members step back and say "its just to much"!
matt hoscheit ,
caledonia fire dept
acting on my own behalf