Before Grove City’s finest could receive a new contract, along with a pay raise, a resolution had to be passed at the Oct. 15 Grove City Council meeting.
After 10 months of bargaining, the City of Grove City and the Fraternal Order of Police, Capital City Lodge 9 came to terms on contract negotiations.
"We believe that the members are getting the best contract available," said James Gilbert, president of Capital City Lodge 9.
The three-year contract affects the officers, lieutenants, sergeants, and above who make up the Grove City Division of Police. Over those three years, the staff will see a 3.75 percent increase in wages for the first year, and a 3.5 percent increase for the following two years of the contract.
"I think this is a very fair deal," said Ron Linville, a labor contractor for Baker and Hostetler. "It allows the city to recruit and maintain good officers."
Despite the outcome of the contract negotiations, some council members were concerned because they didn’t learn that the approval for this contract would be on the agenda until Oct. 9.
"We hope that the officers understand that we were put under a situation in an untimely way," said Councilman and Finance Chairman Richard "Ike" Stage. "It’s a good contract, but it’s a shame we had to have a crunch at the last minute."
Stage also said they are the best law enforcement agency in Ohio and the citizens of Grove City should be confident in their abilities.
The latest contract expires Dec. 31, 2009.
In other news:
•Council agreed to appropriate $7,900 from the community environment fund for the purchase of new recycling bins. For the extra environmentally friendly, the bins themselves are recyclable, being made up of 25 percent recycled materials.
•Council passed an ordinance to move approximately $27,000 from the community environment tree fund to plant 141 trees around the city. The planting will begin when the weather permits.
