City Council approves funding for new contracts

Date: 11/21/2014

CHICOPEE – The City Council approved the finding for raises for several municipal unions and took the first step to add more municipal parking for City Hall at its meeting on Nov. 18.   

The council approved the allocations of $121,951 for the contracted raises for the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 401 and $34,751 for the Chicopee Professional Employees Association – most of the city’s department heads. The heads of the water and sewer departments also received increases. 

In an interview prior to the meeting Mayor Richard Kos called the contract with the department heads a “hybrid,” reflecting what he and the union wanted.

The contract with the city’s patrolmen created several pay steps at the low end of the scale and rewarded experienced officers at the high end.

“We’re rewarding seniority,” Kos said.

The contract gives Police Chief William Jebb greater flexibility about staffing during the changeover of shifts, Kos added.

The contract also provides for random drug testing for officers, which Kos called “increasingly important in today’s society.”   

He added, “The union recognized that, too.”

The City Council approved $10,000 to pay for the renovations to the softball diamond at Szot Park. Kos explained the turf on the diamond had to be removed to meet the requirement of girls’ softball. The removal of the grass will allow the park to host tournaments.

The council authorized Kos to pay $140,000 for an apartment building at 296 Front St. and take it through eminent domain for an additional parking lot for City Hall. The cost of the demolition or the construction of the lot has not yet been determined.

The Soldier On veteran apartment project at the former Chapin School also moved forward with the council approving the sale of that building of the developers.

The councilors were effusive with praise for Kate Brown, the city’s long-time director of Planning who is retiring. The councilor approved the release of unused sick pay fund and Councilor Frederick Krampits described Brown as a “wealth of knowledge.

Kos said the city will “have large shoes to fill.”