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Date: 2/22/2022
SOUTHAMPTON – Town employees deserve additional compensation for keeping the town on track during the pandemic, according to Police Chief Ian Illingsworth. Last week he also told the Select Board why premium pay is another term for hazard pay: risk.He remembered a service call to an infected household. “One call, a guy died of COVID[-19], the whole family got infected,” Illingsworth said, “and for the first half hour we didn’t know that.”
Many people want to forget the early months of the pandemic. Little was known about the virus, vaccines were a future development, and no one was certain how the mystery disease, COVID-19, spread to the next victim. People were dying. A walk around the block felt extremely risky.
“Just going to medical calls, going to disturbances, there was high risk of contracting this virus, prior to vaccinations and prior to effective mask wearing,” Illingsworth said. “At some point during the pandemic … we were all looking for a mask.”
Southampton’s police chief, working as part of a study group that included department heads, the health director and treasurer, is looking for an additional $2 per hour compensation for first responders, police and fire personnel, and dispatch. Under the proposal, employees in those positions can see a maximum of $5,000 in premium pay.
Employees in the Highway Department, Water and Building departments, libraries and schools, Council on Aging (COA), and town clerk also deserve premium pay, according to the study group. The proposal argues for an additional $1.25 per hour for those town employees, as well as the custodial staff and town administrator. Those employees can see a maximum of $3,000 in premium pay.
Under the Treasury Department’s final rule, all employees of municipalities that receive American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding are eligible for premium pay. Several windows of the presentation to the Select Board itemized why COA employees, for example, performed essential services.
“This is also a very dark time, with a lot of isolation,” Illingsworth said. “While the CoA doesn’t technically meet the definition of essential workers … I do believe they were.”
“We are, in general,” said Selectboard Chair Christine Fowles, “recognizing all the hard work people put in during the pandemic, that 14 months.”
The 14-month time frame corresponds with the declared state of emergency during the pandemic. An emergency was declared on March 10, 2020 and ended on June 15, 2021. Hours worked during the delta and omicron waves of the pandemic, which began after the state of emergency was lifted, are not covered under this proposal.
Each employee will be required to submit an attestation form certifying they worked the hours claimed for added compensation. Only in-person work time, not over the internet or telephone, qualify.
According to Illingsworth, premium pay is one of the allowed uses of ARPA monies, of which the town has been awarded about $1.8 million. The qualifying requirements may reduce the overall amount of premium pay going to town employees, which the study group estimated will be $278,767. Premium pay will not be included in employee retirement calculations.
Norris School employees will see the largest share of premium pay, $87,771. Added compensation of $75,889 will accrue to Police Department employees, while fire and first responders are in line for $54,726. Highway Department employees are slated to received $19,643. Library and Water Department employees will receive about $6,000 for each group, with all other departments receiving less.
Premium pay is also dependent on the income level an employee normally earns. According to Illingsworth, the wage rate for a position cannot exceed 150 percent of the average salary in the county or state. Currently, that would exclude employees earning more than $105,015.
Select Board member Maureen Groden asked whether the School Department receives federal grant monies that could be used for premium pay. Board member John Lumbra, also a member of the Hampshire Regional School Committee, said the schools receive ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) grants, which would not apply to the premium pay proposal.
“This is a chance to recognize the hard work of the employees, but also that they kept the town operational,” Illingsworth concluded. “We will get through this and do very well.”