NILES City to accept contract recommendations

The city and union agreed on only one of the nine issues addressed.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- City council has unanimously agreed to accept contract recommendations of a fact finder despite rejection by the city's police officers.
After discussing the report in executive session for 25 minutes Wednesday, council passed the resolution with no discussion.
The officers, represented by the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, agreed with the city on one of the nine areas addressed but rejected the report in its entirety. Mayor Ralph Infante said the matter will go to binding arbitration, though no hearing date has been set.
City and union officials have been in negotiations for several months for the contract, which expired Dec. 31, 2002. The officers have continued to work under the terms of the previous contract.
Infante said both sides were able to agree on most issues, but nine areas of the previous contract were sent to the fact finder: wages, longevity, vacation, service-related injuries, hospitalization, life insurance, dispatch duty, secondary employment and new work assignment provisions.
Of those, the officers and city agreed only on the life insurance section.
In most cases, the report favored the city's position, including salary, one of the biggest areas of contention. The union argued for raises of 5.5 percent each year for the next three years, while the city offered 3-percent increases. The report suggested raises of 3 percent, 3.25 percent and 4 percent.
Paint ball restriction
Council also passed by a vote of 6-1 the first reading of an ordinance that would prohibit the shooting of paint balls within city limits. Councilman Robert Marino cast the sole dissenting vote.
The issue arose last month when residents complained that homes and vehicles had been hit with the paint pellets.
Council members earlier agreed to give the legislation only one reading so they could have more time to either amend or reject it. After speaking with local residents, Councilman Stephen Papalas said he would consider amending the piece to allow for use of paint ball guns in residential areas only with the permission of the property owner.
Law Director Terry Dull told council they also had the option of fine-tuning the city's vandalism laws to address the situation.
"We already have mechanisms in place for the police to charge these people with vandalism when they catch them," Marino said, adding he was in favor of addressing the matter in the vandalism ordinance rather than creating a separate piece of legislation.
slshaulis@vindy.com