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New Middletown council raises employees’ salaries
The police department now has a fitness center.
NEW MIDDLETOWN — Village council granted raises to village employees.
The new hourly rate for 2009 follows, with the 2008 rate in parentheses: Patrolman 1, $11.87 (11.64); Patrolman 2, $11.33 (11.11); Patrolman 3, $10.82 (10.61); Street Department driver, $9.40 (9.22); Street Department laborer, $7.21 (7.07); village secretary and clerk of courts, $9.92 (9.73) plus a $50 stipend each pay period.
Council also agreed to police Chief Vince D’Egidio’s request that an unused portion of the street department garage be converted into an on-site fitness center for police officers and eventually for members of the fire department, council members and village employees.
D’Egidio said he obtained a used BowFlex for $175 and also had a weight system and exercise bike donated.
Those using the equipment would sign a liability waiver.
D’Egidio said the fitness center could reduce insurance costs for full-timers as well as provide an incentive for part-time police, who get no benefits, to stay with the village.
Also Monday, Mayor Harry Kale announced he will accept letters of intent from village residents for the one year remaining in a council term vacated as of Dec. 31 by Council Member Rebecca Mason.
Mason, a former council member who was appointed to fill Kale’s unexpired council term, said she is resigning for personal reasons.
Letters should be dropped off at the village administration or postmarked by Dec. 31. The address is P.O. Box 463, New Middletown, OH 44442.
Council also handled these matters:
ULearned that compensation for firefighters this year so far has amounted to $4,665, which is under the $6,000 limit set by council.
UHeard that this year Mayor’s Court fines and costs have amounted to $36,448. Kale pointed out that this income will be lost to the village in the future if village mayor’s courts are eliminated, which is a possibility under discussion.
UAuthorized village engineers Thomas Fok & Associates of Youngstown to do engineering work on Phase IV of the Sandy Court drainage project. No cost was available.
UPurchased a $1,540 computer for the police department from Higgins Online Service, Struthers.
UHeard a report from D’Egidio that extra saturation patrols aimed at stopping drunken drivers will take place in the village later this month.