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Campbell council sends labor contract back to committee
CAMPBELL
City council voted Thursday to send a piece of legislation approving a labor contract with the city’s full-time firefighters back to committee for amendments.
The contract between the city and the Campbell Fire Fighters Association Local 2998 IAFF 7 OAPFF would have been effective as of April 19, 2021, but council President George Levendis wanted a section removed before he would agree to bring it to the floor.
The section in question establishes that the city will pay 4.5 percent of an employee’s 10 percent pension contribution. Levendis said he wanted to remove the pick-up as a cost-saving measure.
“I think we’re one of the only cities in the state that does something like this,” Levendis said. “It’s not going to affect anyone who already has it – they’re grandfathered in. We just can’t afford this for new employees.”
Levendis said he doesn’t anticipate that removing the section will derail the negotiations with the firefighters, though he did say if the section isn’t removed he would vote against the contract.
Council also announced it would meet with state auditors June 10 to discuss the city’s financial state. The meeting does not yet have a time, but it will be open to the public.
Mayor Nick Phillips was authorized by council to begin negotiations with Aqua Ohio regarding the sale of the city’s water treatment plant and infrastructure.
Phillips said at the moment there is no further information available regarding the sale. He and Levendis have said that when they have more information on Aqua’s offer they will call a public meeting to discuss the terms of the sale with the residents of Campbell.
This Saturday, city officials will meet at St. John’s Cemetery on Villa Marie Road at 9 a.m. to place flags on veterans’ graves. The public is invited to attend and help place flags.