OC Police agree to contract without assured raises
OCEAN CITY -- Ocean City Police have come to a new two-year contract agreement with resort officials.
The Town Council and the Fraternal Order of Police signed the contract after about a month of collective bargaining negotiations that at one point reached an impasse, according to Mayor Rick Meehan, who thanked the FOP for engaging in dialogue and discussion on the road to reaching a deal.
There are no significant changes from the previous contract, which means officers won't garner a cost of living increase or any other kind of raise in the next two years unless the town's other employees do, according to Pfc. Vance Row, of Ocean City's FOP Lodge No. 10.
Ninety-eight percent of FOP's members voted to ratify the new contract, according to Cpl. Glen McIntyre, president of the lodge.
"We know the town is in economic strain, and we are willing to do what it takes to help out," Row said. He said voluntarily waiving the wage increases police were entitled as part of their collective barganing agreement in 2009 saved the city about $1 million.
Resort police have a vested interest in the town "just as much as everybody else," McIntyre said at council's Monday night meeting, adding that they would continue to put their best foot forward to protect the town.
The agreement was reached near the "11th hour," McIntyre said, when FOP members met with council members Mary Knight, Lloyd Martin and Doug Cymek to hammer out a deal.
"I'm very proud to be able to say we came to an agreement, and cooler heads prevailed," council President Jim Hall said.
In other matters, the council voted unanimously to delay proposed changes to Boardwalk street performer regulations for at least 30 days. Council members plan to meet with street performers, town officials and law enforcement to "work out some issues" with the proposed changes, Hall said. He is optimistic the entities can compromise and come up with new regulations that "make everybody happy," he said.
For now, busker rules will stay as they were, with one exception: performances are forbidden at North Division Street, to avoid spectator congestion that could cause safety issues. The street is the main mode of entry to the Boardwalk for emergency vehicles.
Council also voted to enact a defined contribution pension plan and a high-deductible health insurance plan option for new town hires. Both will go into effect if Meehan signs the ordinances.
The vote was 4-3 on both ordinances, with president Jim Hall and members Joe Hall, Brent Ashley and Margaret Pillas supporting the changes. Mary Knight, Doug Cymek and Lloyd Martin opposed them.
Knight said that during the police contract discussions, FOP members presented statistics and data that indicate the two new plans will hurt the town's ability to recruit public safety employees.
"I keep hearing people say they believe these changes are going to be beneficial, but since they had statistics, I'm also going to use the word believe, and say I believe this will hurt us," she said.
In January, council prevented six new recruits from enrolling in the police academy until Ocean City established a defined contribution plan for new hires.
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
The Town Council and the Fraternal Order of Police signed the contract after about a month of collective bargaining negotiations that at one point reached an impasse, according to Mayor Rick Meehan, who thanked the FOP for engaging in dialogue and discussion on the road to reaching a deal.
There are no significant changes from the previous contract, which means officers won't garner a cost of living increase or any other kind of raise in the next two years unless the town's other employees do, according to Pfc. Vance Row, of Ocean City's FOP Lodge No. 10.
Ninety-eight percent of FOP's members voted to ratify the new contract, according to Cpl. Glen McIntyre, president of the lodge.
"We know the town is in economic strain, and we are willing to do what it takes to help out," Row said. He said voluntarily waiving the wage increases police were entitled as part of their collective barganing agreement in 2009 saved the city about $1 million.
Resort police have a vested interest in the town "just as much as everybody else," McIntyre said at council's Monday night meeting, adding that they would continue to put their best foot forward to protect the town.
The agreement was reached near the "11th hour," McIntyre said, when FOP members met with council members Mary Knight, Lloyd Martin and Doug Cymek to hammer out a deal.
"I'm very proud to be able to say we came to an agreement, and cooler heads prevailed," council President Jim Hall said.
In other matters, the council voted unanimously to delay proposed changes to Boardwalk street performer regulations for at least 30 days. Council members plan to meet with street performers, town officials and law enforcement to "work out some issues" with the proposed changes, Hall said. He is optimistic the entities can compromise and come up with new regulations that "make everybody happy," he said.
For now, busker rules will stay as they were, with one exception: performances are forbidden at North Division Street, to avoid spectator congestion that could cause safety issues. The street is the main mode of entry to the Boardwalk for emergency vehicles.
Council also voted to enact a defined contribution pension plan and a high-deductible health insurance plan option for new town hires. Both will go into effect if Meehan signs the ordinances.
The vote was 4-3 on both ordinances, with president Jim Hall and members Joe Hall, Brent Ashley and Margaret Pillas supporting the changes. Mary Knight, Doug Cymek and Lloyd Martin opposed them.
Knight said that during the police contract discussions, FOP members presented statistics and data that indicate the two new plans will hurt the town's ability to recruit public safety employees.
"I keep hearing people say they believe these changes are going to be beneficial, but since they had statistics, I'm also going to use the word believe, and say I believe this will hurt us," she said.
In January, council prevented six new recruits from enrolling in the police academy until Ocean City established a defined contribution plan for new hires.
smuska@dmg.gannett.com
410-213-9442, ext. 14
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