FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted on Tuesday to ratify a three-year contract with corrections officers, patrol deputies and emergency dispatchers.
The contract calls for a 2 percent increase each of the three years, retroactive to July 1, Commission Chairman Gary McGrane of Jay said.
“We did budget for the amount authorized in this contract and we are very pleased with that,” he said.
The two bargaining units — corrections officers and patrol deputies and emergency dispatchers — covered under the contract have all ratified the pact, McGrane said. It will now be sent back to Teamsters Local 340 business agent, Kenneth Eaton for his signature.
Negotiations with the bargaining units began in January. The contract will expire on June 30, 2012.
Union workers have been working under the previous contract since June 30.
Nonunion workers also received a 2 percent increase this year, McGrane said.
“The contracts were overwhelmingly accepted in both units,” Eaton said.
Everybody realizes these are tough economic times, he said.
They made some gains in wages and it was pretty much status quo for the rest of the contract, Eaton said.
In other business, commissioners voted to accept five guns donated to the Sheriff’s Department. The donor requested to remain anonymous, Lt. Niles Yeaton said.
He estimated the value of the firearms is about $5,000.
Yeaton said he did a criminal background check on the donor and a trace on the firearms and they were all bought new by the owner.
“All of these weapons, as far as I can tell, are brand new,” he said.
The Sheriff’s Department will be able to use a Remington pump shotgun and Lauer semi-automatic, high tech rifle.
The other three, a Smith & Wesson pistol, a Colt M-4 .22 caliber rifle and an Interstate Arms shotgun will not be able to be used by the department. Instead, they will be traded for something that can be used, Yeaton said.
Commissioners also plan to have the sheriff officially notify some Lovejoy Road residents in Madrid Township to cease and desist work on a county road.
They also asked county Road Commissioner Jerry Haines to remove a road culvert that was installed by the residents on county property and replace it with one that fits.
Supporting Sponsor for Franklin Journal, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Rangeley Highlander and Rumford Falls Times.
Keeping communities informed by supporting local news. franklinsavings.bank
Comments are no longer available on this story