City, police and fire unions reach contract agreements

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The City of Hays and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 48 have reached a tentative agreement for the years 2016 through 2018. The current agreement is set to expire at the end of 2015.

City representatives during the meet and confer process included Toby Dougherty, City Manager; Paul Briseno, former Assistant City Manager; Don Scheibler, Chief of Police; Carolyn McCollum-Scantlin, Director of Communications; and Erin Giebler, Director of Human Resources. Jeff Ridgway and Wade Park represented the FOP.

One change, according to City Manager Toby Dougherty, is reducing short term disability payments from 100 percent to 70 percent and it’s being done with all city employees.

“The practice has been…short-term disability actually pays 70 percent; the city has made up the 30 percent difference. We have found that provides a disincentive for some employees to come back to work,” Dougherty explained, “and the reason short-term disability pays 70 percent is to provide an incentive to come back to work.”

The three-year agreement with the FOP also includes a $2,050 pay raise in 2016, which is being extended to all Hays city employees.

“This will bring the bottom of the (FOP) range up by $1,500, giving the current personnel a good raise. It will also bring the bottom end of ranges up a lot higher, making us more competitive with the (job) market,” Dougherty said.

The $2,050 pay adjustment will be counterbalanced with projected increased sales tax revenues.

City commissioners Thursday night also approved an agreement with the International Association of Firefighters Local 2119.

The current IAFF Memorandum of Agreement is set to terminate at the end of 2015. City representatives during the meet and confer process included Dougherty; Briseno; Gary Brown, Fire Chief; Ryan Hagans, Deputy Fire Chief; and Giebler. Brandon Woods, Tim Detrixhe, Greg May and Justin Choitz represented the IAFF.

“It’s essentially the same as the police department, but the fire department does not have language in its contract calling for 100% short-term disability payments,” Dougherty told commissioners.