Hennessey’s town board unanimously voted to become members of the state Police Pension & Retirement System at their Wednesday, Dec. 8, meeting.

The police department has asked for the membership for several years, Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman told the board.

“Once the town starts the membership, you can’t stop,” said Tillman. Membership is irrevocable.

Membership would be a perk for existing full-time officers, and an enticement for any prospective officers, Police Chief Ed Cangiano said. He also told the board he would not be eligible because he has already retired from that system.

Tillman said the town would be required to contribute 13 percent of each full-time officer’s salary, and the town is already contributing up to 6 percent in their retirement account.

The additional 7 percent cost to the town would be about $10,000 a year, she told the board, “and I already put that in this year’s budget.”

Newly-hired officers ages 21-45 would be eligible to participate as would officers who are OPPRS members and come from other departments.

Membership is effective the first of the month after approval, according to information provided to the board by Cangiano.

Mayor Bert Gritz said after last week’s meeting they’d call a special meeting to approve a resolution and make a formal request to join OPPRS.

That meeting is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

In addition to Gritz, other trustees at the monthly meeting were Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Richard Simunek and Harold Shaw.

The fifth seat on the board will be filled in a special election Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Candidates are David O. Jones and Frank Patton.

The winner will replace Keith Meek who resigned Aug. 30.

Jones attended this month’s meeting. Tillman said Patton called and said he couldn’t make the Wednesday meeting that was originally set for Thursday night.

Bonuses Approved

The board approved the same amounts in employee appreciation/incentive bonuses as in the past: $500 for full-time employees plus $50 for each year worked and a flat $150 for part-time employees (includes pool employees, volunteer firefighters and reserve officers).

Employee Pay Scale/Handbook

Tillman asked the board to look at her proposal to adopt an employee pay scale. She didn’t expect them to take action that evening, but wants to have a pay scale effective by July 1.

Tillman broke down the scale by departments based on hourly pay and number of years of service.

Her proposal would cost about $100,000 more a year.

She said an employee had to be in “good standing and no write-ups” throughout the year to go up a salary step on their anniversary year.

“No write-ups?” asked Shaw.

“There are verbal warnings and there are writeups,” Tillman said.

The board took no action on the pay scale, or an item to make changes to the employee handbook.

There was also no discussion about the handbook and Tillman said she wants them to look over the handbook and offer any changes before their Saturday, Feb. 5, planning meeting.

Employee Insurance Up 8.2 Percent

Pete Towne with Gallagher Consulting went over the increases in health, vision and life insurance for employees.

He said the town has “second to none” insurance for its employees with Blue Cross and there will be an 8.2 percent increase this year due to inflation.

Tillman said she’d already estimated a 10 percent increase which she’d figured in this year’s budget and the board voted to renew the insurance.

Dispatcher Hired

Kayla Kelter, who recently moved from Utah, was hired as a police dispatcher. She replaces the person who was hired last month, said Tillman.

The chief said Kelter is working out, and picking it up well.

Meeting at 6 p.m. Next Month

Tillman reminded board members that next month’s meeting (Thursday, Jan. 13) starts at 6 p.m instead of 7 p.m.

The new start time was to go into effect this month but there was a foul-up with the agenda and it listed 7 p.m. so the meeting could not start until 7 p.m. However, three of the board members and all of the staffers were there at 6 p.m.

(Note: See story elsewhere on utilities issues.)