Cary approves police union contract, adviser on codes

CARY – The village board Tuesday approved a three-year deal with its police union.

The deal calls for a 1.75 percent pay increase in the first year, a 2 percent increase in the second year and a 2.25 percent increase in the third year.

Village Administrator Chris Clark said the pay increase was under the rate of inflation of 2.5 percent.

“We believe, from the village’s perspective, the wage settlement is fair,” Clark said.

The base salary for a patrolman is $46,392 a year.

Officers will pay more toward their health insurance. In the first year of the deal they will pay 16 percent, in the second year, 17 percent, and in the third year, 18 percent. Under the contract that expired April 30, officers paid 15 percent toward health insurance.

Officers will have the option of participating in the village’s new HMO plan, and pay 15 percent of that premium.

The new contract goes through April 2015.

Trustee Jeff Kraus was the lone “No” vote. Kraus said the village would have to use money in reserves to pay for the wage increases unless the village increases revenue.

“Today we’re able to afford and pay for it, but tomorrow down the line it becomes a drain on the fund balances to pay for these increases included in the contract,” Krause said. “Fund balances are there for rainy day expenses, not for known ongoing expenses such as salary and benefits.”

The Village Board also approved an agreement with the village of Algonquin to have access to its building commissioner. Algonquin’s building commissioner will help with updates of the village codes, on an as needed basis.

“The village of Cary will have the opportunity to utilize some of the work already done by Algonquin’s staff with modifications to ensure it fits with certain goals of the village of Cary,” said Assistant to the Village Administrator Jacob Rife.

The Village Board also approved a reimbursement for water bills to Cary-Grove High School and an office building at 2615 Three Oaks Road.

Cary-Grove will receive $47,471 from the village for being overbilled for water over a 15-year period. Gil Gulbrandson, who owns the office building, will be reimbursed $108,688, which includes about $8,000 in interest.

The village discovered the need to reimburse the two accounts after it performed an audit of 15 years’ worth of commercial water bills.

The village also waived a $19,783 fee for Federal Express, and a $24,751 fee for Aldi Foods. They were underbilled.