City, IBEW agree to new contract

The Beatrice City Council approved a new contract with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1536, AFL-CIO, during Monday’s council meeting.

The new contract, passed with an 8-0 council vote, gives IBEW employees a 10 percent cost of living pay increase over the next three years, the same raise given to Nebraska Association of Public Employees, AFSCME Local 61 two weeks ago.

The new contract will provide IBEW employees with a 4 percent cost of living pay increase the first year and a 3 percent cost of living pay increase the second and third year, City Administrator Neal Niedfeldt said. This contract includes 50 Board of Public Works employees and has salary ranges from $13.44 to $38.38 per hour.

“Those increases are within our budget that we set for the 2008-2009,” he said. “We think the contract is fair to the employees and the BPW.”

“It’s fair to say that the package we’re presenting is comparable to public municipal utilities similar to our size.”

Niedfeldt said the negotiation with the IBEW went well.

“They understand the means of our city and our budget,” Niedfeldt said.

The contract is similar to the agreement between the AFSCME and also includes changes to the employee benefits, including that employees will reduce their cumulative sick leave in exchange for a long-term disability plan. Under the new contract, employees will no longer receive merit pay, Niedfelt said. All of the pay raises will be based on performance evaluations.

Councilman Ted Fairbanks again expressed his concerns with the salary increases over the next three years, especially considering the economy right now. He noted that the employees were worthy of the pay increases and the city could now afford it. However, he was concerned the city’s future budget would not be able to sustain increases down the road.

“You’re rapidly increasing your cap,” Fairbanks said.

Fairbanks said he understands the worth of the employees and the need to pay them well.

“I see everybody working hard,” he said. “It’s the fiscal part I have a hard time with.”  

In other business:

Insurance claim: Approved referring suit of Jacoby Wilcox and Candice Blakemore to the city attorney and city insurance carrier. Wilcox and Blakemore have filed a suit against School Resource Officer Erin Byrne and the Beatrice Public Schools due to an altercation that happened at the school on April 25.

Ambulance write-offs: Approved to write off ambulance bad debts for $11,230 and send to Collection Associates.

911 ambulance: Approved rejection of bids for a 911 ambulance and an inter-facility transfer ambulance. The city would like to change the specifications on the ambulance and inter-facility transfer ambulance and rebid.

Parks building: Approved the acquisition of real estate located in the second addition to South Beatrice, lots 7-9, located at Eighth and Doane streets to build a new parks building, to replace the building that was destroyed by arson about two years ago. The sale price was $55,000, which will be paid from the sale of the Second and Bell street property.

Second and Bell: Approved resolution for the sale of real estate located in the Original Town, lots 4-6, located at Second and Bell streets, and adjacent vacated alley to Custom Fixtures, Inc., for $55,000.

Annexation: A public hearing has been scheduled on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. on the proposed annexation of property located in the southeast quarter of section 15 Township 4 north range 6 east, area located west of U.S. Highway 77 north of city limits. This is the property that includes where Oregon Trails Equipment is located.