Council Approval Expected For Union Salary Hikes
Spokane City Council members can breathe a bit easier tonight when they are expected to approve contract-negotiated salary increases for three unions.
Four other unions still are negotiating 1997 pay raises.
“We’re making progress,” said Pete Fortin, deputy city manager.
Under proposed agreements, police officers would get a 2.61 percent increase this year, as would captains and lieutenants. Firefighters would receive a 2.66 percent raise.
The increases would cost the city about $1.09 million.
Members of the city’s four other unions - Spokane Fire Officers Association, management professional association, public defenders and prosecutors association and Local 270 of the Washington State Council of City and County Employees - are working without new contracts.
Also tonight, the council will consider a $118,000 contract with Spokane COPS, the non-profit organization that oversees the city’s police substations.
COPS director Cheryl Steele is asking for nearly $30,000 more this year than was received last year because of new programs. “We grew,” she said.
Spokane COPS began two programs last year, including Safe Streets Now, which helps residents rid their neighborhoods of drug houses by using civil courts instead of criminal courts, Steele said. Program participants helped force the closure of 186 drug houses last year, she said.
The Police Activities League also made its debut, Steele said. That program organizes sports and educational activities for law enforcement groups throughout the region.
This year, Spokane COPS plans to start the City Stores program under which city memorabilia would be sold to raise money for COPS, the Chase Youth Commission and the Parks and Recreation Foundation.
Other items on the council’s agenda include:
A proposal to increase planning fees by about 2.9 percent.
If approved, an application for a project valued at $50,000 would go from $542 to $558. For a project valued at $250,000, the fee would go from $2,065 to $2,125.
A public hearing on the U.S. Justice Department’s offer of $350,000 in taxpayer money for the city Police Department. The funds would be used for improvements in the training center’s firing range and the mobile data terminal project.
A report from the Davenport Neighborhood Development Committee. The mayor appointed members last year to study ways to revitalize the area around the historic hotel downtown.
, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING The City Council’s briefing will begin at 3:30 p.m. today in the lower-level conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The council meeting will begin at 6 p.m.