DHS Honor Roll

Patriots crown two champions, place second in team standings

First Posted: 4/19/2013 11:35:05 PM <hardreturn>NANTICOKE &#8211; Council members were busy but swift during Wednesday night&#8217;s meeting, at which they approved the police officers&#8217; contract, appointed a new permanent city administrator and hired six part-time employees. <hardreturn>Council unanimously approved a collective bargaining agreement with the police department. <hardreturn>Under the contract, officers will receive nine paid holidays instead of 13, start paying a portion of their health care premiums next year, and the city will offer incentive bonuses for officers who do not use sick days, said Councilman Brent Makarczyk, who served as the city&#8217;s negotiator. <hardreturn>Police officers will also receive a slight pay raise every year during the next four years that the contract is in effect. <hardreturn>&#8220;There are some burdens on the police department, but I don&#8217;t think it is overbearing. I believe it is something they can live with on a rising scale. There is also compensation in place to keep up with that expense. The city is not paying for everything 100 percent; they are paying for some of the costs,&#8221; Makarczyk said, calling the contract fair and a good compromise. He thanked the officers for recognizing the city is in a deep financial crisis that it&#8217;s trying to work itself out of. <hardreturn>Immediate copies of the contract were not available for review because lawyers for both sides have to finish up the paperwork, which could take a few days. Once the paperwork is finished, the contract will be made available to the public. <hardreturn>The previous police officers contract expired at the end of December 2008. <hardreturn>Finance Director Holly Quinn was named full-time permanent city administrator after Mayor John Bushko made a motion to hire her. <hardreturn>Bushko cited the great work Quinn has done as interim city administrator since last September, when former City Administrator Kenneth Johnson resigned to take a position closer to his home in Northumberland County. Since Johnson&#8217;s resignation, the city has interviewed several applicants for the jobs. <hardreturn>Quinn&#8217;s new salary is not yet known. The council unanimously approved her appointment. <hardreturn>She said she will start working on an advertisement to fill her former finance director position. <hardreturn>Six people &#8211; five in the public works department and one in the clerical department &#8211; were unanimously hired as part-time employees. <hardreturn>Mary Pepon will work from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. five days a week in the code enforcement office as a clerk. Sean Kearny, Kevin Zwotek, Robert Marr, Judith Zaykoski and Mike Swicklick will work about five hours a day, three days a week as needed in the public works department, cutting grass and clearing debris around town. <hardreturn>All six will earn $8 per hour and will not be eligible to receive any health or vacation benefits because of their part-time status.

Nanticoke OKs police contract