By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Three union contract negotiations down, two to go.
Following a half hour executive session last week, Bowling Green City Council approved contracts with two city employee unions – the 40 police patrol and dispatch employees and 72 city employees. Last month, council approved the contract with firefighters.
That leaves two more negotiations to be completed – for the police command staff and the city’s electric workers.
The contracts approved Monday evening and in April include higher than customary raises for Bowling Green city government. However, those raises were necessary to attract and retain good employees, according to city Finance Director Dana Pinkert.
The three-year contract for the 40 police patrol and dispatchers includes a 6% raise for this year, 5% for 2025, and 4% in 2026.
“It’s what we expected due to inflation and the profession expectations,” Pinkert said.
The three-year contract for 72 other city employees includes a 7% raise this year, followed by 5% in 2025, and 3% in 2026.
The contract with BG firefighters approved in April included a 7% raise this year, 4% in 2025, and 4% in 2026.
City Human Resources Director Michelle Ish said the negotiations resulted in fair contracts and good relationship building with city employees.
While the raises are higher than normal for Bowling Green, they are necessary to keep up with trends in the profession, Pinkert and Ish said in April.
“It’s uncommonly high for Bowling Green, but it’s not uncommonly high in firefighting,” Ish said, noting that other municipalities are making the same type of pay raises.
Also at last week’s meeting, council member Bill Herald introduced an ordinance that would tweak council’s use of Robert’s Rules of Order to allow for more discussion among council on proposed legislation.
“Personally, I think we need to err on the side of providing opportunity for discussion,” Herald said.
Robert’s Rules of Order prohibits discussion on a motion to suspend rules, and does not allow for tabled legislation to be tabled again. Herald would like both of those rules to be dropped.
“It could slow things down. Possibly, however that is not necessarily a bad thing,” he said. “Personally, I’d rather err on the side of having legislation sit awhile longer than be voted on too soon.”
Council President Mark Hollenbaugh opposed the changes, calling them unnecessary.
“The system we have been working under is working,” he said, noting that sometimes City Council needs the push from Robert’s Rules of Order to force matters to come to a vote.
Council members Joel O’Dorisio said the rules are designed to facilitate action, and Greg Robinette said Robert’s Rules provide all the tools that council needs.
When it came to a vote, only Herald voted in favor of his ordinance.
