November 12, 2024 18:48 • Last update: November 12, 2024 18:48

Old Lyme ― The local police union and the city this month agreed to a four-year contract that will raise officers’ pay by about $6 an hour through 2027-28 and add a longevity bonus of up to $2,000 a year.

The contract, signed earlier this month by Old Lyme Police Union President Dominic Solari and members of the Board of Selectmen, brings the town’s newest officers from a base salary of $63,964 under the old contract to $69,701 dollars, or $33.51 an hour, this year. They will earn $75,794, or $36.44 an hour, through July 2027. All pay grades receive an additional increase of $2.75 an hour retroactive to July 1.

Previously, an officer had to serve a year before becoming eligible for the next four pay grades. The increments reached five years. The new contract extends the time an officer stays in each grade to two years, culminating in six years at a rate of $88,982, or $42.78, in the first year.

Officers at the highest level will earn $96,761, or $46.52 an hour, through July 2027.

Annual longevity payments were instituted in the new contract for officers with five to nine years of service at $500. The bonus is $1,000 for officers at 10 years, $1,500 at 15 years, and $2,000 at 20 years.

First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker said officials are working proactively so the town can keep the officers it has and bring in new ones.

“We have a very small force and we want to keep our police officers here in the city and we want them to know we appreciate them,” she said.

Solari could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The department, where local constables with full police powers work under the direction of resident state trooper Matthew Weber, consists of four full-time officers and one part-time officer.

Shoemaker said recruit Georgios Sirigos is set to graduate from the Connecticut Police Academy at the end of the year.

Negotiations lasted from July to September after the union granted a contract extension that expired June 30, according to Shoemaker. She said the busy spring and summer season in the coastal city made it difficult for everyone to find time to meet.

Cobbler negotiated for the city with CFO Anita Mancini and Human Resources Generalist Jill Karrenberg, while two officers represented the police department.

Shoemaker said the city is looking to add one more position to bring the force back to six full-time officers. She said adding a seventh officer will be a topic of discussion as officials begin planning the 2025-2025 city budget.

The most recent hires include Constable Ethan Kula, who was sworn in on December 15, 2022 before going through the Connecticut Police Academy. That same year, Officer Steven Hackett transferred from the Old Saybrook Police Department with 12 years of experience.

Corporals Wayne Collins and Solari are longtime officers with the department.

The new contract provides health insurance for all officers with at least 20 years of service from retirement until age 65 at a 50 percent cost share. Dependents of retired officers who are liable for 100% of the premium can now participate in the plan.

The contract previously stated that those with at least 25 years of service would be covered as long as they paid 100 percent of their premiums and were not eligible to receive federal Medicare benefits. The provision at the time did not extend to employees hired after July 1, 2009.

The new contract increases the private tax payment to $90, up from $75, to be more competitive with area departments. The amount will increase to $95 by July 2026. The rate is paid by contractors who need police cover for outside jobs in areas such as traffic control, security and crowd control.

The contract runs until June 30, 2028 instead of using the previous three-year schedule.

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