Frankfort trustees have signed off on a new contract that will give police sergeants a nearly 12 percent raise over four years.
The deal is retroactive to May 2014, so the village’s four sergeants will receive back pay to cover the 2.65 percent raise awarded in the first year of the contract. A 2.75 percent raise takes effect next month followed by raises of 2.85 percent in 2016 and 3.5 percent in 2017.
The contract includes longevity pay bumps of $2,500 at 10 years as a sergeant and $3,500 at 15 years.
“It came out very well,” Trustee Robert Kennedy said. “I give a lot of credit to (police) Chief John Burica for his efforts.”
Kennedy said the contract, approved Monday night, is “99 percent similar” to the four-year contract that detectives and patrol officers agreed to in September.
In another matter, trustees also agreed to have the village pay $88,566 for concrete work that will allow for outdoor dining at a downtown Mexican restaurant planned for 28 W. Kansas St. The patio will match those already in place on either side of the building at barbecue restaurant Smokey Barque and Italian restaurant Francesca’s Fortunato.
It’s the third time that Frankfort has opened its checkbook to help redevelop what had been a law office. Former Mayor George Sangmeister opened the one-story building as an appliance sales and repair shop in 1952.
Developers Richard Wright and Greg Harper got a $220,000 village grant last fall, and in 2013 the village paid $150,000 to buy property behind the building for parking.
Also Monday, trustees heard that the $5.5 million addition to the village hall is at least six weeks away from opening. The project is about two months behind schedule, which village officials blame on the bad winter.
“We feel that the time line of the end of May is a time line that the contractor should be able to meet,” Village Administrator Jerry Ducay said. “There are some (contract) penalty provisions that start in June, which will certainly help prod that along.”
The extra space will allow Village Board meetings to move from the basement of the police station to a 3,200-square-foot auditorium.
Patrick Guinane is a freelance reporter.
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