Havre police union, city reach deal on contract

The city of Havre and the union representing police officers have come to terms on a labor contract — just before it is set to expire.

The 2014-15 contract was approved unanimously by City Council Monday night.

Mayor Tim Solomon said it calls for a 1.5 percent pay hike for officers. The city’s insurance rate went up 4.6 percent last year, and the city will pick up all of the increase, he said.

Other than that, there were only minor changes in the contract, the mayor said.

Solomon said the contract with the Public Employees Association Police Unit will expire at the end of June.

Talks are already underway for the 2015-16 contract, he said.

The signing of the agreement will mean that three of the four employee unions have deals with the city.

The fourth union, the union representing firefighters, will go to arbitration with the city.

Solomon said the arbitration hearing will be held in July.

In other business at Monday night’s council meeting:

Fight against blight

Council member Andrew Brekke said the Ordinance Committee he chairs will look into problems of building blight in the city.

He said the city is limited in what it can do when people complain about dilapidated buildings in the neighborhood. The solutions are cumbersome and expensive.

The committee will look into possible solutions.

He said experts have been contacted to look into the problems.

The committee also will look into the traffic ordinances in the city, most of which date back to the 1940s, he said.

City resident David Brewer told council that with wider vehicles and bigger side mirrors, the city streets seem narrower. The chance of a traffic accident increases, he said. He asked what the city could do about it.

A prompt answer

Havre resident Bill Lanier didn’t have to ask his question before he got an answer from Solomon during the public participation part of the meeting.

“Nothing to report, Bill,” Solomon when Lanier rose to ask a question.

At every council meeting, Lanier asks if there is any progress in naming a permanent police chief.

Gabe Matosich has been interim chief for 17 months now, and Solomon has refused to divulge what the status of the search is.