Brewer crews get new contracts

BREWER – City councilors endorsed new three-year contracts for employees of the Water Pollution Control Facility and the Public Works Department that include annual 3 percent raises for the next three years.

“The key elements are three, three, three,” City Manager Steve Bost said during a break in Tuesday’s council meeting.

The new contracts are retroactive to July 1 and expire June 30, 2009.

Several minor provisions, including small increases to boot and tool allowances for Public Works employees, and time and a half for Sunday work at the water pollution control facility, also were included in the new contracts.

Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees negotiated the contracts with the city.

City councilors also held three closed-door meetings to conduct the annual evaluations of the city manager, City Clerk Archie Verow and Assessor Mary Lynne Hunter.

“Everybody’s contract was extended” by a year, Councilor Larry Doughty said afterward. “Our executive sessions are very productive.”

During the regular meeting, the board also:

. Honored Jerry L. Hudson, who died in May, for his years of dedication to the city and, later in the meeting, appointed Veronica Spaight to replace him as the Republican member on the voter registration appeals board.

. Accepted easements from G.H. Doane, owner of B&L Auto Parts, and Maxwood Services, owner of Save-A-Lot, both of South Main Street, for development of the historic waterfront trail along the Penobscot River, and improvements to a boat ramp. Both easements were purchased by the city for $10,000.

. Authorized exchanging 176 North Main St. for city-owned property on Acme Road and demolishing buildings at 172 and 176 North Main St. to make way for a possible road realignment.

. Received $662 in grant funds for the Brewer Fire Department, $4,786 from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety for special OUI enforcement patrols, $481,100 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for ongoing sewer separation projects, and $400,000 from the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development for remediation and demolition work at the former Eastern Fine Paper Co. mill site.

. Approved borrowing $1.7 million for capital improvements for fiscal year 2007.

. Set a public hearing for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 8 to discuss changing the city charter to make local elections coincide with dates of state general and referendum elections.

. Reappointed Mary Lynne Hunter as city assessor.