BREWER – The Brewer Police Department has a new three-year contract featuring a 2 percent pay increase for each of the three years, and for the first time, merit pay.

“This is the first time that we’ve been able to incorporate merit pay, which I think is a very positive step forward,” City Manager Steve Bost said after the Brewer City Council meeting Tuesday night.

The contract covers patrol and command officers, who will be issued a 1 percent to 2 percent merit adjustment during year one of the contract and a 1 percent to 3 percent merit adjustment during year three, added to the 2 percent pay raise for each of the next three years, Bost said.

The merit pay will be “based upon performance and the recommendation by the chief and or supervisor,” the city manager said.

“This is a component that we built into the fire officer’s contract a few years ago that has worked very well,” Bost said.

Brewer police members, with representation from the Maine Association of Police, an independent union, recently approved the contract but needed City Council endorsement to seal the deal.

Several other minor changes also are included in the new contract, Bost said.

During the meeting, the council also:

. Changed one street name and one address, that were changed because of new Emergency-911 addressing, back to their former names. A resident asked that her 5 Chamberlain St. address be changed back to 1 Chamberlain St. since it is one of the only homes on that side of the street and another resident asked that Mutty Lane be changed back to Chambers Court. Council agreed to both requests and denied a third.

. Expressed support for continuing to fully fund the federal Community Development Block Grant program, that is on the chopping block in Washington, D.C. Brewer has benefited substantially from the program over the years and is urging the federal government, through a resolve, to keep the program operational.

. Accepted a $50 donation from JB and Sons Lawn and Home Service for the Brewer Fire Department; a $700 Maine Municipal Association grant for a citywide wellness program; and several pieces of equipment donated by South Brewer Redevelopment LLC.