City Commission approves results of contract negotiations
With unanimous votes on Nov. 2, the Sarasota City Commission approved 3% cost-of-living increases this fiscal year for all patrol officers, sergeants, lieutenants and crime scene investigators with the Sarasota Police Department, effective as of Oct. 28.
The action came in the board members’ unanimous votes in favor of the items on their Consent Agenda No. 1 for their regular meeting last week.
Formally, the commissioners were asked to authorize then-Mayor Debbie Trice and City Auditor and Clerk Shayla Griggs to execute new, three-year collective bargaining agreements between the city and the International Union of Police Association (IUPA), AFL-CIO.
Approximately 169 employees of the Police Department are patrol officers, sergeants and crime scene investigators, the related Agenda Request Form said.
The agreements also included step increases for eligible members linked to their anniversaries with the Police Department, the Agenda Request Forms pointed out.
A chart shows that the pay for Step 1 for patrol officers is $75,760.62; the figure climbs to $108,015.89 at Step 20. A note below that chart explains, “All newly hired employees shall received the annual wage rate in effect at the time of their hire commensurate with his/her qualifications.”
For sergeants, a second chart says that the Step 1 pay is $102,067.77, rising to $121,978.11 for Step. 10. Below that chart, the document points out, “Newly ranked Sergeants will be slotted into the wage schedule on Step 1 unless that Step is less than a 10% increase.” If the latter is a factor, the document adds, the promoted sergeant “shall move to the next highest step.”
For crime scene investigators, the pay ranges from $61,458.33 at Step 1 to $83,301.77 at Step 10, a third chart shows.
The agreement for lieutenants includes a chart with step pay levels, as well. Those figures begin at $121,589 for Step 1 and climb to $140,958 by Step 6.
Further medical and dental premium hikes were capped at 7% for the second and third years of the agreements for “potential medical/dental premium increases.”
Moreover, members of the Police Department who perform special duties will receive extra, designated pay, as shown below:
• Criminalist (aka Crime Scene Investigators) — $60 per week.
• Intelligence detectives — $60 per week.
• CID (Criminal Investigations Division) detectives — $60 per week.
• Canine (K-9) — $50 per week for year 1 and $60 per week for year 2 of the contract.
• Community Action Team (CAT) — $50 per week for year 1 and $60 per week for year 2.
• Traffic Unit — $60 per week for year 1 of the contract.
• Marine Unit — $50 per week for year 1 and $60 per week for year 2 of the contract.
• Crime Prevention Officer — $50 per week for year 1 and $60 per week for year 2.
• Homeless Outreach Team — $50 per week for year 1 and $60 per week for year 2.
• Interpreters — $30 per week. (“Employees certified in an additional language will need to be available for translation and interpretation throughout the City and depending upon customer requests,” the agreement notes.)
Both agreements are in place through Sept. 30, 2029, the forms further point out.