MANSFIELD — Richland County commissioners on Thursday approved a new three-year contract with the county engineer’s highway department workers, a deal that includes 3 percent annual pay increases.
The 26 members of the department, represented by the Ohio Civil Service Employee Association, approved the new pact on Wednesday, Engineer Adam Gove said.
It takes effect March 1 as the current contract expires on Feb. 29, Gove said.
The unanimous vote by commissioners came after an executive session with Gove and county human resources director Kelly Christiansen, who represented the county during the negotiations.
“We began on Jan. 21 and we met five times,” Christiansen said. “It was a positive experience with all sides working together to arrive at a resolution.”
The bargaining unit members make up about 62 percent of the engineering department’s 42 employees, according to Gove, who said wages for the union members about 18 percent of the department’s annual budget, depending upon overtime for snow/ice removal and roadway emergencies.
Gove said the workers do everything associated with the maintenance of roads and bridges in the county, including snow and ice removal, road maintenance, ditches and signs. He said the bargaining unit also includes two mechanics who maintain the department’s equipment.
Gove said there were other minor changes to the contract, a deal that has been in place for a number of years.
Also on Thursday, commissioners:
— issued a proclamation marking March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in the county. Commissioners met with officials and clients of Richland Newhope and Richland Newhope Industries on behalf of the Richland County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The idea behind the designation is to raise awareness about inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all areas of community life, as well as awareness to barriers people with disabilities can still face in connecting to the communities in which they live.
— authorized advertising for two Child Support Enforcement Agency caseworkers at $14 per hour, or $29,120 annually. The caseworkers help to establish paternity, establish child support orders and enforce such orders. The jobs will be advertised March 1-19 and officials hope to have someone hired in by the end of April.
— set a public hearing date of March 23 at 10:30 a.m. to vacate a section of an unused portion of Ritter Road south of Bellville, near Interstate 71.
