MANSFIELD — Mansfield City Council on Tuesday has scheduled an executive session Tuesday to discuss a “memorandum of understanding” regarding its contract with the city’s police unions.
No details were made public regarding the memorandum or the terms of the contract, which would run Aug. 1, 2022, though July 31, 2025, with the Blue and Gold units of the Fraternal Order of Police William Taylor Lodge 32.
The Blue unit represents police officers while the Gold unit represents command officers — captains, lieutenants and sergeants.
The current contracts were approved in November 2019, retroactive to Aug. 1 of that year, and run through July 31.
According to legislation, Tuesday’s caucus is slated to “settle the issue of wages, rates of pay, salaries, and other forms of compensation via the Memorandum.”
Ohio’s public meetings law allows for such closed-door sessions to discuss contract negotiations, though any votes on contracts must be made in public.
The memorandum and union contracts are not the only law enforcement-related legislation on council’s agenda Tuesday.
During caucus, council is also going to discuss legislation that would create the position of risk management/procurement officer, increase salary ranges for the positions of chief and assistant chief, and change the pay grades for patrol officers.
The annual salary range for the new position in the public service-safety department, according to the legislation, will be $40,000 to $62,000.
The top end of the police chief’s salary range will be increased to $105,000, a $2,000 push. Last month, as a package of other changes, City Council increased the top police chief pay from $100,500 to $103,000. The assistant chief’s position new top pay will be $99,000, an increase of $3,000.
Also on Tuesday, City Council is scheduled to:
— vote on the recommended appointments of Jon Van Harlingen and Sam Dunn to the city’s board of utility appeals for two-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2023.
— vote on changing a city ordinance regarding snow removal. The change would prohibit anyone plowing or moving snow from a driveway or parking lot onto “any street, highway or other public place subject to public travel.”
— vote on a request from the administration to spend $232,772.07 on three 2022 Ford Explorer Interceptor vehicles for the police department — units now available on the dealer lot. The city’s Board of Control approved the purchase on Feb. 15, using American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The city set aside $5 million in “lost revenue” from its initial $10.4 million in ARPA funds received in 2021. If approved by council, the city will have spent $1.12 million of those funds, including $375,836.15 on five 2022 Dodge Chargers for the police department in December.
— discuss during caucus the acceptance of a $31,772.09 from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services under Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant. Funds will help “defray the costs of forensic science overtime and equipment,” largely focused on opioid casework.
— discuss during caucus acceptance of a $250,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice under the Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program. Funds will be used to “defray the costs of DNA personnel, contractual services and supplies.”
— discuss during caucus the acceptance of a $100,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to be used for the “Mansfield Newhope Inclusive Playground” at Sterkel Park.
The “community park for all” is a $5 million project planned to create an inclusive facility at Sterkel Park, south of the Sterkel Baseball Complex and southeast of Richland Newhope’s Raintree residential facility.
The “community park for all,” an idea introduced at City Council in August 2021, would offer playground equipment and more for children and adults of all ages and abilities.
A fundraising effort for the project is underway, according to Chris Harris of CHarris Consulting, who asked Richland County commissioners on Feb. 15 to consider contributing $500,000 toward the effort.
— discuss during a finance committee and in caucus the city’s finalized budget for 2022. Council, which approved a temporary budget on Dec. 7, must vote on a final budget by the end of March.
— discuss during caucus possible uses of the city’s estimated $850,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds and estimated in $275,000 in federal HOME dollars.
