New Police Contract Approved

In a unanimous decision, the North Kingstown Town Council accepted a three-year contract for the town's police department that will cost the town approximately $560,000 over the next three years.

The contract will go into effect this summer and expire in June 2016 for Local 473, the North Kingstown Police Department's union. The first year will cost the town approximately $198,103 with $260,957 (due to the anticipated 30 percent increase in state retirement costs) in the following year and $106,892 in the final year – totaling $565,952 over the span of three years.

Administrative personnel will work four 8.5-hour days and one 8-hour day for a 42-hour work week.

Local 473 will also see wage increases for the next three years. Administrative personnel will receive a 1.25 percent increase in 2013, a 2.25 percent increase in 2014 and 2.5 percent in 2015. For uniformed personnel, the increases are 2.25 percent, 2.25 percent and 2.5 percent for this same years, respectively.

They will also see increases medical office co-payments. Payout for sick and vacation time has been reduced from 1,280 to 1,100 hours. Though this item will not yield any immediate savings, the town could reap the benefits down the road.