Meeting in special session Wednesday night, the Gillespie City Council voted unanimously to sign a contract with the Fraternal Order of Police which, for the first time, includes dispatchers as part of the FOP’s bargaining unit and authorizes city employees to participate in the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund for retirement purposes. The IMRF provision is expected to make the city more competitive in recruiting and retaining police officers.
The action followed a 20-minute executive session during which council members discussed details of the contract. The council had deferred action on the contract from its regular monthly meeting last week to give aldermen time to review the contract.
The new contract is retroactive to Jan. 1 and will expire May 31, 2025. The truncated term of the contract is to make contracts congruent for both police officers and dispatchers. Dispatchers reportedly voted among themselves last spring to switch from the Laborers Union to the FOP for collective bargaining. The new contract marks the first time both police officers and dispatchers are covered by the same contract and same bargaining unit.
Apart from the IMRF provision and the inclusion of dispatchers, the contract differs only slightly from previous contracts. It calls for relatively modest salary increases for patrol persons and dispatchers over the life of the contract with those raises scheduled to take effect on June 1 of each year. Starting salary for new officers is set at $22 per hour this year, and will increase to $22.50 in the second year and $23 in the third year. Wages for officers with one year of service will increase from $22.25 per hour currently to $23.25 at the end of the contract. Those with two years of service will earn $22.50 per hour, set to increase to $23.50 by the start of the third year. Other increases for longevity are comparable over the life of the contract.
Starting wages for dispatchers are set at $16 per hour, with longevity steps ranging to $20.50 per hour for dispatchers with 21 years of service under their belt. Starting wages for dispatchers jumps to $18 per hour in the second year of the contract.
As a result of the IMRF provision, the city will no longer contribute to 401K investment plans for its police officers, which will help defray the contributions the city must make to IMRF to cover retirement plans. A referendum last year to impose a property tax for IMRF funding failed to pass, meaning the city will have to use existing revenue to cover its 12.5 percent contribution to IMRF. Those annual costs are expected to be in the neighborhood of $150,000 annually.
State law prohibits the city from offering IMRF benefits to only a select classification of employee. In a separate action, the council approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Laborers Local 338, the union representing Street Department employees and other city employees, to extend IMRF benefits to all city workers.
In a related matter, on a motion by Ald. Landon Pettit, the council voted to allow city employees to transfer their 401K investment to IMRF without seeking approval from the city.
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“This way, they can just come up to city hall and not have to go through the Mayor or city council,” Pettit said.
During their Employee Appreciation Week celebration in October, the employees at Madison were challenged to donate non-perishable items for the local food pantries as part of a team bonding exercise.
The Madison employees collected a total of 10 milk crates and multiple boxes of food. The items were then divided evenly between the Mt. Olive Care Center, the Bunker Hill Food Pantry, and the Staunton Helping Hands Center. These donations are just a small part of Madison’s commitment to care for the communities that they serve.
Along with donating to the local food pantries, Madison is also sponsoring the Community Hope Center’s Christmas Toy Drive once again. Please help spread the love to a child for Christmas by donating a new and unwrapped toy for girls and boys ages 0-12.
Toys will be accepted anytime until December 6th in their main office lobby located at 21668 Double Arch Road in Staunton.
To learn more about Madison’s services call 800-422-4848 or visit gomadison.com.
The fifth grade at Ben-Gil Elementary recently had a pumpkin decorating contest as a fundraiser to help support Project Kid Kare. The fifth grade students decorated a pumpkin as an activity with their parents during a Parent Involvement Day.
Each of the classes’ pumpkins were displayed on tables. All the students in the school could vote for their favorite table of pumpkins using spare change. The table that received the most money votes, won the contest.
Students were able to vote multiple times for their favorite table using change or $1 bills. The fifth grade students raised a total of $334.37 and donated the proceeds to Project Kid Care. This act of kindness will bring smiles to many faces of the students in school. Project Kid Kare helps students in the CUSD #7 who are unable to purchase school supplies each year.
In a stunning display of athletic prowess and determination, Chaz Oberkfell, a junior at Gillespie High School, crossed the finish line first at the 2024 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 1A State Cross Country Championships, securing his victory with an impressive time and personal best of 14:31.9.
Rounding out the top five was senior Nicolai Martino of Winnebago (14:33.9), senior Gabriel McLain of Benton (14:33.9), sophomore Maxwell Kirby of Peoria Notre Dame (14:47.7), and senior Andrew Kurien of Rockford Christian (14:54.8).
The championship race, held at the scenic Detweiller Park, drew competitors from across the state, all vying for the coveted title. Oberkfell showcased his exceptional talent and training and was in second place before securing the first place spot toward the end of the race.
Oberkfell’s victory is a testament to his relentless dedication and the support of his coaches and teammates. Throughout the season, he has consistently demonstrated remarkable speed and endurance, often finishing races well ahead of his competitors.
The Gillespie community turned out in full force to support the team with many friends, family members, and fellow students cheering the team on Friday morning when the team bus was escorted through town and again on the sidelines Saturday morning. The triumph victory not only highlights Oberkfell’s personal achievements but also brings recognition to Gillespie High School’s cross country program. The team has shown tremendous growth over the past few years, and this victory is a significant milestone.
Also representing Gillespie in the state championship race were Carter Sies (16:59.4), Marshall Garwood (17:03.3), Hank Fletcher (17:15.4), Nolan Hostettler (17:23.9), Matthew Plovich (17:37.4), and Lucca Kapp (17:40.1).