(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council on Wednesday will discuss a resolution adjusting overtime pay for Sergeants and Assistant Police Chief for the period February 16, 2023 through March 17, 2023.
Atlantic City Administrator John Lund said the Police Department has undergone an extended period of staffing difficulties. They have had to cancel vacations, cut short scheduled vacations and add 12-hour shifts on scheduled days off after working three 12-hour shifts in a row in order to maintain the minimum level of coverage of two officers on the streets, per shift. The Mayor, Police Chief and City Administrator have moved to address the issue and bolster morale and prevent further erosion of staffing levels by the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the union. The MOU allows for a period of double pay to replace the traditional time and a half overtime in the form of compensatory time off for the period of February 16, 2023 through March 17, 2023 for officers working the day shift of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This MOU addresses the day shift union officers, but does not address the Sergeants and Assistant Police Chief that work outside of the collective bargaining agreement. This resolution will see to it the non-union supervisors are offered the same benefits.
The City Council will also hear a presentation from Brian Ruge, Owner/Manager of Brown’s Shoe Fit, regarding downtown parking. Ruge said the biggest issue and concern for business owners appears to be parking, specifically the snow route. When the city attempts to clear the downtown street, they are not able to do this successfully with vehicles parked for lengthy periods of time. Ruge would like to discuss the current parking ordinance and generate ideas on how they can work together to fix or eliminate the issues at hand.
The City Council will also recognize Wastewater Operator Travis Hanson for achieving his Grade III certification.
The meeting will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. A budget work session will follow the regular meeting at 4:00 p.m.
