SOLON, Ohio -- On the heels of three-year contracts for police, firefighters and corrections officers, City Council on Monday approved a 2.25 percent pay raise in 2019 for non-union city employees.
Back on Nov. 5, council approved contracts with the police and fire unions good for 2.25 percent raises in the first two years and 2.5 percent in the third.
This was followed by a similar collective bargaining agreement for corrections officers on Nov. 19.
This led to the pay raise for remaining employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
City Finance Director Matt Rubino noted that while many cities provide overall medical coverage on a "15 percent or 20 percent" employee-share basis, another incentive offered by Solon remains a "90 percent city, 10 percent employee contribution" to health care.
In other recent business, City Council signed off Nov. 19 on a $125,000 settlement and release agreement with now-retired Firefighter Carmen Gangale.
Gangale filed a Workers' Compensation claim after suffering a traumatic brain injury during a pump training exercise in 2015, when he was hit in the head by a deck gun under extreme water pressure when it was launched from a truck.
Council also accepted a $75,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation through its Jobs and Commerce Economic Development Program to assist the city and Nestle USA in upgrading the Bainbridge Road crosswalk and traffic signal.
A $92,000 grant was also accepted from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council through its "NOPEC Energized Community" program.
Rubino said the grant awards are based on the number of utility accounts enrolled with NOPEC.
"Once accepted, the funds can be placed in escrow and held for application towards a qualifying city project," Rubino told council.
The cash grants are intended primarily for use in energy infrastructure or efficiency improvements, Rubino added.