Police, city agree on contract

Mike Swanson

Negotiations between Laguna Beach and its police department

officially ended Tuesday when the City Council ratified an amendment

giving department employees new five-year contracts.

Police will receive 3% annually to account for cost of living

increases, and the contract includes the 3% at 50 retirement plan

aggressively sought by the Laguna Beach Police Employee’s Assn. in

negotiations. The retirement plan goes into effect on the last day of

the five-year contract, which is retroactive to July 1, 2003, when

the department’s previous contract expired.

“We’re very happy that members of the public came forward and

spoke on officers’ behalf before the City Council,” Sgt. Jason

Kravetz said. “It’s obvious to members of the association that we

have the public’s 100% support.”

The association and the city reached an agreement the week after

residents spoke in support of the department at an Aug. 5 City

Council meeting and an Aug. 8 news article voicing officers’

concerns, Kravetz said.

“Negotiations are always a tense thing for both sides,” Kravetz

said. “We still didn’t get what the fire department got, but we’re

happy. We have long-term contracts now, which is so important in an

unstable economy.

The fire department’s 3% at 50 retirement package starts in 2006,

two years earlier than the police’s package.