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Council ratifies three-year police contract after executive session; officers and dispatchers praise settlement
Summary
After executive session, the council voted unanimously to ratify a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Wasilla Police Department Employees Association covering July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028; public commenters including officers and dispatch supervisors voiced support while also urging continued recruitment work.
The Wasilla City Council unanimously ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Wasilla Police Department Employees Association that covers July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028. The item was discussed in executive session and returned to the council for a public roll-call vote; the clerk recorded a unanimous yes.
Public commenters and department representatives praised the agreement. Ryan Hellman, president of the Wasilla Police Department Employees Association, thanked the council for the unanimous vote and said the result was the first time in his tenure the association had a unanimous yes among members on contract ratification. Hellman urged continued efforts on retention and recruitment, noting the department still lags Anchorage and Alaska State Troopers on pay and that smaller departments have fewer specialty opportunities.
Several other residents and employees commented during the public hearing and audience comment periods. Kim Johnson, a Wasilla resident, said she supports higher pay for police but opposed a contract provision (Section 21) that adds two floating holidays, warning that the precedent could expand costs across city departments. Michelle LaCour, a MatCom dispatch supervisor, spoke in strong support of the contract and explained MatCom’s heavy workload and recruitment challenges; she said better pay, time off and other contract improvements help recruitment and retention.
Council members who spoke in public session thanked officers and dispatchers for their work and noted the agreement aims to improve retention and recruitment in a competitive market. The council’s final roll-call vote in open session recorded unanimous support for the ratification.
Copies of the ratified agreement will be retained in the city clerk’s office; the contract’s implementation and any operational changes will be coordinated by the police chief and human resources.
