Council schedules first readings for ordinances aligning police and fire chief clothing allowances with union CBA

Brook Park council moved to schedule ordinances that would update city code to give the police chief and captain and, separately, the fire chief and assistant chief clothing allowances that track the police department collective bargaining agreement rather than fixed dollar amounts currently in older code.

Mayor Orcutt told the Safety Committee the current city ordinance dates back to 1991 and contains fixed clothing‑allowance figures that do not align with the current collective‑bargaining agreement (CBA). The proposed change would read that the police chief and police captain “will enjoy the same benefits for clothing allowance as found in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the Brook Park Police Department union, OPBA, or any subsequent labor organization that represents those positions.” The mayor said the change is intended to keep leadership benefits current as negotiated for union ranks and to make promotional ranks competitive.

Council discussion noted packet pages with the CBA article 17 (clothing allowance) so members could review the current stipend amounts. The council voted to place the ordinance on the next council agenda for first reading; the clerk called the roll and recorded affirmative votes. Council also directed placement of a parallel ordinance (section 143.07) restoring a provision for the fire chief and assistant fire chief that had been repealed years earlier; councilmembers described both actions as updates to bring city code in line with current practice and the CBA.