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Town to place deputy police and fire chiefs on individual contracts, Select Board approves
Summary
The Select Board authorized removing the deputy police chief and deputy fire chief positions from the personnel‑bylaw compensation table so the town can negotiate individual employment contracts; administration said this aligns pay for complex roles with similar communities after recent union contract changes affected lieutenant pay.
The Harwich Select Board approved a recommendation by administration to remove the deputy police chief and deputy fire chief positions from the personnel‑bylaw compensation schedule and place them on individual employment contracts.
Town Administrator Jay explained that recently ratified collective bargaining agreements raised top‑step lieutenant pay levels close to the compensation grades currently assigned to the deputy chief positions; to avoid altering the broader personnel‑bylaw pay table for other employees, administration recommended negotiating individual contracts for the two deputy chiefs. Jay said such contracts are common in similar communities given the complexity and responsibilities of the roles.
Board members said the chiefs support the approach. After brief discussion, a motion to remove the two positions from the table and authorize the town administrator to negotiate and execute individual contracts passed on a voice vote. Jay was authorized to return with finalized agreements and to recommend any needed bylaw amendments at a later date.
The board did not authorize specific salary levels in public session; the motion grants authority to administration to negotiate terms consistent with town policy and comparable communities.
