Consolidation Of Dispatch Studied
Plainsboro has received a shared services grant from the State Department of Community Affairs to study the possibility and potential benefits of consolidating its dispatch services with three nearby towns.
The $66,000 grant is being used for a collective study of whether consolidating services with South Brunswick, Monroe, and Jamesburg will be beneficial to all of the towns involved, said Township Administrator Robert Sheehan. Plainsboro, which volunteered to serve as the applicant in the grant to the DCA, has hired a consultant to help with the study.
The township’s dispatchers receive the police, fire, and emergency calls and set out the appropriate responders.
“The study is progressing, but we’re not at the finish line yet,” said Sheehan. “We’re not certain what the outcome will be, but we’re hopeful that this may be an opportunity for regionalizing this service and hopefully saving all the communities some money.”
Sheehan said Middlesex County Freeholder Jim Polos helped get the group of towns together and put the grant work in motion.
Salary Ordinance
The Plainsboro Township Committee introduced an ordinance on January 13 setting the 2010 salaries for its police officers and white collar employees. A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 27.
Last March, the township ratified the agreements with the two unions representing the employees and subsequently approved an ordinance adjusting the salaries accordingly to reflect the collective bargaining agreement.
The new ordinance is a formal implementation of those salaries for 2010, officials reported during the Township Committee’s year-end meeting on December 29.
The agreements with Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 319, and the Communication Workers of America Local 1032 enabled the township to save money through reduced healthcare costs, officials said.
The PBA agreement covered between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010, and included changes to administrative operations regarding how compensatory and vacation time is taken. The PBA represents police personnel with the ranks of patrolman and corporal.
At the core of the agreement are economic issues including salary and healthcare adjustments. The salary increase for the three years in the contract for the members of the bargaining units is 4 percent for all three years. In exchange, the township receives some concessions that will reduce healthcare costs.
Formerly, employees had a deductible, and there was no distinction made between in-network providers and out-of-network providers. They were reimbursed 100 percent once they had met the deductible.
Under the new agreement, once employees reach the deductible, they are reimbursed 100 percent for in-network visits, but only 80 percent for those that are out-of-network. Under the former system, these employees also did not have co-pays on their prescription medications. Under the new agreement, prescriptions require a $20 co-pay, while office visits require a $10 co-pay. There is also a $25 co-pay for emergency room visits. Deductibles have also increased from $100 to $300 for single coverage and from $200 to $600 for family coverage under the new agreement.
With regard to salary, Plainsboro also added a step to the salary guide that will save money as it relates to new hires. Salaries were frozen in 2009 and will continue to be in 2010 for new officers. In 2009, the starting salary for a police officer was $49,638, and anyone hired during that time as a new employee will keep that salary through 2010.
The township has also saved money as it relates to the agreement it drafted with the Communication Workers of America, which covers the years 2006 through 2010. In this agreement, there is no step guide, as the union covers a variety of white collar employees, from bookkeepers to EMTs. Instead, there are maximum and minimum salaries established for each position.
Under the agreement, the increase in the salary for 2006 and 2007 was 3.5 percent, and the increase for 2008 was 3.25 percent. For 2009 and 2010, the increase is at 4 percent. In return for the larger salary increase in 2009 and 2010, the union agreed to give up access to the traditional healthcare plan for its members, which is the more expensive of the two plans.
H1N1 Clinic
Plainsboro, in conjunction with the Middlesex County Public Health Department, will be holding a free H1N1 vaccine clinic for all Plainsboro and county residents on Thursday, January 28, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the municipal center on Plainsboro Road.
Vaccination for adults and children will be available at this clinic. Residents planning to receive the vaccines should go to the Middlesex County website — www.co.middlesex.nj.us/publichealth/h1n1-combination-consent-form%2010%2023%2009.pdf — to download the registration form. A completed form is required for each person.
Business Meeting
The Plainsboro Business Partnership will be holding its next meeting at the Caddyshack on Tuesday, January 26, at 8 a.m.
A speaker/dietitian from Princeton HealthCare System will speak about healthy choices for a busy lifestyle during the event.
Beginning on Tuesday, February 23, the business group will be holding its meetings at the new Plainsboro Public Library. Mayor Peter Cantu will give a general update on the community, including activities planned for 2010.
