https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/michiga...bb5ec7decd.html

QUOTE
The City Council is considering a series of raises, including an $18,000 boost for the vacant position of arborist.

This episode of the "Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops" series takes viewers behind the armored vehicles and shields to see what it's like to be a part of the Lake County Sheriff's SWAT team.

The council approved a resolution agreeing to fund a new contract with American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 228. The Board of Works had already signed off on it.

The contract adds $38,972.61 in additional spending for the city, including:

• Boosting the on-call pay for street department workers to 60 cents an hour, from 45 cents.

• Adding a 50-cent hourly stipend for use of personal cell phone from March 15 to Oct. 31.

• Increasing on-call pay for animal control officers to $120 a week, from $50.

• Changing the clerical vacation bonus to 3.5 percent.

• Increasing the hourly wage for street department operations to $23, from $22.21.

• Providing the three animal control workers with an $850 per person clothing allowance, the same as for street department employees.