Fox Chapel Council approves new public works contract, updates police hiring practices

Fox Chapel officials have approved a new three-year deal with their public works department.

The agreement, unanimously approved by council on Feb. 20, impacts nine full-time workers. It does not impact part-time seasonal help.

“I think it’s a fair deal,” said Betsy Monroe, councilwoman and chair of the borough’s negotiating committee. “I think it adds some benefits for our public service employees that make a lot of sense.”

She said the agreement better aligns the borough with public service workers in comparable and nearby municipalities.

The agreement includes a 3.5% wage increase each year. Employees and the borough will each contribute $21 per pay toward retirement. Employees will contribute 6% toward their monthly healthcare premium.

The employees also get a $500 annual clothing allowance to purchase steel-toed shoes and work clothes.

The contract is available for review at the borough office, 401 Fox Chapel Road.

The agreement does not impact department management including director Larry Kurpakus.

“I’m happy we settled all that so we can get back to just focusing on work,” Kurpakus said after council’s vote.

The last contract was also a three-year deal. The public works department is nonunion.

In other matters

Council approved updates to the Civil Service Commission’s rules and regulations regarding police officers.

Police Chief Michael Stevens said changes include widening the residency requirement from within 10 air miles of the borough to 20 air miles and switching the order of exams to physical fitness first then written testing.

The department has 11 full-time officers and no part-timers.

Stevens said he was inspired to update the rules because six officers will be eligible to retire within the next six years.

“It’s almost like the playbook,” Stevens said about the process. “It tells us exactly how to hire, and we just follow the rules. We have an older department. If you hire outside of your Civil Service rules, your hiring process can be challenged in court.”

Council tabled a request to rename a section of Woodland Farms Road to Woodland Farms Court for further analysis.

Stevens said the change is necessary to help with emergency responses along that road near a T intersection. He said it may be difficult to get to the right address quickly using the Allegheny County dispatch system.

The change would immediately impact six homes; 200, 210, 211, 220 and 230 Woodland Farms; and could result in renumbering of other nearby homes.

Several residents along that road argued the road name change would be a major inconvenience, and there have been no issues with emergency responses to their homes.