West Amwell police negotiator returns to duty

Township officers are continuing to work under the previous contract that expired Dec. 31.

By: Concetta Benuzzi Volpe
   WEST AMWELL — Contract negotiations between the township and its Police Department are under way after one month of operating without the traditional three-year agreement.
   The department continues to function under its previous contract, which expired Dec. 31.
   Neither side would release details about the ongoing discussions except to say they are hard at work, and the process should be completed by the end of February.
   The negotiation process may speed up now that the officers’ negotiator, Patrolman John Ennis, has returned to duty after knee surgery. An off-duty accident had kept Patrolman Ennis, a 12-year veteran of the force, off his feet since Nov 17. But sources involved in the negotiations say Mr. Ennis’ mishap played no real part in the lengthy mediation.
   According to Lt. Steven Bartzak, Officer Ennis reported back to work Jan. 25.
   "I received a physician’s note on Jan. 21 authorizing Mr. Ennis’ return to full duty without restrictions," Lt. Bartzak said.
   Recently, there was a one-time agreement between the township, Patrolman Anthony Goccia and Mr. Ennis. Officer Goccia offered to lend Officer Ennis a portion of his accumulated sick time so Mr. Ennis could continue to receive his salary while on extended leave. Mr. Ennis’ sick time was exhausted Dec. 2.
   Officer Ennis agreed to repay his fellow officer over the next few years, but a repayment schedule was not released to the public. Lt. Bartzak plans to draft a repayment schedule agreeable to both officers and does not expect the terms to exceed a period of two years.
   "I don’t anticipate repayment to occur this year simply because Officer Ennis began utilizing his own sick time on Jan. 1," the commander said. "He has already exhausted his annual three-week allotment."
   According to the lieutenant, the lengthy negotiation process does not depict unwillingness on either side to cooperate but rather defines the difficulty in creating effective meeting schedules for those all involved in the process.
   "It’s not any deviation from the norm for negotiations to run into the next calendar year considering it is a review process and must go through all the appropriate channels," Lt. Bartzak said.
   The process begins when the officers meet in September to elect a representative and review the previous contract. The primary focus becomes salary, longevity pay, insurance benefits, holiday pay and sick leave. Current contract terms are modified to reflect a cost of living increase, and other changes may be added.
   The unit representative presents the contract to the mayor who in turn reviews the agreement with the Township Committee, often returning the document with recommendations and a counter offer. Police mull the new proposal and sometimes submit an additional request.
   The process continues until both sides reach a satisfactory agreement and ratify the contract.