The city of Jamestown has evidently reached another employee bargaining unit contract agreement.

The Jamestown City Council is slated to vote today on a contract agreement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 418, a unit that represents parks and public works employees.

According to a resolution, the contract runs from Jan. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2025, and union membership has already ratified the agreement. No additional information was included in the resolution.

In October 2019, the council approved a retroactive agreement with AFSCME for the years covering 2019-21. The agreement included a 2% salary increase for the years 2020 and 2021.

If the council approves the agreement, it will be the second consecutive month they’ve approved a new contract with a bargaining unit. Last month, the council reached a three-year contract agreement with the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) Local 1000. According to the resolution, the new agreement will start Jan. 1, 2022, and expire Dec. 31, 2024.

In September, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said the salaries for each of the employees in the union will increase 2.5% each year of the contract. Also, he said CSEA employees would start to fund 21% of their health insurance premiums. The previous rate was 18%. The union membership includes clerical staff and engineers.

The city’s other employee bargaining units include two units of the Jamestown City Administrative Association (JCAA), the Kendall Club Police Benevolent Association and the Jamestown Firefighter Association Local 137. The JCAA’s current contract will expire at the end of the year and both the police and fire department unions are currently not under contract.

In other business:

¯ The council is slated to vote on an agreement with the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation to accept a grant for $6,195 for video surveillance cameras for Dow Park. The purchase of video surveillance cameras comes following two crimes occurring at the park earlier this year.

In July, anti-Semitic and racist drawings that included a Swastika and the words “White Power” were placed on one of the statues that is a part of a tableau recognizing the Underground Railroad movement and its ties to the city. One of three tableau statues had previously been stolen in May.

Anyone with any information regarding the vandalism or theft is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department at 483-7537 or the anonymous tips line at 483-8477.

¯ The council is slated to vote on accepting the Chadakoin River Strategic Business Plan. Before the council vote, there will be a public hearing at 7 p.m. on the plan.

Earlier this month, officials from several different entities led a tour of the Chadakoin River Basin behind the National Comedy Center along the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk to detail how the plan will attract more people, money and economic development to downtown Jamestown.

¯ Prior to the council voting session, the group will continue to deliberate over the proposed 2022 budget. The council will hear budget presentations from department heads in the city clerk/treasurer, assessor, comptroller, information services, corporation counsel and department of development departments. A representative from the Fenton History Center will also discuss the city’s proposed allocation to the nonprofit organization.