JAMESTOWN — An agreement may be near in the dispute over health insurance premium increases for Jamestown police officers and firefighters.

City Council members will vote Monday on a new contract with the Kendall Club Police Benevolent Association. City and union approval of the new contract will bring to an end a state Supreme Court case filed in December challenging the validity of the city’s decision to increase health insurance premiums 22% on city employees as part of this year’s city budget.

The agreement comes with pay raises of 2% for police officers in 2025, 3% in 2026 and 4% in 2027 and 2028; creates a new sick time bonus for officers who dont use any sick time in each quarter of the year and increases health insurance premiums 1% in 2026 and 1% in 2028. There are no retroactive payments due. The city adn union agree teh new health nsurance premium equivalent will increase to 18% effective Jan. 1, 2025 and to establish a Labor Management Committee to review review premium rate related issues on a quarterly basis. The discussions will not be considered negotiations.

The Kendall Club will withdraw its abor practice charge and arbitration under PERB Case Number A2024-283, will not grieve or charge the city for sending out a health insurance form last December and discontinue a case filed in December in state Supreme COurt in Mayville.

Health care premiums were increased 22% in the 2025 city budget proposed by Mayor Kim Ecklund and approved by the City Council in December after employee health benefit contributions were not increased based on recommended provider premium increases for the past three years — meaning taxpayers paid more of increasing health care costs than employees did from 2022 through 2024.

The Kendall Club Police Benevolent Association filed a lawsuit challenging an increase in the police officers’ health care premiums on Dec. 20 in state Supreme Court in Mayville. Police officers and firefighters currently pay 23% of their health and dental insurance premiums. The higher premiums were supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, but the union was granted an injunction to stop the increase because the grievance process couldn’t be completed before the start of the year. Judge Steven Cass granted an injunction in early January to stop collection of the increased health insurance premiums while the dispute was sent to arbitration.

Cass’ Jan. 13 decision gave the sides 120 days to resolve the dispute. This month, however, both Elliott Raimondo, city corporation counsel, and Charles DeAngelo, the attorney representing the Kendall Club, have asked the court for more time. Two letters have been filed with the court, the first on April 9 and a second on April 17. The April 9 letter asked for an extension of Cass’ 120 day deadline to complete arbitration. DeAngelo said in the April 9 letter that the sides were making progress through mediation, with a session scheduled for April 15. On April 17, DeAngelo filed another letter with Raimondo’s consent, asking for another 60 days to complete the mediation process.

“The parties have reached a tentative agreement on the action before you,” DeAngelo wrote. “It is subject to ratification by the members of the police union as well as the City Council. In addition, the firefighters’ portion of the case will remain open while we try to negotiate a settlement for that group also. This letter respectfully requests a general adjournment of the case before you so that the parties may work through this successfully.”

Cass ruled in January that arguments from both the unions and the city were inconclusive if health insurance coverage would remain the same if members did not file an enrollment form by Dec. 27, 2024, or did not pay the increased premiums listed on the form. Prior state Supreme Court cases found courts should grant preliminary injunction if there is uncertainty whether or not an employee’s health care coverage would be affected. Cass granted a preliminary injunction of no more than 120 days, during which the city can’t require employees from completing the benefit plan enrollment form or from increasing 2024 health insurance premiums.

Elliott Raimondo, city corporation counsel, said the increase in health care costs isn’t an increase in the percentage of payments the union members pay, but an increase in the cost of the plan. The cost the city is quoting to employees for coverage is $24,919.80 for a traditional family plan and $10,536.12 for a traditional individual plan. The cost for a hybrid plan is $23,763.24 for a family and $10,059.36 for an individual. DeAngelo said the city should have engaged with the unions earlier in 2024 about the pending increase in health care premiums so the unions could have pushed for mediation without a court order.