In the negotiation of two separate contract extensions with the officers of the Upper Perk Police Department and its chief, Pennsburg officials have secured a stretch of cost certainty. The agreements also preserve police protection in the borough for the next 10 years.

            "I was worried the police department would have to start laying officers off again," said F. Robert Seville, a member of council. "I didn't want to see that happen."

            For Chief Joe Adam, his extension provides much-needed job security. According to Sgt. Matt Boaman, chief of the Upper Perk Police Officers Association's bargaining unit, not having to discuss the contract with borough officials for a while sounded like a good idea.

            Last week, without discussion or debate, council voted unanimously to approve an eight-year contract extension for the officers and a seven-year extension for Adam. Both are set to expire at the end of 2030.

            Seville, a former police officer in the borough who also chairs the municipality's police committee, called it a "big win" for the community and its residents because it guarantees a department with at least four full-time officers for the duration of the upcoming decade, which begins Jan. 1.

            "It's a great idea," said Seville, the borough's lead negotiator.

            In November of 2018, following 18 months of discussions, council ratified a new five-year contract agreement with the union that expired at the end of 2022. The following year, following his elevation from interim chief, Adam received a five-year agreement that was set to expire in 2023.

            According to information provided by council President Diane Stevens, the new officers' agreement reduces the retirement age to 50, adds salary percentage increases and holiday pay hikes for years 2023 through 2030. It states that an additional step in the salary scale for Class D officers has been added beginning in 2021.

            The longevity section of the agreement will raise the lump sum payment percentage to 8.5 percent of base salary at 20 years of service and reimbursement for years 2025, 2026 and 2027. Officers' contributions to their pensions, as well as an addition to a Cost of Living Adjustment increase of 3.45 percent, are set to increase in 2023 and continue through the life of the contract.

            Adam's contract extension includes similar salary percentage increases, holiday salary pay, the resumption of longevity pay, pension requirements and the reduction of the retirement age. According to the chief, the increased job security for him and his family outweighed the need to bargain for higher benefits.

            According to Boaman, the officers' contract includes enough positive items to outweigh any potential risks down the road. He said they agreed to accept a level of wage increases slightly below what arbitrators are currently awarding. He said inflation could work against them in the future.

            According to Seville, the contract extensions will allow the borough cost certainty and assist in budgeting over the next 10 years. He said the municipality will also save on legal fees by not having negotiations.

            Former Mayor Vicki Lightcap approached Adam and Boaman in July with the idea for the expansion. Boaman came to the table with an open mind.  "With the way things have been going, based on the split (between Pennsburg and East Greenville related to the dissolution of the Upper Perk Police District) and the ongoing pandemic, it made sense to listen," he said.

            According to Boaman, communicating his vision of why the officers needed to commit to a long-term extension required some discussion. He said that once the terms were crafted, it passed unanimously.