GUILDERLAND — The town approved a new, three-year contract with its paramedics at last Tuesday’s board meeting. Both sides are happy with the agreement.

Under the new contract, paramedics will get a 4-percent salary increase in 2006 and 3-percent increases in 2007 and 2008.

Next year’s salaries range from $33,800 to $40,000 for 12 full-time paramedics and for nine part-time workers, who will be paid hourly and required to work a minimum of 48 hours a month.
"It’s pretty straightforward," said Supervisor Kenneth Runion. "There were no sticking points."
"It’s a very fair agreement," said Paul Engel, of Teamsters Local 294, the paramedics’ union. He, too, said there were no sticking points, although wages are always a subject of negotiation.
Other changes were of language in the contract, Runion said, "to make it clearer how things are operating now."
"It was basically just a cleanup of some of the language," said Engel.

Other business

In other business, last Tuesday, the town board:

— Authorized a transfer of $150,000 from the town’s water reserve account to its water phase IV account;

— Awarded bids for the sale of surplus items retained by the police department;

— Awarded a bid for a truck jet-mounted sewer cleaner;

— Released funds from an escrow account for the Frenches Mill Estates subdivision; and

— Set a public hearing for March 24, at 7:30 p.m., to discuss the town’s annual Section 8 housing plan, which helps those in households with limited incomes.