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Rogers City negotiating to hire new police chief

ROGERS CITY — Rogers City has offered Rogers City Police Department Sgt. Jamie Meyer the job of chief of police.

The Rogers City City Council on Tuesday established a new salary for the chief of police position, which will allow City Manager Joe Hefele to extend a newly negotiated offer to Meyer, who Hefele said did not accept the city’s first offer.

Council agreed to offer Meyer a salary of $64,265, about 2% less than what the city’s current chief, Matt Quaine, makes. Pending Meyer receives good performance review, his salary would then increase incrementally over the next 19 months.

Hefele on Tuesday told council members he had made an offer to Meyer, a veteran officer with the city’s police department. Hefele said Meyer then made a counter-offer, because he would ultimately take “a sizeable hit to his pension” under the initially offered salary.

Hefele said the difference between the offers “shakes out to $2.19 an hour.”

Hefele said that, although Meyer would receive a promotion, less money would go toward his retirement because the numbers used to determine pensions for department heads is less than those for unionized police officers.

Councilmen Larry Furhman and Gary Nowak had initial concerns about the proposed salary increase, although they ultimately supported it.

“I want to go on record saying that he is the right decision for the job … The pay is what I’m struggling with,” Furhman said.

Quaine said Meyer is qualified for the position

“He’s been sergeant for about 10 years,” he said. “(I’ve) delegated a lot of things to him, and he knows so much about the operations — a lot more than when I started.”

Quaine will retire at the end of the year. But, with vacation time and leave time factored in, he projects his last working day to be Nov. 27.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.

In other business

The Rogers City City Council on Tuesday also:

∫ scheduled a public hearing for the city’s Community Recreation plan for 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at City Hall. The Parks Commission has been working with staff to create the plan for over a year.

∫ Heard from Huron Pines Watershed Planner Samantha Nellis reviewed the city’s plans for stormwater drainage. The city has worked with Huron Pines to address concerns about pollutants from the city’s eight storm drains emptying into Lake Huron.

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