City’s Police Officers Get a 2.5% Pay Raise

The city’s 37 police officers received a 2.5% pay raise this week, which means about $100 more a month in their paychecks.

The City Council approved the salary raise, retroactive to September 1997, along with increases in certain benefits.

The changes in the one-year contract will cost the city an estimated $67,300.

In other action, the council gave local developer Warren Parchan approval to build 16 apartments for senior citizens on a half-acre site on Golden Avenue, west of Rose Drive.

For the first time, the city used a “density bonus” code provision that allows the developer to increase density--from 13 to 16 units--if at least half of the apartments are for senior citizens.

Construction will start in March, with completion in about four months.