IRON MOUNTAIN — Collective bargaining agreements have been reached with unions representing Iron Mountain’s police officers and firefighters, including language allowing for greater flexibility in seeking alternative equivalent health insurance plans for active and retired employees.

The city council approved the contracts Monday after discussions in a closed session. Earlier, the council had agreed to advertise for hiring at least one additional full-time firefighter.

Along with the insurance language, City Manager Jordan Stanchina said the three-year contract for full-time firefighters provides a wage increase of 5% for the fiscal year that began July 1, followed by a 4% increase in fiscal year 2025 and 3.5% for 2026. There is also a switch in the work schedule from 24 hours on and 48 hours off to 48 hours on and 96 hours off.

Currently, there are seven full-timers. The city has applied for a Staffing For Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. If approved, it would fund three additional firefighters at 100% of the cost for three years, with the three new positions to replace part-timers.

Regardless if the application succeeds, the city plans to boost fire staffing to curb the amount of overtime needed for adequate coverage. Under the new contract, the cost of hiring a new full-time firefighter with benefits will increase the budget by only $2,000, as compared to paying more overtime, Stanchina said.

Council member David Farragh and Mayor Dale Alessandrini said that adding staff makes sense to avoid burnout of the full-timers. In July, the firefighter with the highest amount of overtime logged 180 hours of extra time.

The city has struggled to hire enough part-timers to keep the amount of extra hours from climbing. A decision from FEMA on the city’s grant application is expected by the end of the month, Stanchina said.

Under the new contract, firefighters hired after July 1, 2012, can earn longevity payments ranging from $200 after five years to $1,000 after 20 years.

Stanchina said the new three-year contract for the city’s 10 patrol officers provides wage increases of 6.5% in the first year and 3.5% in the second and third years. There is also one additional holiday — Christmas Eve. The three police lieutenants will get similar wage increases, the Christmas Eve holiday and an adjustment in the annual lieutenant’s pay, rising to $2,650, up from $1,400.

A contract that was approved in June for public works and office staff also provided wage increases of 6.5% in the first year and 3.5% in the second and third years. Wage increases in the previous three years had been 2.5% in 2021, 2.75% in 2022 and 2.75% in 2023, Stanchina noted. The Consumer Price Index, by comparison, rose 4.7% in 2021, 8% in 2022 and 4.1% in 2023.

In other action Monday, the council:

— Denied a request from Joseph and Betty LaFave to vacate an undeveloped right-of-way for Michigan Avenue between East B Street and the alley to the south. In their application, the LaFaves said the area is so steep that an actual street would not be feasible. The city had no objection to the request, but some neighboring property owners told the council during a public hearing that they’d prefer keeping the right-of-way for the 0.18-acre parcel in place. Council member Ken Clawson voted against the denial.

— Approved an Iron Mountain Police Department law enforcement mutual aid agreement with the Florence County Sheriff’s Department in Wisconsin. Compensation for duties performed under the agreement is the responsibility of each respective agency. The arrangement is nothing new, but this will formalize it, Stanchina said.

— Learned that Katherine Mentel has been hired as events coordinator for the Downtown Development Authority.

— Approved a request from Anthony and Allison Lorenzoni to allow a well and septic installation at 1032 Wickman Drive. The house is in an area that has no practical way of providing water or sewer service at this time. A city ordinance does not allow private wells unless the council grants permission.

— Heard Iron Mountain Tree Board member Virginia Feleppa say that Fred Chesire, who died Aug. 16, was “a vital member of our community” who contributed his landscaping talents to many projects across the city as well as serving on the tree board. Feleppa, in another matter, thanked the council for a recent statement in support of the local group Christians for Racial Understanding, of which she is also a member.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.