Chicopee DPW Admin retires with over a year of unused sick days

The article below is based off of a transcript and an LLM generated summary of the Dec. 17 meeting of the Chicopee City Council. Please email 6.g.9.d.6.g.9.d@gmail.com if you believe any information presented is not accurate.

Transcript available here:https://skynet-times.blogspot.com/2024/12/transcript-chicopee-city-council.html

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Chicopee DPW Admin Barry Brouillard to retire in January 

By Jonathan Gerhardson on December 18, 2024.

Amidst discussions of contentious truck stops and PCB contaminated parks at the Dec. 17 city council meeting, a retirement was announced.

A separate appropriation was needed for the city to pay out Environmental Program Coordinator Barry Brouillard's nearly 3,000 hours of accrued sick time and vacation days. The buyback amounted to slightly more than $50,000.

The decision was made in accordance with Brouillard’s contract and agreement. As a DPW employee, Brouillard is represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1459. Per the union's contract, the city agrees to buy back unused sick time at 40% of the employee's hourly rate. Sick time buybacks are capped at $15,000 only for employees hired after the year 1999.

While no one on the council contested what the city owed Brouillard, Councilor Wagner raised concerns about taking funds from salary line items to cover such expenses. Mayor John Vieau responded by emphasizing that there are currently many open positions posted for interested applicants. The city is exploring innovative ways to enhance job opportunities and modernize HR practices through technology upgrades and partnerships with Indeed and other sources.

The mayor also highlighted the importance of pay parity across all positions within the city, stating that it’s a goal they’ve set since he took office. He assured the council that efforts are being made to ensure fair compensation for employees while addressing challenges such as licensing shortages in certain fields.

Vieau and several councilors expressed gratitude towards Brouillard for his years of service and wished him well in retirement.

Brouillard could not immediately be reached for comment.