City approves fire contract

Winter Park’s fight over fire department contracts appears to be over, for now, after the City Commission voted 4-1 to pass the current contract.

But according to City Manager Randy Knight, the Commission had no choice but to either accept or reject the contract, after more negotiations were attempted at the Feb. 28 Commission meeting.

“We have agreement with management and employees now,” Knight said. “The Commission can either reject this contract or accept it.”

Commissioner Carolyn Cooper, who was the sole dissenter, said she agreed with the deal, but not its length.

“There’s nothing about it that I find objectionable,” Cooper said. “It’s just the commitment to the third year.”

Commissioner Phil Anderson said the contract, which allowed for a 2 percent cost of living raise in 2012 and possibly more beyond that, was solid.

“We have negotiated other aspects of the contract to allow those raises to occur,” Anderson said. “There is a certainty about that three-year contract that I find comforting even though it means cost of living increases that we may have to sacrifice other areas to adhere to.”