text: Newington To Base Department Heads' Raises On Merit - Courant Community
  Newington To Base Department Heads' Raises On Merit
  Merit-Bases Raises For Newington Officials
  NEWINGTON -- The town council on Tuesday approved raises for non-union town employees and a new program to reforest local streets that have lost trees because of storms or utility cutting.
  Councilmen also gave final approval to a new teachers contract that includes pay increases totaling 8.97 percent over three years and healthcare cost savings. The contract goes into effect July 1.
  As a result of a new policy, salary increases for department heads will vary based on merit for the first time this year. Town Manager John Salomone said he conducted performance reviews for 12 department heads and will base their raises on the results.
  The department heads will receive pay increases of around 3 percent, Salomone said.
  Next year, the policy will be expanded, and department heads will review the performances of their non-union subordinates to determine their pay increases, Salomone said. This year, those employees are all getting the same 3 percent pay hikes.
  Affected by the new policy are 41 employees, including workers in the town manager's office, senior center, computer department and the town clerk's office.
  Majority Leader Terry Borjeson praised Salomone's implementation of the new policy so far.
  "We certainly are on the right road," Borjeson said. "This is exactly what we need to do."
  The council also created a new program to replace trees in the town's right of way, the strip of land bordering town roads.
  The town acted after Crestview Drive homeowners approached officials about restoring stately trees that once lined the street, Salomone said. Over the last 20 years, those trees have been lost to storms, age, disease or utility cutting.
  Crestview Drive resident Jim Barnicle thanked the town for committing "to bring back the beauty of the street that was lost."
  "We have a nice neighborhood, and everyone wants to make it better," Barnicle said.
  Salomone said the program would also help residents choose the right trees to plant on their properties. He said he would propose $10,000 to $25,000 for the program in next year's budget.
  Salomone added he would also write a policy on tree replacement, which will enable the town to seek federal reimbursements for tree planting after a destructive storm.
  In other business, Mayor Stephen Woods said that CTfastrak, the busway being built between New Britain and Hartford, which will have two stops in Newington, has an opening date: March 28. There will be a public forum on the new mass transit system at 6 p.m. on Dec. 15 at Newington High School, he said.
  Woods expressed optimism that the roadway will benefit the state and spark economic development, especially in the Newington Junction area.