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Police salary negotiations could take months By DONNA KELL Herald Staff The Halton Regional Police began salary negotiations last week that could take them almost into the summer to settle While Regions Ad ministration and Finance Commit tee has not yet given approval to the proposed million police budget for 1989 talks started March 20 between the Police Board of Commissioners and represen tatives from the Police Associa tion Theyll discuss and theyll ex change briefs said Halton Police Administrative Service Chris Fisher Mr Fisher said a set tlement is usually not reached at the groups first encounter but will hopefully be settled before June Talks broke down last week after three days but are expected to resume in April Last year police salaries were settled In April and hikes were implemented in June A four- increase was added retroactive to January and a increase was added July Salaries for will be negotiated In the usual way using a first class constables an nual salary as a benchmark said Mr Fisher If increases similar to are approved at the bargaining table a first class con stable in 1989 will be making slight ly more than annually until June when a 1 increase would bring the salary up to over 43000 a year The civilian contract for non uniformed police staff will also be settled during the upcoming cur rent negotiations Nonuniformed staff make up almost 30 per cent of the 471 staff of the Halton police force Its one of the highest ratios in police service said Mr Fisher referring to other Regional police forces who have a lower percen tage of civilians employed But the percentage of uniformed officers will increase when the Halton force hires new members in the 1989 proposed police budget If approved by Halton Region the 19 police officers and one civilian will be hired sometime between June and September this year Deputy Chief Bob Middaugh said contracts for civilian staff and uniformed officers are almost identical Last year civilians and uniformed police received the same increases Salaries will increase across the board once they are determined All levels of uniformed officers from fourth class constable to Chief of Police will be affected by the present salary negotiations The last three salaries to be settl ed will be the top officers said Chief Middaugh But until this years contract is settled wages will remain at 1988 levels he said We continue under the old con tract until we negotiate a new one Negotiating a new contract could take Halton police several months said Mr Fisher But he added that time is necessary When you have large packages to discuss back and forth it takes time he said OPEN 1010 DAYS A WEEK EASTERN AVE ACTON Its Worth the Drive to Acton Main SI rriiTil Ill y Si WEDNESDAY MARCH 29th 1989 32 PAGES Milton man charged with fraud over severance application Jean King campaign chairperson for DFaHodil Sales for the local Canadian Cancer Society demonstrates what local plazas in Acton and Georgetown will look like this April during the Cancer Society campaign Because daffodils for the an Cancer Society in bloom sale are a little late this year Mrs King borrowed a bunch from Vanderburgh Flowers in Georgetown Marketplace Look for volunteers with their flowers April and 15 Herald photo By BRIAN Herald Staff A Milton man has been charged following a police investigation in to his dealings with Haltons land division committee Halton Regional Police say Nicholas Weir of Nassagaweya Township was arrested on Friday and charged with one count of ut tering a forged document and one count of fraud in connection with a land severance application last year The severance was denied Staff Sgt David said Mr Weir will appear in court Mayl The charges were laid shortly after police began a fullscale in vestigation into applications filed with Haltons land division com mittee The investigation which is still in its initial stages was requested by an unidentified private citizen said Staff Sgt Garlick He Is not sure how far back in time the investigation will go but officers will examine all matters surrounding the severance of land as far back as the police choose to pursue the matter he said The land division committee is an eightmember citizens commit tee appointed by Region to grant or deny land severance ap plications The committee has come under intense scrutiny all Halton Region- in recent months following a planning report which said about per cent of the deci sions in the past 18 months were contrary to Haltons official plan The committee has been criticized by some Halton councillors and local agricultural organizations for 1 allowing severances in the rural areas mainly in North Halton which result in fragmented farmland There have been allegations of conflict of interest levelled at some committee members by Milton farmer Murray Harris 1 But the main dispute centres around alleged untrue documents filed with the land division com mittee by applicants Critics of the land division committee say ap plicants are lying on their applica tion forms in order to be classed as a bona fide fanner Under such a classification farmers are allow- ed to sever off retirement lots Mr Hams said many people who live on large chunks of land but are not farming the land are seeking bona fide farmer status in order to acquire the severance and sell off the land at a huge profit An investigation conducted by Halton Region found no evidence of wilful misinformation In five applications named by Mr Harris which were granted in opposition to official plan In a confidential report made public after last weeks Regional Council meeting planning com missioner Rash Mohammed said Regional Poljtee would con duct a fullscale investigation If asked to by the Region Halton did not ask for the investigation