Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 10, 2014 Wyckoff Township accepts funds, introduces salary ordinance by John Koster The Wyckoff Township Committee has adopted an ordinance to accept $27,624 in donated funds for improve- ments to the Pulis Soccer Field. The governing body has also introduced an ordinance setting the salary scale for department of public works employees. The ordinance adopted Dec. 2 accepted money from the Wyckoff Parks and Recreation Fund to erect stanchions for the eventual installation of lights at the soccer field. The money is a donation, not a municipal current expense item, does not come from local taxpayers, and will have no effect on the municipal property tax rate. The township committee ordinance on salaries for the department of public works provides for a salary range of $77,218 to $92,705 for the manager, $72,032 to $73,760 for the foreman, and $72,032 maximum for the lead laborer. The ordinance as introduced establishes an eight-step salary guide with $41,004 for the first year, $43,786 for the second year, $46,569 for the third year, $49,352 for the fourth year, $52,135 for the fifth year, $54,918 for the sixth year, $57,702 for the seventh year, and $60,485 for the eighth year. No longevity compensation is provided for employees hired after Jan. 1, 1994. For employees hired before 1994, the longevity increases are two percent for six to 10 years of service, four percent for 11 to 14 years of service, six percent for 15 to 18 years of service, eight percent for 19 to 22 years of service, and 10 percent for 23 years or more. As they rise through the pay scale, those employees hired after Jan. 2, 2010 are also expected to pay for a sig- nificant portion of their own health benefits: 15 percent for Step 1, 20 percent for Step 2, 25 percent for Step 3, 30 per- cent for Step 4, 35 percent for Step 5, 40 percent for Step 6, 45 percent for Step 7, and 50 percent for Step 8. The adoption of the ordinance is anticipated at the meet- ing of Dec. 16. Budding birders A second ordinance introduced last week for probable adoption on Dec. 16 would delete the limitation of two con- secutive terms for service as a member of the Wyckoff Rec- reation and Parks Department. Members are appointed on a staggered basis, so experienced members are always part of the department. Second grade students at Saint Elizabeth School in Wyckoff used laptops to research and write about different species of owls. (Photo courtesy of Victoria Hoover.)