(Photo by Martin Abegglen)
What had once been a handshake agreement between the Village of Saugerties trustees and the Saugerties police department to provide crossing guards in the village and at the high school is in the process of being formalized. Police chief Joseph Sinagra said the formal resolution contracting the police department to provide officers as crossing guards “makes things neater, and provides a document available for trustees and residents to view.”
A copy of the agreement is available at the village hall.
The arrangement calls for crossing guards to be stationed at the intersection of Main and Washington, near Cahill Elementary School, and at Main and Partition streets from 8:30 to 9:15 in the morning, and again in the afternoon at the end of the school day, and at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Mosher Drive from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. for high-school and middle-school students walking to school, and again in the afternoon when school lets out.
Crossing guards will also be provided on an as-needed basis at other times of the day, such as for an early dismissal.
“This is for the safety and well being of the children and adolescents,” Sinagra said.
The cost of the crossing guards will be picked up by the village, according to the agreement, with part-time officers being paid $21 per hour, of which the village will pay $16 and the town $5.
Should part-time officers not be available, full-time officers will be used. They will receive overtime pay, which ranges from about $22 to $26 an hour as per the contract with the PBA.
The village is also responsible for carrying liability insurance to cover the officers while they are on crossing-guard duty.
Let share my concerns about this decision to have a formal (binding) contract with two retired ex-Village police officers: 1. My understanding was that these officers were being paid $15.00/hr. Why the large pay hike? Inflation? 2. Allows the Saugerties Police Department to increase its ranks by two. Why burden the taxpayer with two more unnecessary positions that will fall under PBA/Union control (and protection). 3. Are there any additional benefits given; like health insurance, clothing allowances, paid vacation and sick leave, expense accountants, over-time, etc.? 4. Both officers are supposedly retired, getting benefits from their previous positions as Lieutenant and Chief of the now dissolved Saugerties Village Police. 5. Why not offer these cross walking guard positions to folks from within Saugerties that have been laid off? Do we need police officers to do this simple task? 6. Is it not an uncommon practice to have cross walking guards volunteers? Respectfully, David Radovanovic