Grundy Board OKs plan on dispatcher retirement system

• Reprints

Updated: March 21, 2012 8:03AM

MORRIS — Grundy County has finally reached a resolution in the vehement debate over the retirement benefits received by its emergency dispatchers.

Board members Tuesday night voted 11-4 to approve a memorandum of understanding between the board, Grundy County Sheriff Terry Marketti and the Metropolitan Alliance of Police that will allow some of the county’s dispatchers to stay enrolled in their retirement plan, which will eventually be eliminated through attrition.

The memorandum is part of ongoing negotiations between the board, the sheriff’s office and the police union since a four-year collective bargaining agreement expired last year.

It addresses the special retirement plan called Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Plan in (SLEP) which the county’s dispatchers enrolled. The dispatchers are women and are deputized matrons with the department.

The county and Morris dispatchers are moving to the new consolidated 911 center on Lowery Road, sparking the debate over whether they should be allowed to keep these benefits.

An intergovernmental agreement presented by the Grundy County Emergency Telephone System Board in June was rejected by the majority Republicans on the county board who then put forth their own agreement that eliminated the benefits and the matron positions.

The new agreement has been on hold until the county resolved the benefits issue. A new intergovernmental agreement will be needed before the new 911 center can be operational.

Morris’ dispatchers will continue to be enrolled in the regular Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund and will only be employed by the ETSB according to the original ETSB agreement. Opponents have voiced concerns over having the county’s dispatchers remain under the employ of Marketti and the ETSB.

Marketti has said in the past that he will not fire the dispatchers who he needs as matrons to handle female prisoners.

Other supporters have voiced concerns over stripping the dispatchers of benefits promised to them.

Only those dispatchers employed before July 1, 2000, will continue to be deputized and employed by both Marketti and the ETSB. As matrons, they will continue to be enrolled in SLEP. Seven of the 12 dispatchers fall in this category, Marketti said.

Those dispatchers employed after July 1, 2000, will be let go by Marketti and re-employed by the ETSB. Then, like all new dispatchers, they will be enrolled in the IMRF plan.

Board members David Welter, Chris Balkema, Eric Rasmusson and Ralph Wagner voted against the agreement. Chairman Ron Severson and board members Frank Halpin and Mike Throneburg were absent.