The Town Board on Tuesday authorized a new two-year contract for Police Chief David Hegermiller, providing for an 8.5% increase in the chief’s base pay over the two years. The new contract raises his base salary from $207,673 to $220,134 for 2023, retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year, and to $225,637 in 2024.
In addition to the typical subjects addressed in a town employment contract, Hegermiller’s new contract spells out “additional duties” for the chief to be completed by June 1.
Among them: providing “a targeted downtown policing plan, including milestones for safeguarding the downtown zoning use districts and the TOD overlay district, addressing quality of life crimes in those districts and operating a substation in the downtown area” — something town officials and downtown business and property owners have talked about for years.
The Town Board sought to address those concerns earlier this year with the adoption of a new zoning overlay district and tougher “Zero Tolerance Zone” rules.
The other “additional duties” spelled out in the chief’s new contract, all with a June 1 deadline, are:
producing an emergency response plan, including fire emergency and natural disaster evacuation plan for Town Hall, other town-owned buildings and, in coordination with the Riverhead Central School District, school buildings.
developing a cybersecurity plan for town infrastructure and systems at Town Hall.
coordinating with the town Fire Marshal’s Office to implement an evacuation plan for Town Hall, including identifying and training floor captains for such emergency circumstances and holding fire drills at all town facilities.
Hegermiller serves as the town’s emergency management coordinator for which he receives an annual stipend of an additional $6,000. That stipend is continued in the new contract.
The document specifies other terms of Hegermiller’s compensation and employment, including vacation, sick and personal leave, health and life insurance benefits, holidays and severance benefits. It also spells out the chief’s rights to “buy out” certain amounts of unused vacation and sick leave each year. It also provides for payment in full of accrued (unused) sick leave upon retirement, up to 228 sick days. Unused sick days over 228 days, to a maximum of 335 days, paid at the rate of the average salary over the three years prior to retirement.
The chief’s longevity pay will increase by 9% to a total of 16%, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022. Longevity payments are based on the present year’s salary and increase according to years of service, according to the contract.
Hegermiller, 65, joined the Riverhead Police Department in 1981. He worked his way up the ranks to the department’s top spot, succeeding Chief Joseph Grattan in March 2002.
Town Board members voted unanimously without comment Tuesday to approve the contract.
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