POULSBO — The City of Poulsbo struck a deal with two unions to increase wages Dec. 2.

The City Council signed collective bargaining agreements with the Poulsbo Police Officers Association and Teamsters Local 589. Councilman Ed Stern said the negotiations were the easiest in which he’s participated.

“This has normally been a difficult and contentious period for the city in collective bargaining,” Stern said. “This is the smoothest I recall in all my time here.”

Members of Teamsters Local 589 will see their pay increased by 2 percent, plus 29 cents per hour. Their pay will increase again by 2 percent in 2017 and 2018. They will also earn weekday standby pay, for the first time, of $20 a day. Previously, they would only receive standby pay on weekends.

Police officers will receive a 2 percent pay increase and sergeants will receive a 3 percent increase; officers and sergeants will receive a 2.25 percent increase in 2017 and a 2.5 percent increase in 2018.

“One of the things that we try to do is that we look at labor as our partner — management and labor as partners,” said Mayor Becky Erickson. “We’re not adversaries, we’re partners.”

“And so when the time comes to go through the negotiations they see us as partners and we see them as partners,” she added.

The council also approved 2016 wage increases for several departments, including:

• Wages for City Council positions 1-4 will increase from $500 to $750 a month — a jump in annual wage from $6,000 to $9,000.

• The mayor’s salary will increase by 2 percent, from $71,778 to $73,213.

• Municipal Court Judge Jeff Tolman’s salary was raised from $55,613 to $56,725.

• Management wages will be raised by 2 percent.

All regular city employees receive incremental pay increases every five years.

• For those employed  by the city 6-10 years: 1 percent.

• 11-15 years: 2 percent.

• 16-20 years: 3 percent.

• 21-25 years: 4 percent.

• 26-30 years: 5 percent.

The council also approved a reorganizing of the Public Works/Engineering Department. The council promoted City Engineer Andrzej Kasiniak to engineering director, a new position, and promoted Assistant City Engineer Diane Lenius to city engineer.

“Fundamentally, I don’t believe in Public Works directors,” Erickson said. “That’s paying a very expensive engineer and making [him or her] responsible for making sure the streets are swept. I believe in a strong engineering department and then I believe in a strong maintenance and operations department.”

The promotions come with wage increases. Kasiniak will receive a salary of $114,742; Lenius will receive $95,778. Erickson said Kasiniak and Lenius have been performing the duties of higher positions and deserved to be paid as such.

“They were not being compensated to what they were actually accomplishing and they were both capped out as well,” Erickson said. “So, we needed to increase their wages.”

The council meets again at 7 p.m. Dec. 9 at Poulsbo City Hall.