AUBURN — In the wake of a new ordinance that will allow flagmen, rather than police, to monitor some of the town's road work, Auburn officers have voted to form the Auburn Police Union.

Officer Calvin Kapos and Sgt. Charles Chabot first brought the idea of a union to the department around the beginning of the year. Kapos said it is still too early for the union to make any official announcements, but he did say several factors triggered the decision to organize, including the town's new traffic control ordinance, which the selectmen were expected to vote on Monday evening.

“There were some questions about wages and other things,” said Kapos. “I guess you could say the decision about the flagmen was the tipping point.”

Kapos did add, however, that unlike other police departments, the relationship between Chief Edward Picard and the town's patrolmen and sergeants was never an issue.

“The chief has always supported us, and we have a great working relationship,” he said.

Town Administrator William Herman said the decision to explore using flagmen on road details was part of an effort to implement best management practices and national standards and requirements.

“If you look at other places, they are all using flagmen,” said Herman.

The proposed ordinance now on the table outlines when police will get the work, and when flagmen will be hired. Speed limits, traffic counts, accidents statistics and road conditions were all considered in determining when police will be needed for details and when flagmen can do the job.

Although Herman said reducing costs was not the driving factor, the town does stand to save money with the use of flagmen.

Wages for flagmen are $22 per hour while police earn $40 working for a private contractor, and $35 when the town picks up the tab. The full cost for a police detail is $55 an hour, which also includes payroll costs and a charge for having a police cruiser at the site.

Herman said the town spent about $70,000 for police details last year, but added that was due to a string of storms that caused road damage that needed to be repaired.

Last April, Picard attended a meeting of the Traffic Control Ordinance Committee and told members that the system of using police officers has worked well. Picard said he felt that residents preferred having police on road details because it provided an extra set of “eyes and ears” in the community.

Picard told the committee that, from a public safety perspective, it is better to have a police officer on the road rather than a flagman. Picard also expressed some concern that some of Auburn's part-time officers may decide to move on if the opportunity to supplement their incomes with road detail work was no longer available.

However, Dan Carpenter, who served on the Traffic Control Ordinance Committee, said he thought Auburn was unique in its practice of using only police for the town's road work.

While the ordinance committee members recommended police still monitor work and direct traffic on heavily traveled roads, they said they believe trained flagmen can do the job on quieter streets and in more remote neighborhoods.

“People want things done in a more efficient way for everybody,” said Carpenter.

If the selectmen approve the proposed ordinance, police will be required to attend a six-hour training program and become certified for road detail work. Certification will need to be renewed every two years.

“I think it's important in the 21st century, in America, that you have a little paperwork behind you,” said Carpenter, who added that law enforcement and road safety work are really two different types of jobs.

As for the new Auburn Police Union, Kapos said more information will be available in the next week or so, after the group has had a chance to meet. The union, which was certified by the state's Public Employee Labor Relations Board on July 23, includes two sergeants, two full-time officers and 12 part-time officers and will be represented by the New England Police Benevolent Association.

btaormina@newstote.com