LINCOLN - Negotiations regarding Lincoln police contracts have been occurring "at least weekly," Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond told The Breeze, and he said he hopes both sides will soon reach a tentative agreement he can bring to the Town Council.

"We are making progress," he said, "but no final agreement yet."

The contract expired on June 30, and discussion began on April 14, Almond said.

In August, Almond released a statement confirming that negotiations between the Lincoln International Brotherhood of Police Officers and the town had "reached an impasse."

In that statement, he said the talks had been unproductive, and that the town was not willing to grant any further extensions, meaning the issue was submitted to binding arbitration.

Almond explained that the town proposed "reasonable structural changes for future retirees," like modifications to the minimum term and age of retirement eligibility, cost-of-living adjustments, accumulated sick leave pay outs, and medical benefits of future retirees.

While he said he has "the utmost respect" for the town's police, "local property taxpayers cannot keep up with the spiraling increases required to sustain the current pension and post-retirement benefit costs." He also said that "current officers should not be deceived with false promises of retirement benefits they will not be able to receive themselves in the future."

The town has funded 100 percent of the annual actuarial recommended contributions to the local pension system, he said, but those payments now exceed 20 percent of the payroll.

Almond said over the next 10 years, taxpayers are facing an added $18 million to fund post-retirement benefits for police officers.