HOUGHTON — The Houghton County Board of Trustees approved two union contracts at its meeting Tuesday.

The contracts are with the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) No. 226.02, which includes courthouse employees, and No. 226.11, which covers airport employees.

The three-year contract for courthouse employees includes a raise of 80 cents in the first year, 60 cents in the second year and 50 cents in the third. It also expanded the definition of immediate family to include mother-in-law and father-in-law, and added up to six weeks of parental leave, two of which will be paid by the county.

Airport employees also agreed to a three-year contract, which includes a $3 raise in the first year, and $1 raises in the second and third years. The stipend for clothing maintenance was increased from $400 to $600. Good Friday was also added to the holiday schedule.

In other action, the board:

– Approved the sale of 1.4 acres at the Houghton County Airpark for $5,000 to Copper Island Academy Real Estate, the limited-liability company for the new academy. Board Vice Chairman Tom Tikkanen said the space would be used for a gym and classroom.

– Approved the 2022 renewal of the county healthcare plan. Premiums are down 1.88% from last year, after a 6.1% increase the year before.

– Heard there had been no bids on the cardboard bailing machine at the Houghton County Transfer Station. The machine will remain on the market.

– Heard from Tikkanen the Veterans Affairs office is launching a six-month trial of free transportation for veterans on the Hancock transit system. The county transfer station also has a new manager, Scott Reed, who will start full-time on Monday.

– Heard from Commissioner Roy Britz. He and Chair Al Koskela have been meeting monthly with Sheriff Joshua Saaranen and his staff to determine the necessary size of the proposed new jail.

– Reapproved its 2021-22 budget. The board had previously passed it, but had not done a roll-call vote.

– Approved the schedule of meetings for 2022. The meetings will continue to be at 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday following the first Monday of each month.

– Approved the compensation package for county road commissioners, which includes a $2,000 salary, $5,000 insurance policy, and mileage reimbursement of 56 cents per mile. Commissioners appointed after June 11, 2001 receive $250 a year in lieu of life insurance. The vote followed a directive from the state treasury department that counties must approve compensation and benefits for road commissioners annually.

– Approved a new county personnel policy.

– Reappointed Horst Schmidt and Tim Sears to the Houghton County Planning Commission.

– Approved the 2021 millage rate revision from the Equalization Department.

– Approved $3,360 to Laurium Labs for a cybersecurity assessment, including cyber hygiene training and email flow analysis. Multiple county employees had reported receiving spam or other potentially malicious traffic in their inboxes.

– Approved $68.584.50 for the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department, $2,866.50 for the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region and $60,119 for the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission Tri-County Public Defenders.