Applause filled Mamakating Town Hall on Tuesday night as Supervisor Janet Lybolt and the town Highway Department employees signed a long overdue employee contract.

Throughout her term as supervisor, Lybolt has worked on negotiation actions with the department, phasing in immediate concerns along the way. The department has gone without a new contract since 2015. Working off the existing contract, the highway workers missed key components of economic competitiveness, such as salary raises. The Town of Mamakating began back pay of wage increases during Lybolt's term as a phase of the new agreement. On November 16, the finalized agreement was signed by the present highway department employees and Supervisor Lybolt.

The collective bargaining agreement between the town and the Teamsters Local 445 will stay in an almost unprecedented four years — 2026. The employees received a 2 percent raise increase, and the contract maps out fair raise percentages for each year of the contract.

Highway Department employees were reportedly very happy with the agreement. Most of the employees stayed after the meeting to thank Supervisor Lybolt and express the relief the contract brings after years of frustration from previous administrations.

The previous town administration reportedly participated in continuous delays to negotiations and even outwardly ignored employees, to the point where employees recognized the shift in the current administration, acknowledging how Lybolt stayed afterwards talking to workers, something that did not happen before.

The public broke out in applause a second time during the meeting when Councilmember John Lacey announced the good news that the Mamakating Seniors group now has 102 members. The seniors will be having a Christmas party on December 22. Information on the party and other town holiday events can be found on the town website.

Save for calls of, “We thank you Janet and the Board,” regarding the highway contract from the seated attendees during the meeting, there were no public comments. Mamakating’s 2022 Town Budget was finalized and approved without comment.