The Teamsters Local 320 union has approved a concessions offer for saving an Albert Lea police officer position.

Albert Lea officer Ryan Merkouris, a Teamsters representative, said officers have agreed to an about 2.4 percent pay cut for all union members in order to come up with about half of the amount needed to preserve the position.

The hope is that the city will meet halfway to come up with the other half, he said.

“We just felt that for the safety of the citizens of Albert Lea and the police officers, it was in our best interest to come up with half the money to preserve the staff levels of where they are at,” Merkouris said.

Teamsters representatives will meet with city leaders on Tuesday for negotiations.

The future of the officer’s position has been in limbo for several months after the City Council had to cut more than $1 million from its 2010 budget and the Police Department could not find grant funding to save the position.

In December, the council officially approved its budget, appropriating $3.68 million of the total $13.59 million budget in expenditures to the Police Department. However, this was still $70,000 shy of what was needed to fund the position.

After the December meeting, City Finance Director Rhonda Moen said the position could be saved depending on one of three things: Negotiations with the union, shifting costs within the department’s budget or appropriating a portion of the fire and police interest earnings to cover the position.

Funds could not be transferred from one department to another.

While the new offer is not official, Winkels said, “It’s a very strong possibility he won’t be leaving.”

The decision affects the department’s most junior officer, Steve Charboneau, who received his layoff notice Jan. 7 after the union and the city were previously unable to reach an agreement about saving the position.

If an agreement is not able to be reached, Charboneau’s last day will be Feb. 7.