Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Police topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves police budget adjustments as department adds IT and communications costs
Summary
Council approved changes to police-line items including higher union wages, a larger communications and maintenance contract (including a $20,000 recording system payment), a leased-taser maintenance cost, and increased IT staffing/training to support a new computer system. Council approved the updated police total.
Councilors reviewed and approved a series of police budget adjustments that raised several line items to reflect new contracts, equipment leases and an impending migration to a new records/computer system.
Staff and presenters adjusted union wages for police to $1,981,600 and updated several benefit and contract lines. The communications and service maintenance contract was revised up to $75,731 to reflect a recently purchased recording system (roughly $20,000 remaining), cloud backup, Microsoft licensing and a leased-taser maintenance charge (about $6,500 per year). Councilors asked for clarification on recurring costs and the out-year reduction once one-time recording-system payments fall away.
The police IT and training accounts also increased: staff explained the town is switching computer systems and budgeted additional IT staff time and training costs so the department and officers can be trained on the new platform. A councilor asked whether the ongoing maintenance total would drop after the one-time charges are completed; staff said yes for next fiscal year once old systems are retired.
On incentive pay and recruitment, staff described the department’s incentive-education payments as voluntary reimbursements meant to encourage college coursework for employees hired without a degree; councilors noted this is a discretionary, noncontractual program.
Outcome: Council approved the updated police budget lines and the updated police total (motion passed). Staff were directed to confirm recurring vs. one-time charges and ensure next-year budget reductions reflect the removal of any one-time system costs.
