Council approves hiring two part‑time PACE officers after staffing update and debate on enforcement funding

The East Lansing City Council on March 4 voted 4–1 to approve hiring two additional part‑time PACE (parking and code enforcement) officers to begin immediately.

Interim Police Chief Jen Brown told the council PACE enforcers handle parking enforcement and ordinance investigations that “ensure the safety, welfare, and appearance of our neighborhoods,” adding that the department wrote 1,246 code violations and more than 20,000 parking tickets in 2024 and that revenue from those enforcement activities exceeded $600,000 (revenues are remitted to the courts).

The chief said the department is budgeted for six part‑time PACE officers but has been short staffed; the department now has a pool of candidates and asked permission to hire two more to reach the budgeted level. City Manager Bellman confirmed the current pay and budget structure: the city is budgeted for six part‑time slots, four are currently filled, and the request is to add two positions to reach six.

Costs and staffing: Chief Brown and staff estimated the annual cost at about $35,000 per part‑time position. Councilmembers asked for clarification about current budgets and whether enforcement had become a revenue stream; Brown replied that PACE work includes education and neighborhood contact in addition to ticketing, and that the city has been unable to fill positions until recently.

Debate and votes: Supporters argued additional PACE presence improves neighborhood quality of life and may deter infractions. Dissenting councilmembers cautioned against relying on enforcement as a revenue source and raised concerns about disproportionate enforcement; one councilmember said they would vote no for those reasons. The motion to approve hiring two additional part‑time PACE officers carried 4–1 (yes:4; no:1). The council directed staff to implement the hires immediately and to report back on recruitment progress.