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Woodland swears in new officer; mayor says he will propose pay increase to retain staff
Summary
The Woodland City Council on May 5 ceremonially swore in Bryce Lifesay as a Woodland police officer. Mayor Todd Dinehart said he will bring a proposal to amend the department's contract to add compensation aimed at retaining officers; no council vote on pay occurred at the meeting.
Bryce Lifesay was sworn in as a Woodland police officer during the City Council meeting on May 5, and Mayor Todd Dinehart said he will bring a proposal in coming council meetings to amend the department's contract to add compensation intended to help retain officers.
The swearing-in took place after Chief Gibbs described recent hiring progress. "When I started as chief, we had six open positions. As of June 1, we will only have one left to fill," Chief Gibbs said, attributing the change to officer recruitment and overtime efforts.
The mayor framed the pay proposal as part of a larger effort to retain staff. "They are still not the highest paid in Cowlitz County," Mayor Todd Dinehart said, referring to comparative pay data; he said the department received roughly a 21% increase over three years under a 2023 contract but that he will bring an amendment to provide additional compensation so the city is "equitable with other agencies." Dinehart said the proposal is not intended to make Woodland the top-paid agency in the county, but to close the gap that hinders retention.
Chief Gibbs and Mayor Dinehart both described recruitment and retention as the department's biggest challenge. Chief Gibbs noted work to fill a school resource officer position and said officers had been "very driven and dedicated" during the recent hiring push. Mayor Dinehart said he meets regularly with the police guild and named Shaka as the guild president; he said the guild has been part of discussions about compensation.
The meeting also included a formal proclamation designating May 2025 as National Police Week. The proclamation text read in the meeting cited the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15; Chaplain Ray Orr and another chaplain offered brief remarks and a prayer recognizing line-of-duty deaths.
No council vote to change officer pay was recorded at the May 5 meeting. Dinehart said a proposal to amend the contract will appear in an upcoming council meeting for consideration.
Chief Gibbs presented Lifesay with an informal "chief's coin" and family members participated in the ceremony. The swearing-in and proclamation were ceremonial actions; the only formal, recorded next step on pay is the mayor's announced plan to present an amendment for council consideration.
