Trustees press Lisle staff on police staffing, facilities and fleet as budget is debated

Trustees devoted a substantial portion of the Feb. 17 Committee of the Whole meeting to police staffing, facilities and fleet after Deputy Village Manager Mitchell and police leaders described operating and capital needs in the proposed budget.

Deputy Chief (acting) provided operational detail: the department is budgeted for 38 sworn officers. As of the meeting staff said the chief position was vacant, one deputy chief position was vacant, a recent resignation reduced active patrol numbers, and several officers were temporarily unavailable for street duty because of an active academy, field training or medical/military leave. Deputy Chief said those absences left approximately 31 officers available for daily patrol at the time of the meeting; trustees noted the municipal code requires between 28 and 36 patrol officers and a complement that includes one chief, two deputy chiefs and five sergeants.

Trustees and residents raised retention and morale concerns. Trustees questioned whether the village should create or fund new civilian administrative roles recommended by the interim police chief (a police planning/administration civilian role and an administrative sergeant in alternate scenarios) and whether budgeted pay and benefits are competitive for sergeants and non‑represented managers. Deputy Village Manager Mitchell said a compensation study conducted in fiscal 2022–23 (by a consultant) guided non‑represented pay grades and that staff continues to evaluate compression issues for sergeants.

Facilities and health concerns: trustees asked about police building HVAC and indoor air quality testing. Staff said an air quality test identified some allergen issues; the village performs quarterly HVAC filter changes (MERV‑13 filters for rooftop units) and staff has begun work identified in the air quality report, including HEPA vacuuming and high dusting. Hall said HVAC contractors meet quarterly with the village building maintenance engineer; staff added budgeted attic fans and other improvements in FY2025–26.

Gun range and training facilities: the department’s indoor range is aging; the rangemaster and deputy chief said target mechanics were not operational and replacement parts are scarce. Staff estimated a full range overhaul would cost roughly $90,000–$120,000; a near‑term repair and cleaning was budgeted and contractors were scheduled to provide quotations for identified air‑quality and range repairs.

Fleet and equipment: trustees asked about a multi‑year vehicle leasing program with Enterprise and a recommendation from the leasing partner to replace more patrol units sooner. Staff said lead times for vehicles and upfitting (lights, communications, prisoner partitions) are long; upfits can cost $10,000–$15,000 per vehicle and 2–6 months to complete. Staff said the leasing program is being phased in to avoid large one‑year replacement spikes. Trustees asked staff for cost scenarios showing the fiscal impact of accelerating replacements to reduce the risk of vehicles being taken out of service.

Training and staffing processes: trustees asked about promotional and command‑level training (Staff and Command at Northwestern was discussed). Staff said the village budgets training dollars in department line items and that staff can provide more detailed conference‑level breakdowns on request. Several trustees asked that staff provide, in writing, the interim chief’s recommendations (hiring, staffing and operational observations) so the board can consider those as part of the budget discussion.

Why it matters: police staffing levels, equipment readiness and facility conditions influence daily public safety delivery and officer retention; trustees requested clearer cost estimates and staffing scenarios before final budget adoption.