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Safety committee outlines ambulance, cruisers and pay-structure proposals
Summary
The Safety and Transportation Committee reported recommendations to purchase a new ambulance, request three police cruisers (estimated $260,000), renovate locker rooms (one estimate cited ~$268,170), add interview-room cameras, and to pursue a pay-differential change to aid succession planning.
At the Sept. 8 Mayfield Heights City Council meeting, Safety and Transportation Committee chair Miss Talbot summarized multiple capital and personnel issues discussed on Aug. 26, urging council members to expect legislation and budget requests later in the year.
Miss Talbot said the committee recommended purchasing a new ambulance—the city recently received an ambulance ordered in 2022, but the committee flagged an older 2005 unit as nearing the end of practical service life and discussed whether to order a replacement in 2026 (with possible delivery in 2028–29) or to remount the existing box; the committee recommended purchasing a new ambulance rather than remounting the 2005 unit. "We didn't think that was a good idea," Miss Talbot said, citing the age and fabrication challenges of remounting.
On police capital needs, the committee discussed requesting three new police cruisers; Miss Talbot said state bid pricing will be available in October and legislation will come to council in November, with an estimated cost of about $260,000 for vehicles and associated equipment.
Other capital items discussed included locker-room renovations (about 1,400 square feet) and replacement of two interview-room cameras to address evidence-quality issues raised by the prosecutor's office; Miss Talbot said three estimates are being gathered, and she quoted one high estimate of $268,170.
The committee also reviewed a proposed pay-structure adjustment the chiefs proposed to increase rank differentials (roughly moving to a 10% differential between ranks to improve succession planning) and discussed adding a $1,700 annual professional development/ certification allowance for certain fire and police administrative ranks. Miss Talbot said the mayor will sponsor legislation on the pay differential; timing was not specified.
No formal vote by the full council on these capital or pay items occurred at the Sept. 8 meeting; Miss Talbot described the committee recommendations and next steps.
Next steps
Miss Talbot said related legislation for police cruisers and other capital requests is expected in November; the council will consider those requests in committee and on the council agenda before any expenditures are authorized.
