Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council committee backs adding a police officer and approves purchase of department rifles
Summary
A council public safety committee discussed adding a full-time police officer — estimating the annual cost at about $190,000 — and approved buying eight standardized rifles (not to exceed $18,000) to be city-owned to simplify training and reduce equipment variability.
The public health and safety committee discussed adding one full-time police officer and the council approved a separate motion to buy standardized rifles for the department.
The committee heard staff estimates that adding an officer would increase the annual budget by “somewhere around $190,000 a year,” a figure that the meeting transcript attributes to the committee chair. Committee members and staff discussed that the total depends on salary/benefits, vehicle rotation, equipment and whether a recruit requires academy training.
"This would be, if I remember right, John, this was the highest," the chair said while explaining the salary and equipment variability. Staff said recruitment lead time is roughly three months for lateral hires and up to six months if a recruit must attend the police academy; staff recommended starting recruitment now while noting the position would not take effect until after the May budget decisions.
Committee members pressed for options to shorten the timeline, including advertising internally to identify existing part-time employees or seeking lateral transfers from other agencies. Staff said internal applicants could shorten hiring significantly and that overtime remains an available stopgap when needed.
Separately, the committee approved a procurement motion to standardize and purchase rifles the department would own and maintain. The chief (staff) explained variability in officers’ personally owned weapons complicates training and logistics: "A lot of times, that framework jams a lot," the chief said, arguing standardized, city-owned rifles would improve training consistency and reduce liability.
Staff presented a cost estimate (materials showed roughly $17,000–$18,000) and the committee moved to purchase eight rifles from Loyal Manufacturing not to exceed $18,000. The motion passed by voice vote.
The committee also discussed funding sources for equipment, noting an LPR line (license-plate-reader funds) and the equipment line in the five-year plan as possible sources. Staff said there is about $8,000 in the LPR line and approximately $40,000 remaining in the equipment line item, which could cover the purchase without seeking new revenue.
Next steps: recruitment and the position’s budget inclusion were left to the formal budget process; the rifle purchase was approved and procurement will proceed under the stated not-to-exceed amount.
