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Residents and an officer urge council to address police wages and retention
Summary
During public comment, a resident and an Anamosa police officer raised concerns about current patrol officer wages and retention; the council later approved several police staffing and equipment items, including assigning Officer Derek Kunkel as School Resource Officer.
Public comment at the July 14 Anamosa City Council meeting included a resident urging the council to address patrol officer wages and an on-duty police officer who spoke about retention concerns.
Jeff Williams, identified in the minutes as a resident of 18220 Green Road, commented about current wages for patrol officers in the Anamosa Police Department. Officer Hunt, representing the Anamosa Police Department, also addressed the council, emphasizing wages and the retention of officers. The minutes record these remarks under the public comment portion of the meeting; no formal council action on wage adjustments was recorded that evening.
Earlier in the meeting, the council approved equipment and a personnel reassignment that affect police department operations: the Axon camera purchase, approval of a new police interceptor and Keltek upfitting, and the formal assignment of Officer Derek Kunkel to the School Resource Officer position.
Tom Durgin, a downtown property owner, separately used the public comment period to thank Parks & Recreation Director Cale Yoder and staff, as well as Public Works and Public Utilities employees, for extra work amid staff shortages.
