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Police and fire chiefs urge more personnel and urgent repairs; public‑safety facility remediation flagged as top capital need
Summary
Police Chief Dustin Munn and Fire Chief Bill Evans asked the commission to approve additional officers and firefighters, equipment replacements, and to fund remediation of water infiltration and foundation problems at the public safety facility, with staff estimating a multi‑hundred‑thousand to $1 million scope as an initial plan.
Police Chief Dustin Munn (speaker 5) and Fire Chief Bill Evans (speaker 15) used the June 9 budget workshop to press the commission for staffing and capital needs tied directly to public safety.
Chief Munn said the department is still staffed for a population smaller than the city’s current size and recommended adding eight additional officers (one recurring hire already in process plus seven more) to address growth and response‑time objectives; he also requested a recurring lieutenant position to lead professional standards and a suite of smaller, recurring items (computers, replacement batteries for radios, ergonomic chairs for dispatch) along with a $25,000 one‑time automated key/lock inventory. “We do feel that right now we need eight additional officers,” Munn said.
Munn stressed an urgent facility issue: long‑standing water infiltration and foundation problems in the public safety facility that have worsened since a 2021 assessment. He said prior estimates were insufficient and recommended a more robust engineering assessment and a larger appropriation. “By the time we get into it, we will find additional things,” Munn warned, and staff proposed an initial $1,000,000 set‑aside through planned certificate of obligation funding to allow comprehensive remediation and stabilization work.
Fire Chief Bill Evans asked for targeted investments in fire‑safety capacity: an additional fire inspector to reduce inspection backlogs, replacement brush truck(s) for stations with equipment exceeding useful life, two more LifePak 30‑5 cardiac monitors to standardize ambulance equipment, and three new firefighter positions as a first step toward a longer plan to meet National Fire Protection Association staffing guidance. Evans also described a fundraising shortfall for a historic 1927 LaFrance ladder‑truck restoration: the museum partner’s estimate requires about $70,500 more to complete reassembly and painting. “We’re very near the finish line but we are about $70,000 short of completing the restoration,” he said.
Both chiefs highlighted training and mutual‑aid arrangements that deliver cost‑effective capabilities (live‑fire training through regional partners, participation in a SWAT consortium), but emphasized that personnel and capital are the items most likely to affect service levels if not funded.
Commissioners agreed to seek detailed cost estimates and engineering scopes for the public safety facility and asked staff to model the FY2027 budget including the recommended pay and staffing changes so the commission could prioritize recurring versus one‑time costs.
