Council approves temporary police assignments but tables pay increase for acting chief

The Osakis City Council approved temporary staffing assignments to cover officer shifts and the duties of the police chief while a regular officer is on medical leave, but the body tabled a separate proposal to grant a temporary hourly pay increase to the acting chief.

Council voted to temporarily assign Austin Becker to cover a regular officer’s shift and to temporarily assign the duties of the police chief to another officer while Chief Chad Gilbertson is on approved medical leave. The motions to approve the temporary assignments were made, seconded and carried.

Council then debated a temporary pay increase for the officer performing chief duties. Staff proposed a $3‑per‑hour supplement; some council members said $2 was sufficient while the acting officer argued the responsibilities since July 1 warranted higher compensation. The acting officer described extra hours and duties covering the chief’s responsibilities; supporters and opponents traded estimates of comparable wages and longevity pay. Council members asked staff for precise dollar‑and‑cents hourly breakdowns rather than annualized figures.

Rather than deciding immediately, the council voted to table the wage‑increase request until the August workshop so staff could prepare comparative pay tiers, precise hourly impacts and retroactive‑pay details. The council noted agreement to retroactive pay in principle but left the mechanics to the workshop discussion.

Next steps: staff will prepare hourly‑rate scenarios, cost estimates and retroactive‑pay options for the council workshop prior to budget decisions.