Staff to seek council approval to buy out contract and hire a certified officer

City staff recommended the council approve a contract buyout and hire of a certified local police officer to fill a vacancy rather than fund academy training for an uncertified candidate.

Keith (city staff) told the council that two certified officers and one uncertified officer applied; one certified candidate accepted employment elsewhere during recruitment. Keith recommended pursuing the certified candidate the city had interviewed and buying out the candidate’s existing contract with another agency under a four‑year prorated repayment schedule so the city would avoid paying for full academy training. He summarized the trade‑offs: academy certification for an uncertified recruit would cost roughly $20,000 in training and several months before the officer is operational; buying out an existing contract would be a one‑time payout with a four‑year repayment/proration schedule if the new hire leaves early.

Staff noted the transcript contains an unclear numeric for the buyout figure (rendered as "11,9943" in the record); staff will present the definitive contract and cost figures at the next council meeting and place the proposed hire and contract on the Tuesday agenda for formal consideration. Keith said he would submit the contract to board docs so councilors could review the terms before any final action.

There was no formal vote during the work session; the council asked staff to circulate the proposed contract language and supporting numbers ahead of the meeting so members can review the financial and operational implications.