Chief outlines shift to hourly pay, equipment needs and squad car options

Chief Small reported progress on three properties with open building violations and described recent enforcement activity on Canal Street, where two-hour parking warnings were issued during a two-hour enforcement block. He said the village will continue warnings for about one month before moving to formal citations if violations persist.

Chief Small proposed transitioning from a monthly salary to an hourly wage structure, estimating approximately 500 hours of work annually to be deployed across scheduled patrols and event coverage. He presented a budget to the Public Safety Committee outlining projected expenses and wages. The Board did not take immediate action but scheduled the Public Safety Committee to meet in May or June to consider staffing and budget implications.

On equipment, Chief Small reported he had received a uniform vest and is discussing a Memorandum of Understanding with Sheriff Reukauf to borrow a taser and a preliminary breath test device; he noted a longer-term goal of acquiring equipment through grant funding. The Chief also presented options for a squad vehicle: either a marked squad car or an unmarked administrative vehicle that could also serve operational functions such as transporting water samples and attending conferences.

The Chief summarized recent activity: a domestic complaint resolved on scene, a Social Security fraud complaint, traffic stops resulting in warnings, an extra patrol request tied to a restraining order, a mental-health-related welfare check, two false business alarms, a child-custody matter, a two-vehicle crash without injury, and a hit-and-run referral from Lancaster. The Board agreed to consider Chief Small's proposals in the upcoming Public Safety Committee meeting.