Consultant: 203 survey responses, interim law-enforcement workload report due; council urged to await final plan

Tim Donahue, a consultant with Matrix Consulting Group, updated the Hayden City Council on the city's law-enforcement strategic plan, telling the council the project is back on schedule after earlier data issues and that, "As of this morning, there's been 203 responses" to the community survey.

Donahue said the firm will deliver an interim operational and staffing needs assessment this week focused on workload-based staffing analysis and an organizational structure and will follow with a final strategic plan later in August that adds cost, transition planning and implementation options. Donahue recommended the council refrain from making "hard, fast" staffing decisions until it has the final report but said the interim report provides substantive information the city could use for preliminary research.

Council members asked whether survey respondents were within Hayden city limits and Donahue confirmed all 203 responses were from within the city jurisdiction. Several council members said they wanted access to the interim draft for review; staff indicated they would work with the mayor and city attorney to determine the extent to which drafts can be distributed prior to a public-record release. Council also discussed timing relative to the current contract expiration on Oct. 1 and acknowledged the need to avoid last-minute decisions if the city must change its law-enforcement arrangements.

What happens next: the interim report will be delivered to the city this week for review; the final strategic plan is scheduled toward the end of August. Council directed staff to circulate available drafts to members as allowable under public-record rules so members can prepare for any future contract decisions.