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To: Contract Cities <br />From: Dwight D. Johnson, City Manager, Shoreview <br />Date: January 18, 1990 <br />Subject: Organization of contract cities <br />I would like to propose that the contract cities organize and <br />create a functioning committee to facilitate the <br />communities working with each other and with the Sheriff's <br />Department throughout the year. We have had a number of ad. hoc <br />meetings on various issues at irregular times, but have <br />long gaps when we do not meet and we have a tendency to meet <br />only when a significant issue such as the budget or our formula <br />is on the front burner. We have a need, as communitiesi_ to work <br />toward more lona ranee planning consider our service levels,_ <br />development information, become informed about current crime <br />trends, and stay more current on immediate issues such as <br />computer aided dispatch, automated records aystems_, and mobile <br />data terminals. we also have an obligation,._ which. we__do not <br />presently fulfill very well, to provide timely feedback to our <br />Sheriff's Department on issues of concern to us. <br />What I have in mind is a committee consisting of one individual <br />appointed by the governing body of each community. The appointee <br />individual would probably be the either an elected official or <br />the chief administrative official of each City. The committee <br />would be created by a joint powers agreement or at least a letter <br />of understanding among the communities to give it some official <br />status. However, the committee would have no formal powers to <br />bind any city contractually or financially. I would suggest that <br />the committee have a r.egular meeting schedule of at least once <br />per month and possibly biweekly. The committee should have a <br />chairperson who would be responsible for the agenda, calling <br />special meetings, and keeping the meetings running smoothly and <br />on -time. The chair should be rotated on a regular basis among the <br />communities according to a predetermined schedule. <br />The benefits of formally creating a committee would include: <br />1. The communities would stay better informed. <br />2. The Sheriff's Department would have more feedback. <br />3. More long range planning could take place. <br />4. The communities could be Generally more proactive in <br />dealing with one of our most basic and costly services. <br />5. We may prevent Snother community, such as Falcon Heights, <br />from Oepai =tlna abruptly from the contract, C.isrUptl[lg <br />all cities. Falcon Heights felt they had little input <br />into the Sheriff's Department. <br />I believe that the Sheriff's Department would welcome having <br />a more regular and systematic way of communicating with their <br />customers-the cities. I would be interested in the reaction of <br />all of our fellow contract cities to this idea. <br />Page 100 <br />