11-28-1990 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Office of: JOEL R. HANSON, Administrator 515 Little Canada Road Little Canada, MN 55117 612.484 -2177 FAX: 612- 484 -4538 November 21, 1990 CITY OF LITTLE CANADA RAMSEY COUNTY, MINNESOTA TO: Mayor Fahey and Members of the City Council FROM: Joel R. Hanson, City Administrator RE: 1991 Sheriff's Budget MAYOR Michael Fahey COUNCIL Beverly Scalze Bilt 8lesener Rick Co!lova Jim LaValle Attached for your review is information on the 1991 Sheriff's Contract. You will note that the City of Little Canada's costs are $433,992.50. These numbers result from the change in the methodology used in distributing costs of the Sheriff's Contract. Specifically, it was the consensus of the Liaison Committee that the Sheriff's Department go to the districting concept whereby each district (or governmental unit) would purchase the amount of police protection desired for its area. Charges would then be made based on the allocation of the actual cost involved in providing police services to the district based on staff utilization. Under the districting concept, the City of Little Canada would have costs totaling $453,093. (This is virtually the same amount which would have been payable under the previously discussed "new formula ".) Because of the dramatic increase in cost, the Committee agreed to phase in the impact of this cost allocation change. The phase -in utilized one -half of the old formula and one -half of the new districting cost allocation methodology. This resulted in a savings of $19,100.50. In 1992, we will be subjected to the full impact of the districting cost allocation method. It is my opinion that the districting concept is the most fair method for the allocation cost that has been discussed by the Liaison Committee. It is a situation whereby a jurisdiction is paying for what it receives. This methodology does not utilize the components of our old formula consisting of area, population, and events. The only instances where the old factors come into play relate to the crime prevention officer which is allocated on the basis of population, the investigators which are allocated on the basis of events investigated, and mileage driven within a patrol area which will be based on actual miles driven by the district's squad. While our costs have taken a dramatic increase, this may be the result of a more equitable distribution of costs among contracting jurisdictions. In the past, the City of Little Canada may have been paying a lower price for police services in relation to services received. Not only is this statement born out by the districting concept of allocating costs, but it is also representative of what we found when we surveyed police department operating costs in neighboring cities. In any event, I feel we are obtaining the best police value for the dollars spent under our present arrangement with the Sheriff's Department. Page 55