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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION <br />DRAFT <br /> 1 <br />CITY OF LINO LAKES 1 <br />MINUTES 2 <br /> 3 <br />DATE : May 24, 2021 4 <br />TIME STARTED : 6:00 p.m. 5 <br />TIME ENDED : 6:28 p.m. 6 <br />MEMBERS PRESENT : Council Member Stoesz, Lyden, Ruhland, 7 <br /> Cavegn and Mayor Rafferty 8 <br />MEMBERS ABSENT : None 9 <br />Staff members present: City Administrator Sarah Cotton; Director of Public Safety John 10 <br />Swenson; City Clerk Julie Bartell 11 <br /> 12 <br />1. Police Division Staffing – Public Safety Director Swenson reported on two 13 <br />requests relating to current staffing: 14 <br /> 15 <br />There is a sergeant that is currently out and that leaves the department short on 16 <br />supervision. He is asking permission to promote an evening police officer to a sergeant 17 <br />position until the regular sergeant returns to duty. 18 <br /> 19 <br />The department is engaged in a hiring process (currently running at 24 officers). Coming 20 <br />on board is one new officer that will bring strength to 25. A hiring process would bring 21 <br />two new officers, bringing it to 27. He is asking the council, if there is a third candidate 22 <br />that the department finds appropriate, may they hire that officer as well and bring the 23 <br />department to full strength of 28 (as of July 1) at an additional cost of $12,000+. The 24 <br />sergeant temporary upgrade would have a cost but it can’t be pinpointed because it isn’t 25 <br />at that point (and it may never happen if the sergeant were to return before it is 26 <br />implemented). In any case, there would be no increase to the approved personnel budget 27 <br />for the department. 28 <br /> 29 <br />Councilmember Cavegn asked about the temporary upgrade. Is it an assumption that the 30 <br />temporary sergeant could become permanent without any council action? Director 31 <br />Swenson noted that it will not be a normal promotion process because of the temporary 32 <br />nature; if it were to become a permanent situation, that regular promotion process would 33 <br />occur and he expects there would be individuals interested that may not have wanted a 34 <br />temporary position. 35 <br /> 36 <br />Councilmember Stoesz received confirmation that the 28th position wouldn’t create other 37 <br />expenses such as auto. 38 <br /> 39 <br />The council and Director Swenson discussed the hiring process and the current job 40 <br />market for police officers. 41 <br /> 42 <br />The council concurred in supporting staff’s requests. 43 <br /> 44