09/27/2010 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • WS — Item 1 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item 1 Date: September 27, 2010 To: City Council From: Jeff Karlson Re: Chief of Police Replacement Process Background There are three issues to talk about on this agenda item, which are as follows: (1) consideration of Acting Chief Strege's request to promote two Community Service Officers to patrol officer; (2) discussion about the process for replacing the Chief of Police position; and (3) whether to approve a grant award to increase hours for the Community Resources Coordinator position. There are currently three positions in the Police Department that have not been filled, including the Chief of Police position. Additionally, one officer will be on military leave the end of November for up to a year. At the last work session, Mr. Strege pointed out that it takes four months of training before a CSO is assigned the full duties of a patrol officer. Since the Council still has to determine where budget cuts need to be made before adopting a final levy, the Council may want to wait until those budget cuts are completed before filling any vacant positions. Regarding the Chief of Police replacement process, the Council has several options, including simply delaying the process until we get better handle on the City's fiscal situation at the end of the year. If the Council decides to recruit outside the organization, it would be a matter of whether to hire an executive search firm to perform the recruitment process or to have staff handle it internally. I firmly believe it is not necessary to contract an outside firm to carry out the recruitment process, but it comes down to the Council's comfort level with an internal process. Monday night's Council meeting agenda includes a request to accept a Citizen Corps in the amount of $19,196.88. A portion of this grant includes $12,750 to increase the Community Resources Coordinator to a full -time position. It is my understanding that this is not a matching grant. Therefore, if the Council approves the entire grant award and elects not to increase this position to full -time, the hours would be increased from 30 to 35 per week. This is a one -year grant, so funding for the additional five hours would not be available next year.