Agenda Packets - 2009/03/23 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Item No: 7E Meeting Date: April 13, 2009 Type of Business: CB Administrator Review____ City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Mike Sommer, Police Chief Item Title/Subject: Approval to Proceed with the Department of Justice COPS Hiring Grant Program for One New Police Officer Date of Report: April 13, 2009 Background: The U.S. Department of Justice is offering a funding opportunity through the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office. This grant program, called COPS Hiring Recovery Program has up to $1 billion in grant funding nation wide to provide for 100% of the salary and benefits to hire additional police officers for a three year period. A review of the grant provisions indicated that the grant would cover the step increases listed in the Mounds View Police Union contract. If successful in receiving a grant under this program, the City of Mounds View would receive an award of about $302,966. This funding would be used to cover the salary and benefits of an additional Police Officer for three years. The City would need to fund the position for an additional one year with city funding. The salary and benefits cost for the additional year in 2013 is projected at about $114,955, assuming there would be no gap or lag time in hiring a replacement officer due to retirement or resignations occurring during the time in question. If retirements occur during the time frame of the grant, lag times in hiring replacement result in cost savings that should be considered when evaluating the value of the grant funding. The deadline for the grant application is April 14, 2009. Recommendation: Staff is seeking council approval to submit a grant application requesting funding under the COPS Hiring Program for one additional Police Officer. Respectfully submitted by Mike Sommer, Police Chief