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Mounds View City Council November 9, 2009 <br />Regular Meeting Page 4 <br /> <br />Hull stated he understands the problem with increasing health insurance premiums but residents <br />have indicated they are willing to pay for additional officers and better streets. <br /> <br />Council Member Stigney stated the Police Department is the highest City expense on an on- <br />going basis due to personnel costs and the time to look at those costs is now, not in the future. <br />He stated the City used to have 12 officers and didn’t incur high overhead costs. Council <br />Member Stigney asked for an overall justification for the level of staff and that other options be <br />considered such as shift rotations to reduce the staff level by one. With regard to the referendum <br />vote, he stated he spoke with residents who did not have any idea of the high cost level. He <br />noted that times have changed since five or six years ago. He stated Mounds View approved the <br />comparable cities study as a basis so he would like to use some of that information in making <br />these decisions. <br /> <br />Council Member Gunn stated that she understands Council Member Stigney’s point; however, <br />safety is one of the top concerns expressed in every resident survey. In addition, the number of <br />calls is increasing and this is one place she cannot support a cut in funding because it impacts the <br />health and safety of the City’s residents. <br /> <br />Council Member Mueller asked if the schedule can be adjusted to cover the work without <br />jeopardizing the health and safety of residents. Deputy Police Chief Kinney stated they can <br />function for a period of time, noting there have been four retirements this year. However, <br />overtime may be used to fill some gaps. He noted the referendum question was to maintain <br />minimum coverages and they do not want to compromise that level for safety for residents or the <br />officers when responding to calls. He stated they are using a new 12-hour shift schedule, started <br />in 2009, that has improved coverage and levels of strength on a 24-hour basis. <br /> <br />Mayor Flaherty stated the City currently has 17 licensed officers and 12 are patrol officers. <br />Deputy Police Chief Kinney stated there are currently 12 patrol officers and 3 are Patrol <br />Sergeants. Mayor Flaherty presented an analysis on the number of officers needed to schedule <br />24/7 coverage. He noted that Mounds View is only four square miles in size, but that could be <br />quite a distance when responding to an emergency call. Mayor Flaherty noted the City will be <br />saving some costs since the two officers who retired were at a Level 5 pay rate and the new <br />officers will start at a lower pay rate. He agreed the Council needed to constantly look at the <br />numbers but he felt the current staffing level was already at the bare minimum without incurring <br />overtime. <br /> <br />Council Member Mueller stated her impression that the Police Department is a first responder for <br />medical emergencies and arrives before the ambulance. Deputy Police Chief Kinney stated that <br />is generally correct because their response time is faster. Council Member Mueller noted the <br />Police Department has portable heart defibrillators so they can quickly react, if needed, and she <br />cannot support budget cuts for the Police Department. <br /> <br /> Ayes – 4 Nay – 1 (Stigney) Motion carried. <br /> <br />D. Resolution 7521, Approving Severance for Police Officer Kenneth Koss.