Laserfiche WebLink
Mounds View City Council March 24, 2025 <br />Regular Meeting Page 2 <br /> <br /> Ayes – 4 Nays – 0 Motion carried. <br /> <br />E. Resolution 10078, Authorization to Pay in Advance Complete SKILLS Tuition <br />for CSO Asa Overton, which is Outside the Police Department Tuition <br />Reimbursement Policy. <br /> <br />Council Member Smith stated she spoke with the Police Chief regarding questions she had on this <br />item. She indicated City Code states the City offers up to $5,000 in tuition with 50% paid at the <br />beginning and 50% paid at the end. She noted this request was asking for a pay in advance for the <br />SKILLS Tuition. She indicated the SKILLS tuition was very expensive and questioned if there <br />was any guarantee that CSO Overton would become a member of the Mounds View Police <br />Department. City Administrator Zikmund stated there was no guarantee this would occur. <br /> <br />Council Member Smith reported tuition reimbursement was available to full and part time officers. <br />She questioned if City Code had to be rewritten in order to make this funding available to CSO’s. <br />She expressed concern with the fact the City was proposing to send a CSO to SKILLS with no <br />guarantee that this individual would return to the department. City Administrator Zikmund <br />indicated the City did a similar thing for a Public Works employee and reported State law prohibits <br />the City from putting any contractual requirements in place. He explained this was an individual <br />of high integrity, but if he chooses to go somewhere else, he chooses to go somewhere else. <br /> <br />Police Chief Zender reported he has been working with CSO Overton for two years and explained <br />he has made it abundantly clear that the City was looking for a return on the investment, if the City <br />were to assist with paying for SKILLS tuition. He reported if CSO Overton were to decide that <br />Mounds View was not for him, he believed CSO Overton would let him know. He did not believe <br />CSO Overton would take the City’s money and run. He understood there were no guarantees, but <br />he believed CSO Overton was a man of integrity. <br /> <br />Mayor Lindstrom asked if this would be the first CSO that would be moving into a police officer <br />position. Police Chief Zender reported this was the case and stated that was why he was trying to <br />work with CSO Overton on this transition. <br /> <br />City Administrator Zikmund indicated there was no perfect solution for hiring new candidates and <br />stated the department was short officers at this time. He stated this was a measured risk and there <br />was no perfect solution. <br /> <br />Council Member Gunn stated she appreciated how much CSO Overton likes working for Mounds <br />View and noted the encouragement he receives from Police Chief Zender means a lot. She believed <br />that if CSO Overton did not like this City he would have left by now. Police Officer Zender <br />explained the intent of the CSO program was to encourage officers to begin working for the <br />department while attending school and then once their schooling was completed, to work either <br />for the Mounds View Police Department or to be hired elsewhere. He stated he fully understood <br />there was no guarantee, but he believed it was a risk worth taking. <br /> <br />Council Member Meehlhause explained Police Chief Zender would not be proposing to invest in <br />CSO Overton if he did not have a high opinion of this individual. Police Chief Zender reported