Adopt Resolution #15-05-127 to Promote a Patrol Officer to Sergeant, Hire a Patrol Officer, and Hire Two Part-time Community Service Officers
 

The purpose of this case is to request the City Council to authorize staff to promote a Patrol Officer to Sergeant, hire a Patrol Officer, and hire two part-time Community Service Officers. 
 
As the City Council is aware, the summer months are especially busy in the Police Department; therefore, staff placed a very high priority on addressing the staffing changes that have occurred in the Police Department in order to best meet the City’s public service needs.  In addition, the City also places a high value on retaining and growing current employees that have demonstrated excellent work that promotes our mission, vision, and core values as established by the City Council.    
 
The Sergeant and Patrol Officer positions are needed to provide public safety and to support the Strategic Plan which has been a priority of a City.  The City must provide police public safety services via a licensed police officers.  As we know, citizens expect officers to respond to their needs in a timely manner. The strategic goals have been to maintain the police department staffing levels, not replacing this open position would decrease the Department's ability to provide timely services.  

The Community Service Officer position is needed to support the City's basic daily work and the Strategic Plan. This position particularly touches on strategic imperative four -- an effective organization. Specifically, it works to maintain a highly functional staff by employing a dedicated/cost effective person to handle somewhat routine police and community development tasks. In summary, the position is responsible for handling: animal control duties, code enforcement activities, support services to patrol officers, administrative errands, vehicle maintenance and repairs, receiving and investigating ordinance complaints and documenting findings, as well as assisting with crime prevention issues. Not replacing this position would put additional strain on the sworn officers and be an inefficient use of City resources. 
 
Summary of the Recent Staffing Changes in the Police Department
 
Sergeant Vacancy:  Staff received a letter of retirement/resignation from Sergeant Brad Paplham, effective April 24, 2015. Sergeant Paplham’s announcement immediately created a Sergeants’ vacancy which was advertised internally within the Police Department.  Three current Patrol Officers were interviewed for the Sergeants’ position and the promotion of a new Sergeant will create a Patrol Officer vacancy.
 
Patrol Officer Vacancy / Previous Patrol Officer Recruitment
 
Fortunately, the recent Patrol Officer recruitment process that was conducted in January 2015 still had a remaining qualified candidate who had already been interviewed twice, passed the report writing exercise and the “shoot/don’t shoot video scenario, passed our physical agility testing, and passed our intensive backgrounding process.   The candidate is still very much interested in working for the City and is eager to advance toward our soon to be vacant Patrol Officer position --which will be vacant upon filling the Sergeants’ promotion.  
 
Community Service Officer Vacancy
 
When Ms. Laura Kroll was promoted from her full-time Community Service Officer position to a Patrol Officer position in February, her promotion created a Community Service Officer vacancy.   Under the leadership of City Administrator Ulrich and Chief Katers, staff assessed the Community Service Officer position and determined that it was in the best interest of the City to recruit for two part-time 25-hour per week positions rather than one full-time position.   As a result, an in internal and external recruitment was conducted to fill two part-time Community Service Officer positions.  Staff conducted interviews, background investigations and pre-employment testing.  As a result, staff has selected one internal candidate and one external candidate.  The internal candidate is a current part-time 20-hour per week Police Technician -- which will create a vacancy in the Police Technician role.  This vacancy will be advertised in the near future.   
 

Sergeant/Patrol Officer
Option #1: Promoting a Patrol Officer to Sergeant and backfilling the vacant Patrol Officer position with a new Patrol Officer. Staff recommends this action to help fulfill the public safety needs of the City and to meet the goals of the strategic plan as it relates to this position.
 
Option #2 Not promoting a Patrol Officer to Sergeant and not backfilling the vacant Patrol Officer position. Staff does not recommend this option due to likely repercussions such as a reduced ability to provide effective and timely public safety, i.e.:delays in response times and decreases in general patrol duties, including traffic enforcement and investigation. Citizens would not see a squad driving by their residence as often if there are fewer officers on the department patrolling the neighborhoods and businesses. Calls for service have slowly increased as has the population and the City continues to add businesses; Officers are needed to meet the demand. One of the Council’s strategic goals was to reduce response times, this cannot be accomplished with fewer officers. Response time is a standard of measure indicated in the Balanced Scorecard for the City.
 
Community Service Officers
Option #1: Hire two part-time Community Service Officers. Staff recommends this option to help fulfill the routine public safety and customer service needs, including code enforcement in the City and to meet the goals of the strategic plan as it relates to this position.
 
Option #2 Not hiring two part-time Community Service Officers. Staff does not recommend this option due to likely repercussions such as a reduced ability to provide effective customer service both internally and externally, as well as timely routine public safety response, including code enforcement activities.
 

Sergeant/Patrol Officer
The funding required for this positions is well within the 2015 budget and is estimated to be a general fund savings of $26,722 from June 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.
 
Community Service Officers
The funding required for these positions is well within the 2015 budget and is estimated to be a general fund savings of $1,660 from June 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015;
 
Overall, the budget impact results in a $28,382 savings over what approved in the 2015 budget.

Staff recommends authorizing staff to move ahead with promoting Patrol Officer Kyle Hemmerich to the position of Sergeant, effective on or near June 1, 2015, at $36.05 per hour based on step 3 of the 2015 wage scale and to authorize staff to hire Mr. Ashton Erickson to the position of Patrol Officer, effective on or near June 1, 2015 at $23.44 per hour based step 1 on the 2015 wage scale; and
 
Authorizing staff to move ahead with hiring Ms.Kasey Beran as a part-time 25-hour per week Community Service Officer, on or near May 21, 2015 at $18.09 per hour which is step 1 of the 2015 wage scale and to authorize hiring Ms. Kristin Camacho as a part-time 25-hour per week Community Service Officer, on or near May 26, 2015 at $19.90 per hour which is step 3 of the 2015 wage scale. 
 
 

To make a motion to adopt resolution 15-05-127, authorizing staff to move ahead with promoting Patrol Officer Kyle Hemmerich to the position of Sergeant, effective on or near June 1, 2015 at $36.05 per hour based on step 3 of the 2015 wage scale and to authorize staff to hire Mr. Ashton Erickson to the position of Patrol Officer, effective on or near June 1, 2015, at $23.44 per hour based step 1 on the 2015 wage scale; and
 
To make a motion to adopt resolution 15-05-127, authorizing staff to move ahead with hiring Ms.Kasey Beran as a part-time 25-hour per week Community Service Officer, on or near May 21, 2015 at $18.09 per hour which is step 1 of the 2015 wage scale and to authorize hiring Ms. Kristin Camacho as a part-time 25-hour per week Community Service Officer, on or near June1, 2015 at $19.90 per hour which is step 3 of the 2015 wage scale.