Agenda - Council - 03/14/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I COPS FAST GRANT By: Ryan R. Schroeder, City Administrator CASE # 4 Background: As Council is a~vare, Ramsey was recently notified of a preliminary approval for one police officer throug~ the United States Department of Justice COPS FAST Program (COPS). This Program Will provide 75 percent of the wage and benefit cost, not to exceed $75,000 over a three-year period, of a police officer. In Ramsey, it i~. expected that acceptance of the funding will commit us to an expenditure of $10,088.25 over the fa'st twelve months. This increases to an estimated $10,491.75 for the second year and $30,386.00 for the third year. The total cost to Ramsey, therefore, is estimated at $~0,966. It should be noted by Council that it appears that only the fa-st year of funding is secure. Subsequent years are subject to the same budget shifts as any federal program. The five-year ~taffing plan was approved by Council on June 14, 1994. Approval of this plan was intend, ed to provide a reasonable expectation to the public and others as to which staffing changes were projected through 1998. It is not inappropriate, however, to consider amendments to the plan from time to time. The staffing p.~n projects twelve police officers in 1995 (10 patrol, sergeant, chic0, the same for 1996, with an additional officer in 1997. The year 1998 shows a second sergeant. The COPS grant is requesting funding for a 1996 patrol officer when such was not projected w~th~ the staffing plan. However, it is probable that had we known at the time that the projec[ed $40,353 cost could be reduced to $10,088.25, a different decision would have been made. The 1995 offiaer started work on February 27, 1995. Hence, we experienced a budget savings of approximately $6,700 due to this delay. However, a different wage and benefit expense in th~ police department will use about $3,700 of that savings. Therefore, it appears that w{ could hire under, the COPS grant, an officer starting in September 1995, and break evenr on the salary line item. (Note that this will require $10,500 to be set aside in the 1996 budget for wage and benefits as a hedge against a COPS funding denial for this officer in year two.) With approva~ of the 1996 COPS officer (9/95) the Police Department will not be requesting ad~tional staffing in that budget year (although we will continue to pursue a possible Community Service Officer or similar, position elsewhere in the City). With the placement of the 1995 officer, Gary Voit, we established a pool of qualified applicants. It Would be our expectation that we would hire from that pool within the cost parameters expressed above. Committee Action: Motion to recommend that City Council direct Staff to submit the final COPS FAST budget request based u~on the above parameters.