Minutes - Council Work Session - 02/16/2021 - Special

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Fire Chief Kohner stated that the case provides a great explanation on the value of the duty officer. He noted that this responsibility has been in place for ten years, but times have changed, and other cities are paying, therefore it is important and the right thing to do to compensate those that are waiting at home for the pager to go off. He stated that there is a big value to having an officer that can respond from their home. Councilmember Riley asked if people volunteer to be the duty officer. Fire Chief Kohner replied that they are not volunteers but a group of officers that are designated as duty on-call. He stated that there are seven officers that choose different weeks of availability to be on-call. Councilmember Musgrove stated that she appreciates the restructuring that occurred for the duty officer wages, which resulted in a savings for the City. She asked for more detail on the readiness for the on-call position, specifically whether they are just waiting at home. Fire Chief Kohner stated that during the specific timeframe they have to be at home and ready to respond to any calls, should the pager go off. Councilmember Musgrove asked for input on the two options for pay. Fire Chief Kohner explained that these were examples from neighboring cities. He stated that although the purpose of a duty officer is the same, the hours could be slightly different. He stated that Ramsey would be paying two hours per day, which would equate to 14 hours per week whereas Andover pays 24 hours in one week. He confirmed that officers would still receive compensation when responding to a call. Councilmember Musgrove referenced the comments that these funds would come from the 2021 budget and asked for further details on how this could have been included in the budget. Administrative Services Director Lasher stated that the funding listed within the case is the amount that would be required based on the current employee hourly wages and hours staffed. She stated that this has been on the to do list for staff for multiple years and therefore believed that the dollars were built into the budget in anticipation of this action and therefore this would not cause wages to go over budget. Councilmember Musgrove stated that she would want to know more about how this was budgeted and the funding available. Mayor Kuzma stated that the question would be whether duty officers are compensated for taking time out of their lives to commit to an on-call shift. He stated that other cities are paying their duty officers and therefore it would be fair to compensate these employees. Fire Chief Kohner stated that although the pay structure is different, this would mirror the on-call public works staff compensation. City Council Work Session / February 16, 2021 Page 2 of 12