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FC CASE APPROVE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET AMENDMENTS By: Jessie Hart, Finance Officer Background: The Finance Committee approved the purchase of two 1997 Ford Crown Victorias as new squads at their regular meeting on March 25, 1997. It was known at that time a budget amendment would be necessary to accomplish the entire purchase and set-up of the two vehicles. At that time, the purchase was approved with direction to provide the Finance Committee with a proposed budget amendment that reclassified "current budget resources" of the Police Department, rather than an automatic allocation from the Council Contingency, which has been the predominant past practice. In conjunction with this budget amendment, there are several other areas that will need attention due to projected budget shortfalls and changes in the staffing areas for 1997. We are including those amendments with the one proposed for the vehicle purchases. Personnel/Staffing Needs During 1997, former Police Chief Mike Auspos retired which provided an opportunity to review the staffing levels and needs of the entire department. This retirement in itself requires a budget amendment, as it has not been the practice in the past to budget for severance pay in any department. Without any other changes to the staffing, this amendment could have been "absorbed" in the adopted budget. Included in the 1997 Adopted Budget was the addition of one full-time patrol officer with an anticipated start date of July 1, 1997. With the resignation of the Chief, an internal promotion will leave a second patrol position open. The first opening has been filled and the new officer will begin on May 1, 1997. The second officer, which had been budgeted, is anticipated to begin on September 1, 1997. This staggering of hiring was done in an attempt to maintain a level budget, but still requires some overall budget amendments. It has also been brought to our attention that one of the Police Department employees will be taking an extended medical leave and it will be necessary to "cover" this position with temporary help that was not included in the original budget. We are anticipating 6-weeks of full-time temporary help for this coverage. The 1997 budget for overtime in the Police Department, based on year-to-date information appears to be approximately $8,000 short. This is due in part to the staffing vacancies as well as the overtime that will be necessary as new officers are trained in and out of the field.