Laserfiche WebLink
'~ity of <br /> <br />iver <br /> <br />ITEH Y. 2. <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />SUBJECT: <br /> <br />Mayor & City Counc~-~^l ~ <br />COPS FAST <br /> <br />There is both good news and bad news regarding the city's application for <br />additional COPS FAST funding for new police officers. The good news is that <br />the city has received authorization for two additional officers (see attached <br />material from the Chief of Police) and the bad news is that these two <br />employees are nowhere to be found in the city budget. <br /> <br />The city currently has four officers that have been hired through the COPS <br />FAST program. Three are through the federal program and one is through <br />the state program. Three of these officers have been with the city less than a <br />year and one program started in 1995. <br /> <br />The COPS FAST program is a financial assistance opportunity for cities to <br />add police officers for community policing activities. The program reimburses <br />the city $75,000 over a three year period, after which the employee is entirely <br />funded by the city. Up to 75 percent of the employee's wages and benefits are <br />reimbursed the first year, 50 percent the second year, and 25 percent the third <br />year. <br /> <br />The adding of two more COPS FAST officers in 1997 means that the city will <br />have a total of six of these employees all added within the last few years. The <br />city budget will see a substantial increase in net expenses for police services <br />in 1998-2000. The actual cost to the city in 1997 for these two new officers <br />will be in the $25,000 range, assuming that they are hired around June 1, <br />1997 (25 percent of two officers for seven months). If money is not available at <br />the end of the year out of the City Council Contingency Fund, then the city <br />may have to once again look at its cash flow reserves as a source of funding for <br />these positions in 1997. As the Council may recall, you have already <br />designated some of the cash flow reserves to be in the budget as a revenue <br />when a budget adjustment was made on 12/16/96. <br /> <br />The addition of two more officers allows the police department to take a more <br />proactive position on a number of issues including traffic enforcement along <br />Highway 169. With this addition we will have to be very careful about adding <br /> <br />13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425 <br /> <br /> <br />