08-25-04 Personnel & Finance - Laserfiche WebLink

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C.:OMMILLEE CRE12o'L o f£J E E'1.10 2P2F- and 91nanaE eommittEE of the SoutI l }End 20 noi2 £OUnaI account. There are currently eight(8)police officers in DROP with the 9th officer pulling out of the program yesterday,noting that the police department is not as eager as the fire department to participate in DROP. The fund includes monies for eight (8) death benefits. He noted that retirements are currently down. There are 158 police officers under the old plan; ten 1977 convertees; 79-80 widows; and 3-4 dependents. At this point in the Committee meeting, Community and Economic Development Director Sharon Kendall joined the meeting. There are 42 police officers currently eligible to retire, with two (2) more reaching 52 years of age next year thus bringing the total to 44. Police Department (General Fund# 101-0801) $24,096,233 1.4% increase A looseleaf notebook entitled "South Bend Police Department & Communication Center--2005 Budget" was provided to the Committee; along with a draft of a 8 1/2" x 11" recruiting poster, recruiting VHS and DVD. Police Chief Thomas H. Fautz turned the presentation over to Don Pinckert. He noted that the Mayor approved three (3) additional police officers from 258 to 261, one (1) new civilian Public Information Officer; while one (1) evidence tech and one (1) secretary V would be eliminated. The new Police Cadet Program has four (4) cadets. Each of them are paid $10,000 in salary for the part-time positions. They will be full-time in the summer; plus tuition costs are paid for them of approximately $250 each per semester. Council Member Kelly noted that $35,000 is not much to pay for a "real pro" who is a public information officer. Chief Fautz stated that this person must have proper communication skills and would also update the website. Mr. Pinckert noted that monies in the overtime account are reimbursable from ATF, IRS and the Weed and Seed Program. Nevertheless, an additional $11,395 is being requested for this line-item. The only item under supplies which is increasing is for gasoline with the guidelines using $1.75 per gallon. Last year 293,833 gallons of gasoline were used in 2003. This year the gasoline line-item will be in the red between$30,000 to$50,000. Dr. Varner inquired whether the administration is considering the amount of usage when off-duty. Chief Fautz noted that mileage has decreased in the past two(2)months. Dr. Varner inquired about the gasoline contract. Mr. 011ett stated that the bids are on an "as needed basis",with the average cost being$1.53 per gallon to date. Mr. Pincket stated that starting in 2005 the police department will be responsible for the utility costs for the entire complex in light of the major renovation currently taking place. Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting of August 25,2004 Page 8