Police and Fire Committee

City of Sidney, MT Police and Fire Committee Meeting 7-12-23 July 12, 2023 5:45 PM 115 2nd Street SE |Sidney, MT 59270 The City Council meetings are open to the public attending in person, with masks encouraged when social distancing cannot be accomplished. If the public does not wish to participate in person, they are also invited to participate via a Zoom meeting. You can participate via phone: Meeting ID: 713 080 5898 Passcode: 4332809 Call: 1-346-248-7799 Council Members Present: DiFonzo, Godfrey and Christensen Others Present: Mayor Norby, Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin, PWD Hintz, Chief Kraft, FM/BI Rasmussen 1. New Business a. FY23-24 Police Preliminary Budget Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented and reviewed the proposed police budget. Chief Kraft stated the body cams, evidence management software, tazers etc. are out of date and along with the Sheriff's Department they are looking at complete replacement to the Axon proposal. He stated the Sheriff's Department has basically finalized using them and it makes sense for the city to have the same software and cameras. He stated this will be paid over 5-years, but this includes replacements at the end of the 5 years for body cameras and in car systems. He stated it works out to be approximately $41,000 over the next 5 years but it is currently being covered by the reduction in the communications budget. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated after spending $80,000 out of the Police CIP account and transferring into it, there will be $133,890 in his CIP account to cover the remaining years of the Axon contract should the communications budget go back up. Chief Kraft stated the $80,000 out of the Police CIP are for more new trunking radios, ballistic shields and helmets and evidence room shelves. He stated after this year of upgrading equipment, they should be set. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated she is also recommending transferring $30,000 into the Police Pension to assist in increasing the cash available in that fund for training. She stated she is recommending approval of the Police preliminary budget. Motion was made to recommend approval of the police budget. Motion made by DiFonzo, Seconded by Godfrey. Voting Yea: DiFonzo, Godfrey, Christensen Police and Fire Committee Meeting 7-12-23 July 12, 2023 Page 1 of 2  b. FY23-24 Fire and Building Preliminary Budgets Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented the Fire Budget, the only change from the previous fiscal year being shifting the maintenance expenses of the fire trucks out of the Fire Truck CIP, as there is enough money in there to start using it for the minimal maintenance expenses. She stated she is recommending approval of the Fire Department budget. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin presented the Building Department budget. She stated state law requires that revenue received from building permits must be used in the building department within two fiscal years. She stated this was never a problem, as the expenditures always exceeded the revenue, until the City started to receive the revenue from the County permits, which have been high because of commercial building permits. She stated in FY21-22 there was excess revenue of $33,803.94 and preliminarily in FY22-23 there will be excess revenue of $11,687.58. She stated currently that revenue is budgeted to be expended out of the supplies of the building department, but she is recommending shifting that excess money to payroll to hire a compliance officer. She stated the compliance officer would not only take of the previous compliance officer positions duties of lawns and nuisance, but would also be in charge of zoning compliance and assisting FM/BI Rasmussen, so half of that wage could be taken out of the Building Department. Clerk/Treasurer Chamberlin stated the full cost of all benefits for an employee making $17.00/hour is $65,000 a year, but if the position is moved forward on she would like a recommendation on the wage. Alderwoman Godfrey recommended paying the Compliance Officer at least $22.00 and Alderwoman Christensen agreed. Chief Kraft stated if they are going to be an official and deal with the complications of the position, they should be paid more than $17.00 per hour. Motion was made to recommend approval of the Fire Department preliminary budget and the Building Department preliminary budget with the amendment of cutting the supplies budget to pay a part of the Compliance Officer's position with a starting wage of $22.00/hour. Adjourned 6:33pm. Police and Fire Committee Meeting 7-12-23 July 12, 2023 Page 2 of 2