BLUE EARTH - Blue Earth's City Council made some divisive budget choices Monday.
The police department was first up in the discussion. It had six officers until last week, when an officer resigned. The department also lost an officer in 2003/2004 budget cuts.
Police Chief Dean Vereide applied for a COPS grant to restore the seventh position. It would pay three years salary, with the city paying the fourth. But if the department received the grant and the city accepted, the city faced replacing both positions.
Councilman John Huisman favored not replacing the sixth position. He said several months ago the council discussed not replacing an officer if one resigned.
"We're not asking for wage freezes; we're not asking for furloughs like the county's doing," Huisman said. "... I just think to be fiscally responsible we've got to take the opportunity to reduce costs without laying anybody off."
Councilman Glenn Gaylord didn't want to rehire anyone until state aid reductions are a known quantity.
"I know it's not perfect, but we're in a recession right now," he said. "Everybody knows that the police do a great job, but I'd like to try this for a while to keep us from having to let somebody go later.
Councilman Dick Maher opposed the decrease, because it means less public safety coverage.
"We're basically one short right now that we haven't filled for the past several years," he said. "That means we're two short. We've budgeted for the dollars."
Maher agreed with Gaylord that it's difficult to hire people and then have to lay them off, but teachers go through the same thing every year.
He said with the reduction in officers, the city will face more overtime costs from the rest of the squad.
Vereide said he will not be able to keep overtime hours down if the city does not rehire. He said one officer will be on maternity leave for a month soon, and another in July. Other officers have vacation time. With a limited number of part-timers, the remaining full-timers will have to fill in.
Huisman said it is a good time to try a five-officer rotation.
Councilman Rick Scholtes' concern is that the police department largely cut equipment expenses this year. He said eventually the department is going to run out of equipment.
Councilman Les Wiborg said the sheriff's department can always help cover the city.
"Most of those deputies are out of town, not around Blue Earth," Maher countered.
He made a motion to rehire an officer, but it died for a lack of a second.
The public works department received a warmer reception.
City Administrator Kathy Bailey said it would take two seasonal employees to fill one of two open public works positions. She said it would cost $768 more to hire two seasonal workers, not including benefits.
Wiborg said public works really needs the worker.
"How can you talk Les that public works is more important than police?" Maher countered.
"That's only one man's opinion," Wiborg said.
The council approved rehiring one public works position on a 3-2 vote. Maher abstained, while Gaylord and Scholtes voted against rehiring. Huisman, Wiborg and Mayor Rob Hammond voted in favor. Councilman Dan Brod was absent.
Next on the list was public works equipment.
One option was levying for several pieces of equipment - a street sweeper, sewer vacuum and a tarp - while another option was bonding.
Hammond asked how much the governor is projecting for 2010 aid cuts. Bailey said at least $300,000 - not including what has already been cut and 2009 estimates.
"So if we levy for the $160,000 (of state-aid loss), we'll still have to cut $180,000," Hammond clarified.
Hammond asked about sharing nonessential equipment with neighboring towns.
The council approved purchasing the tarp, which will be installed on a truck for road work. It then agreed to have Bailey and the public works director work with Winnebago and Elmore to work out an equipment-sharing contract.
The final item addressed involved donations to the Chamber of Commerce, Historical Society and summer recreation programs, totaling $10,250. Bailey plans to use savings from a new mowing contract to continue payments to the organizations, along with limited mosquito spraying.
Mosquito spraying was delayed to a future meeting, but the council unanimously approved contributions to the groups.