Commission votes to keep police department after merger talks

Luke Klink

The Ladysmith Police and Fire Commission voted 5-0 last Wednesday to make no changes to the current structure of the city’s police department.

The decision came after a closed session “to determine if the commission desires to investigate the contracting or merging of law enforcement provision with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department.”

The discussion was held in closed session because it would impact bargaining and intergovernmental agreements, according to commission chairman John Pohlman.

“The action would be to expend time and energy to start a serious discussion on the whole thing, and we really don’t have the resources,” Pohlman said.

City attorney Al Kenyon called the discussion a valid reason to go into closed session for bargaining reasons. The vote to enter closed session was unanimous.

“We don’t want to get everyone worked up if nothing is going to come of it,” Kenyon said. “We are in a very preliminary discussion that will affect the bargaining unit.”

The commission is responsible for direct oversight of the police and fire departments under “optional powers” granted by a past city referendum.

Optional powers as identified by state statute 62.13 include:

— Organizing and supervising the fire and police departments, and prescribing rules and regulations for their control and management.

— Contracting for and purchasing all necessary apparatus and supplies for the use of the departments under their supervision, exclusive of the erection and control of the police and fire station buildings.

— Auditing all bills, claims and expenses of the fire and police departments before the same are paid by the city treasurer.

Another referendum is required to rescind the optional powers granted to the police and fire

commission, according to Pohlman.

Forcing such a referendum requires a petition signed by at least 20 percent of the total votes cast by electors in the city for governor at the last general election to be fi led with the city clerk at least 42 days prior to a regular city election. The referendum election shall be held with the regular city election.

A city may abolish its police department

under state statute 62.13 (2s) if it enters into a contract with a county under for the county sheriff to provide law enforcement services in all parts of the city. Pohlman noted a “maintenance of effort” provision in the recently approved state biennium budget, banning municipalities and counties from making cuts in law enforcement and fire department budgets unless they can prove the cuts improve efficiency. He added the police and fire departments are being operated as efficiently as possible to continue providing the high level of services residents expect despite the new budget provision passed at the state level.

At a recent Ladysmith Common Council meeting, alderman Marty Reynolds stated during the current trying financial times, it might be a good time to look into merging the city police department and Rusk County Sheriff’s Department. The

sheriff’s department provides dispatch services to the police department, and both often work closely together.

Reynolds estimated city residents pay about 25 percent of county taxes, and he believed the sheriff’s department should provide one full time equivalent patrol shift in the city. The city operates its own police department. “It impacts bargaining and bargaining strategy, and ultimately this commission has to have input on the bargaining with that employee bargaining group,” Pohlman said. “If somebody should happen to bring forth a petition to hold a referendum that is when the voters will have their vote on it.”

Contract bargaining between the city and police union begins in three months, according to police Chief Dean Meyer.

“The police union has to know what the police and fire commission is going to do because everything the officers have offered starts January 1,” Meyer said.

The city’s public safety budget for 2009 was $1,120,426 compared with a total operating budget of $4,532,854.

In a related matter, the commission will interview 13 of 18 candidates who applied to create an officer hiring eligibility list.