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5.3. SR 04-14-2003Police Department MEMORANDUM Item # 5.3. TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Mayor and City Council Jeffrey A. Beahen, Assistant Chief of Police 4-10-03 Promotions I have spent a lengthy period of time evaluating the internal candidates for both my replacement and the promotion to patrol sergeant to fill the vacancy created by that promotion. The decision to promote both the two individuals I am recommending to the Council comes after further discussions with Chief Zerwas and the other current supervisors at the police department. I am confident that these promotions will provide the City and the Police Department with two very solid, skilled and talented police supervisors. I am recommending that Sgt. Brad Rolfe be appointed to the position of Police Captain. Sgt. Rolfe has been an employee of our department since 1-4-82 and was promoted to the current position of Patrol Sergeant on 2-15-86. He is the Commander of our SWAT team and a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command Force. Prior to my hiring, Brad was the number two person for Chief Zerwas and he is very familiar with the duties and responsibilities of his new proposed position. Brad is an extremely dedicated employee who has given countless hours of extra time to this department and he brings to this position his vast knowledge of the City and the mission of our agency. I am confident that he is the best candidate for this position and I am looking forward to working with him in the position of Police Captain. This position would have the same duties as the current position of Assistant Chief. I feel that creating the Captain's position allows us greater freedom to further structure the department with a long-term goal of adding a second Captain when the size of the department dictates the need for additional management. My vision would be to have one Captain assigned to Patrol with the second Captain assigned to Administration and Investigation. This is the most common structure for mid-sized agencies in Minnesota as it affords a more even division of supervision as well as being more centered based management. If we lock into the position of keeping an Assistant Chief, we force ourselves to stick to a more linear chain of command, a style of leadership that often hinders employee communication. Brad is currently at the top of his pay grade as a patrol sergeant and with his holiday and WIP pay, would make approximately $69,359 in 2003. I would propose that he start at the level ! am currently at, which is level 8E. That is a yearly salary of $71,293 dollars a year or $1,934 more per year. If he started one step lower, he would only earn $67,013 a year, over $2,000 less than his current salary. ! would actually like to advocate that this position be rated higher, as it requires a great deal more time and commitment than the sergeant's position. Coming from that position, I can insure you that it is a position worth more than the current salary spread between the sergeants's pay and the current 8E level. The personnel committee has reviewed the position tide change and responsibilities and they have agreed to this change. (Please see memo for Loft Johnson) My candidate for the Patrol Sergeant slot created by the promotion of Rolfe to Captain is Officer Dan Block. Officer Block has been with our department since 10-18-93. Prior to that he worked for the Circle Pines/Lexington Police Department for three years. Officer Block is a member of our SWAT team, a department instructor in defensive tactics and a current member of one of our two day watches. He tested second in our testing process for this position one year ago, when Dave Dummer was promoted to sergeant. Dan is a very dedicated to his assignments, has been proven to be very reliable and he possesses very strong communication skills. I have complete faith that he will perform very well in a new assignment as a Patrol Sergeant and I would recommend that he be promoted to that position. Dan would earn the wage outlined by our current union contract for the patrol sergeants, with a starting wage for the first step at $62,544 a year. Per the current contract agreement he would give up the eligibility for a WIP increase upon his promotion. Officer Block earned $55,629 last year not including any overtime. Upon his promotion he would be in a salaried position, no longer eligible for overtime in accordance with the union contract. To accomplish the transition created by the Chief leaving, I am asking that we promote both these employees to their new positions effective 4-15-03. That gives me just over two weeks to work at transifionmg these employees into their new areas of responsibility while in turn giving me time to complete my transition to the position of Chief. There is a great deal of work to be done yet in order to accomplish this transition, and I need the support of both these officers between now and April 30th. Respectfully submitted by: Assistant Chief of Police River TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM Mayor and City Council Personnel Committee Sandy Petrie Dave Potvin Bruce West Lori Johnson April 10, 2003 Consider Personnel Committee Recommendation The Personnel Committee received a request from Jeff Beahen, who will take over as Police Chief on May 1, to consider a position tide change for the Assistant Police Chief. Jeff has proposed long range organizational structure changes for the department that the Personnel Committee agreed were in the best interest of the department. The first of these is to change the tide of Assistant Police Chief to Captain. Changing the title now will help accommodate future organizational changes. At this time the duties and responsibilities of the position will not change, and as a result, the Captain position will remain at the same point value and pay grade as the Assistant Police Chiefi · Committee Recommendation -Change Assistant Police Chief position title to Captain with no change in the point value and pay range. The Personnel Committee also acknowledged Jeff's concern over the small pay differential in the department's supervisory positions, but did not take any action at this time. Action Requested The Council is asked to approve the title change as stated above.