Chief outlines police‑services contract details as council considers renewal

Chief Greg Pickering presented an overview of the city’s police‑services contract during the April 13 work session as the current five‑year agreement enters its final year. Pickering described the arrangement in the transcript as a 24‑hour, seven‑day coverage model that includes patrol, traffic enforcement, investigative support, school resource officers and a dedicated supervisor for the patrol district.

Pickering traced the contract’s history to a July 1, 1989 start and said the present compensation formula is keyed to the salary and benefits of a mid‑level officer (identified in the presentation as a step‑4 officer) plus roughly 10% in overhead to cover vehicles, uniforms and equipment. He told the council the city receives monthly and an annual report summarizing activity and statistics.

The presentation included last‑year workload figures: 701 calls for service (about 58 per month), 98 traffic stops (about eight per month) and 24 arrests (about two per month). “What they get is a full‑service police department,” Pickering said, summarizing the services the contract provides.

Council President Pratt asked about the budget impact of proposed pay adjustments and overhead. Pratt and Pickering discussed a hypothetical 3% across‑the‑board change and Pratt estimated that, under the examples used in the presentation, the incremental cost would amount to roughly 2–3% of the city’s annual budget in that scenario. Several council members — including Councilor Brooks and Council President Pratt — said they have heard from the city manager and are satisfied with the level of service and responsiveness from the contracted provider.

The briefing closed with staff inviting questions as they prepare for contract renewal negotiations. No formal motion or vote occurred in the work session; the council directed staff to continue negotiations and reporting to council as details are developed.