Big crowd at the W’bago police meeting
Citizens give input on different options for continued protection
A crowd of 50 residents packed Winnebago’s Municipal Center for a special City Council meeting held on Tuesday, May 9, at 6:30 p.m.
The meeting was scheduled prior to the regular City Council meeting to provide residents with a forum to voice their opinions about the future of the Winnebago Police Department.
Serious discussions about the police department began at a special worksession on Tuesday, April 18, which addressed mounting concerns over police department staffing shortages.
Currently, the Winnebago Police Department – designed to operate with three full-time officers – is down to just one full-time officer: Chief Eric Olson.
Chief Olson is currently holding down the department on his own with assistance from a roughly six-person roster of part-time officers, plus additional coverage from the Faribault County Sheriff’s Office when needed.
The council has agreed the arrangement is just a short-term solution, although the Sheriff’s Office has confirmed it will provide Winnebago with coverage for as long as necessary.
“We will help you until you get a police department together, if that is the route you decide to go,” Chief Deputy Scott Adams assured the council. “Even if you sign a contract with Blue Earth, we’re always here to help.”
The council has considered contracting with the Blue Earth Police Department for coverage as one solution to the problem. However, the council is also considering increasing officer wages to attract candidates to the vacant positions on the force.
Olson and city administrator Judi Hynes collaborated to generate proposed wage increases for the council’s consideration on May 9. The increases would align Winnebago’s pay with that of neighboring police departments and make it a more competitive employment option.
The proposed increases offer a $30.29 hourly wage at the bottom of the pay scale. Officers at the top of the pay scale would earn a $36.16 hourly wage.
“I think we could be competitive at this wage and get more people to come here,” Olson commented.
Currently, Winnebago officers at the bottom of the pay scale earn roughly $25 an hour. Olson has found it difficult to attract officers to Winnebago with the current wages, and has suggested the department’s staff shortages are largely due to pay.
“It’s a very competitive market right now,” he explained, adding the number of new officers graduating from law enforcement school each year has dropped significantly.
The proposed wage scale would increase Winnebago’s police department budget by an estimated $44,829.31, according to Hynes’ calculations, costing the city a total of $411,715.68 in 2024.
Hynes calculated the costs would reflect a $67.53 increase to residents’ property taxes on a $100,000 taxable market value home.
Contracting with Blue Earth’s Police Department for coverage in 2024 would cost Winnebago less, at $355,561.58.
In this scenario, Blue Earth police officers would provide full daily coverage for Winnebago from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Chief Olson would likely be absorbed into the Blue Earth Police Department, although his role in the department is, as yet, unspecified.
Many members of the public seemed reticent to dissolve the police department, even if it is currently the less costly option.
“Once we disassemble our police force, we can’t get it back,” observed one citizen. “That’s a forever thing, for the right-now decision of saving a little money.”
Some community members also observed that the Blue Earth Police Department’s wages may increase in the future, anyway.
“The thing that’s important to me is coverage. We need somebody in town,” said Winnebago Fire Chief Jesse Haugh. “Right now, the way it’s been running, it’s not working, period. Please get the coverage back from 7 a.m. to the early hours of the morning, however you can.”
“I fear that lack of coverage, with losing our city-owned department. I fear something happening to my crew,” a Winnebago Ambulance crew member added. “If we go with Blue Earth, we’re not guaranteed that coverage.”
Mayor Scott Robertson, however, was concerned that even after implementing the wage increases, there is no guarantee the Winnebago Police Department will be able to recruit new officers.
Robertson, along with other council members, also worried that residents do not realize the heavy impact on taxes which the wage increases would have.
Council member Paul Eisenmenger noted, “If we’re going to have a ($44,000) increase, our levy’s going to go up to around 30 percent. Guarantee it.”
Council member Calvin Howard also observed that raising police wages could affect Winnebago’s pay equity scale, which is already at risk. Failing to balance the pay equity scale results in steep fines to the city and a sharp reduction in funding from the state.
Howard continued, however, “From what I’m hearing, it doesn’t sound like anyone is interested in going to Blue Earth. It sounds like everyone is willing to pay the price – literally pay the price - for it.”
Council member Jean Anderson said, “Tonight is just getting public input. I don’t personally know if we have enough information to make a decision tonight.”
The gathered public agreed they would like more information and more opportunity for public discussion before a decision is made. In particular, they wanted a clearer idea of what contracting with the Blue Earth Police Department would look like.
The council voted to table the discussion until a future meeting, and directed Hynes and Olson to collect more specific details from the Blue Earth Police Department. Once the city has that information, the council intends to schedule another special meeting, ideally prior to the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 13.