Friday, December 23, 2016
By Sarah Lehr
CAMPBELL
Council is reviewing legislation to eliminate the rank of lieutenant in the police department.
If council chooses to pass the ordinance after a third reading next month, the position between sergeant and police chief will be abolished through attrition, meaning the current lieutenant, Kevin Sferra, will not lose his rank.
Council President George Levendis said the change is a cost-savings measure. Lieutenants earn $21.87 hourly, and entry-level sergeants earn $19.49 hourly. Sergeants earn $21.14 hourly after the first year.
Levendis also cited a charter amendment approved by city voters in November, which removed civil-service restrictions from the police chief position and thereby granted the mayor greater authority in hiring and firing the police chief.
Levendis said nixing the lieutenant rank would increase flexibility and avert top-heavy staffing. All ranks below police chief are still subject to civil-service requirements.
Additionally, council, at its meeting this week, tabled legislation which would have set the police chief’s pay at $50,500 a year.
Under a current ordinance, during the police chief’s first year, he or she earns $47,000 with a high-school diploma; $50,337 with a bachelor’s degree; and $53,675 with a master’s degree.
The city has not yet hired a new police chief since Mayor Nick Phillips fired former police Chief Drew Rauzan last month. Rauzan is in the process of appealing his termination through the civil service commission.
Council considered several other pieces of legislation, which will come up for final passage at the Jan. 4 regular meeting, including an ordinance to increase the yearly pay for the civil-service secretary from $500 to $750.
Other items under consideration are payment of $22,460 for body armor for the police and $19,735 for emergency repairs to the street department building.
Legislation to set the monthly contribution rate for exempt city employees at 13 percent of the premium for medical, drug, vision and dental insurance coverage will come up for final passage at the Jan. 4 meeting.
Council read a series of amendments to its ordinance regulating animals and fowl, including restrictions on the tethering of pets under harsh conditions, before sending the amendments back to committee for revision.
Council will have a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the 2017 budget.