Brockport officials talk police contracts again

Brockport officials talk police contracts again

The resignation of one police officer and the hiring of another set off a lengthy conversation about police contracts and the costs of the department to village taxpayers at the July 16 meeting in Brockport.

At the Village of Brockport board meeting, Police Chief Dan Varrenti read a letter of resignation submitted by Sergeant Douglas Ziegler effective July 29. Ziegler is leaving his post with the police department to pursue retirement, even though he will likely come back to the department in a part time capacity, Varrenti said.

"We will be down to only 10 full time officers and I have a resolution to hire one of our part time officers as a full time officer," Varrenti said. "We will have no expense for hiring him, but if we look outside our part time officers for a replacement, the expenses for hiring a new officer will be $18,000 (for testing, training and outfitting)."

Varrenti requested making Lucas VanDervort a full time officer to fill the slot vacated by Ziegler. Without 10 full time officers, the department will likely expend more in over time than village officials would like to see, he said.

The current contract for the police officers under the Stetson Club agreement expired May 31 and Brockport Mayor Mort Wexler has been involved in negotiations on a new contract. "I am not against hiring the officer you (Varrenti) recommended, but there is no contract in the village right now," he said. "I am also concerned with what this village spends in overtime compared to other municipalities like Ogden, Fairport or East Rochester. What we need is more part time people, not to spend in excess of $100,000 in overtime."

Wexler said the provision in the recently expired police contract for minimum staffing is what drives the cost of the police department budget up.

"I'm scratching my head here tonight," Trustee David Wagenhauser said. "We say we are spending too much in overtime but yet you don't want to hire this officer. If we don't hire another officer, then the board has made a conscious decision to spend (money on) overtime because it's cheaper to do that than hire? I don't get it."

Trustee Carrie Maziarz said the "board knew it was coming" when it came to having to hire new officers. "Obviously board members would have hoped to not have to hire a new officer under the current police contract but we can't wait until a new one is negotiated. As the chief pointed out, overtime costs will skyrocket," she said. "If the department is short staffed that will increase overtime costs. If we try to hold off on hiring another officer until a new contract is negotiated, the people in this village will see overtime costs skyrocket like they have never seen before."

Trustee Connie Castaneda wanted to see a cost/benefit analysis of what it would cost to hire versus not hire another full time officer. "If we have that information we can make a more informed decision. I do think it would be more beneficial to hire after the new contract is negotiated," she said.

Wexler reiterated that the minimum staffing requirement in the contract hurts the village tremendously. "No other department has that," he said. Minimum staffing required under the Stetson Club contract calls for two officers to be on duty Thursday through Sunday.

A vote was called on the motion to hire VanDervort. Trustee Hanny Heyen, Maziarz and Wagenhauser voted yes, Wexler and Castaneda voted no.

Following the vote, Varrenti said that relating budget numbers to municipalities that aren't home to colleges isn't a true comparison. He read figures for police departments and the number of officers they have on staff for other municipalities that have colleges and Brockport has among the highest general population at around 8,000 and is home to an additional 8,000 students nine months of the year.