In less than two hours, the Jefferson City Council heard budget presentations on more than 10 city departments, asking few questions and making no changes so far.
At the Budget Committee meeting Thursday, council members went through the draft 2017 budgets for mayor and council, city clerk, city attorney, municipal court, human resources, finance, nondepartmental, information technology, police and fire.
Until the public safety departments presented, very few questions had been asked as City Administrator Steve Crowell and Finance Director Margie Mueller went through the proposed budgets of administration departments.
No changes were made because of a request from 1st Ward Councilman and committee chair, Rick Prather, who asked no adjustments to the draft be made until all department budgets had been presented. Prather also requested when changes are made, if a council member makes a motion for an additional expense, they have until the end of the next meeting to come up with a way to offset that expense.
In the police department, the draft 2017 budget includes two positions that existed in the department before a budget shortfall in 2013 caused many vacant positions to be cut. Chief Roger Schroeder said the additional police officer would ideally be placed as a second school resource officer at Jefferson City High School, and if that happens, the school district could fund 50 percent of the $55,000 cost.
The other position funded is the police information manager, which Schroeder said would help manage records and IT needs in the department, noting it's caused a lot of problems and management issues to not have that position.
"That is critical to us," Schroeder said.
Prather asked about body cameras, as none were outlined in the draft budget, and Schroeder said purchasing body cameras would come from the city's half-cent capital improvement sales tax, which was approved by voters Tuesday for another five-year installment.
The fire department draft budget includes two firefighter positions that had been cut in 2013. In the past two years, the department has unsuccessfully gone after grants that would fund those positions, which are needed to fulfill obligations in the firefighters' union contract. Chief Matt Schofield said the two positions would help the staff absorb other vacancies created through use of sick, vacation or leave time.
The draft budget also includes just under $100,000 for training and essential function funding in the fire department, which Schofield said would be used to pay employees to complete training programs on days they are not scheduled to work. Schofield used the example of requesting a firefighter take an EMT course, which falls on days that employee is not scheduled to work. This funding would allow that person to be considered on duty while in the course.
Second Ward Councilman J. Rick Mihalevich questioned whether this was more of a policy change that should have gone through the council's existing committee process, which would be the Public Safety Committee.
"If I understand correctly, we've never done this in the past, and it's a new thing," Mihalevich said.
Schofield said that's only partially true, as the department has always tried to find the needed funding to allow for training. But things have tightened, and that is no longer feasible.
"If we can't compensate an individual for the hours we're asking them to be there, fewer and fewer people are making the commitment to be at those trainings," Schofield said.
Crowell said the city also could see some liability for not compensating employees who are working.
The Budget Committee will pick up its discussions at 5:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall with the Planning and Protective Services Department, the Public Works Department, and the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, if time allows.