It amazes me this figure is repeatedly touted to the community as fact and the Holy Grail of why Grand Chute needs to merge. I say this because I called Chairman Marsden out earlier this month for misrepresenation to the Post-Crescent. He admitted that figure was over exaggerated.
"You're looking closer to $500,000" as a more realistic cost for new staffing, Marsden said.
The staff expansion also would reduce the department's overtime costs, budgeted at $161,900 this year, Marsden said.
Combined, that's almost $500,000 less than what Chairman Marsden and Interim Chief Jim Lewis continually misrepresent to the public.There is also ongoing reference to a police study conducted by the consulting firm PPA. The report is "best practices review" of departmental conditions and operations. While the report does touch on the need for more officers, it does not give specific facts or numbers. It focuses more on staffing and management practices that were a concern to officers.
So where is this inflated figure coming from?
Grand Chute residents should know that each town department was asked to submit a wish list for consideration to the town board for the upcoming budget back in 2007. The "force that the police chief thinks we should have" is actually a wish list compiled by Retiring Chief Ed Kopp to create a utopian police department. A list, some say, that was a result of a outgoing chief frustrated with the lack of support from previous Town Boards.
So, while there will be a continued need to hire more officers as the town grows, it is not as dire of situation that some would have residents believe. Hiring a good manager/chief would also go a long ways in using existing resources more efficiently.
The Town Board has approved one additional full time officer position, along with two-part time positions in the 2008 budget. I advocated for these positions at the expense of other staffing requests.
It is my understanding the positions have yet to be filled.
