Response to the motion to negotiate with Appleton Police Department Merger

Other departments that have successfully merged followed specific criteria and a thought out detailed merger path. For example, they:

• Started out with a private feasibility study.
• Had a joint advisory board (including town officials, police staff, and citizens) to review service options
• Had a clear vision and firm objectives in mind before the proposal went public.
• Had much public participation including forums before adopting the merger.
• Had clear and equitable funding formulas covering members obligations

The Appleton/Grand Chute merger path so far has covered none of these criteria. In fact, Grand Chute is laying excellent groundwork for future studies on "how not to conduct a police merger".

How can we board members, as stewards of our citizens' tax money, agree to further negotiations with a department that has not provided a budget, does not give a five year strategic plan, can't even guarantee that the departments can successfully merge, does not keep Grand Chute's identity, and has not addressed any of the issues brought up in a detailed analysis of their proposal. No company would act so fiscally irresponsibly in acquiring or merging with another company. The town should be no different with a multi-million dollar police department.

The Appleton proposal fails to prove to our community they can provide better services than Grand Chute. Chief Walsh tells the media that Grand Chute will add three more officers, but in reality, the proposal takes away all Staff Sgt. management positions from Grand Chute. These officers already serve in a patrol duty capacity. Furthermore, the proposal eliminates our part time officers and staff. In reality, there is no way a department can take over another, with their same budget, without eliminating positions when increasing an entire department's salary by almost 9 percent.

In addition, without both communities having equal interest and input into a strategic plan leads me to believe we are heading down the same slippery slope as our agreement with Appleton regarding the water plant.

How can we, as board members, in effect, hand a blank check over to the City of Appleton? It is not that I am against departmental mergers. Rather, I am against any merger that is handled so poorly, rushed to be enacted, and has utter disregard to the clear voice of Grand Chute residents.