Hello Mayor and Council members. The snow and ice storm this month kept us very busy for a period of time. I hope all of you managed it and were able to keep yourselves and your families safe and warm. Most of our time was spent responding to vehicle crashes, pulling out vehicles that were stuck in the roadway and debris management as well. We were able to come through with relatively little damage, aside from a tree falling on one of our patrol vehicles, but that sort of thing can be fixed. The main thing is we all made it through without any injuries or major damage.

The hiring process is still moving forward and there is nothing new to report from the last council report. We are still on track to be fully staffed after the three openings are filled, that is our goal.

The budget process is in full swing with all the department heads and I’m working on finishing this up as I write this. My brain is a bit scrambled from looking at all those numbers but I’m looking forward to budget meetings and getting our budget finished and approved.

We have been focused on employee wellness more than ever before. Currently, we are exploring different scheduling options for our patrol officers. We have been researching this topic for some time and my Lieutenant has just finished up a weeks training on the topic. The goal is to maximize coverage with the officers we have with a focus on health and wellness. For years, our officers and staff have worked a four day a week schedule. This consists of ten hour shifts for four days in a row. This may change in the near future as we discover better options that are scientifically proven to be more healthy and sustainable for employees who are mandated to shift work that includes nights, weekends and holidays. I will keep you posted as we continue to explore these options.

That is all for now. I hope all of you have a great month. Chief Roberts