Dear Council,

I am pleased that you have unanimously concluded negotiations of a new contract aimed to improve Menlo Park's ability to recruit and retain our police officers.

Because I am unable to attend the meeting tonight, I want to send a few concerns/questions and suggestions that I hope you will discuss related to this decision.

1. Will this be a "fix" only until the next city improves its compensation package? While this negotiation may improve our town's near term ability to compete for police officers, it could also feed into an ongoing bidding war between cities. Recommendation: Identify some actions that could lead to multi-city approaches to address this regional challenge, including discussions with other cities and contemplation of actions such as shared recruitment to police academies to increase the supply.
2. How will Menlo Park pay for this? Given the uncertain economy and financial pressures many taxpayers face, I do not think it appropriate to increase the UUT at this time unless that is the only option available. Recommendation: Request input from the citizen Finance Committee regarding pros and cons of alternative ways to fund this.
3. What are the potential longer term ramifications of this decision on other personnel policies and costs, and post-retirement benefit obligations? It seems that past decisions, such as lowering the retirement age to 50, in order to compete may have contributed to the current shortage. Private sector organizations have had to address similar issues and there may be a lot to learn from those experiences. Recommendation: Request input from a citizen committee (existing Finance Committee or a temporary new one) to identify longer term implications of this decision as well as potential alternatives for future consideration.

Again, I do appreciate your efforts to improve the safety of our community!

Sincerely,

Patti Fry
Menlo Park resident Received on Tue Apr 8 11:33:09 2008