Sean C. Morgan
The city Administration and Finance
Committee is recommending that the City
Council charge the full amount of a bill it
sent to Lebanon for the training of two of
three Sweet Home police officers who went
to work for Lebanon in January.
The city of Sweet Home billed the
city of Lebanon $60,522.84. That includes
$46,132.33 in training costs for Officer
Chad Christenson and $14,390.51 for Taylor
Jackson.A state law, passed in 2009,
allows for this. Specifically, the
law allows the city to recoup 100
percent of the costs of training
an officer whose training ended
within the last 12 months before
his or her departure, 66 percent
for an officer whose training
ended between 12 and 24 months
prior to departure, and 33 percent
for officers whose training ended
between 24 and 36 months before
leaving.
Lebanon has requested that
Sweet Home allow it to split the
cost over two fiscal years, 2011-
12 and 2012-13, said Sweet
Home City Manager Craig Martin.
Lebanon also requested
that $14,390.51 for Jackson be
waived.
Jackson was three weeks shy
of the 36-week threshold, Martin
said.
Lebanon City Manager told
Martin in a letter on March 7 that
Lebanon’s budget contains no line
items to reimburse Sweet Home.
“Compounding this concern
is the fact that the reimbursement
sought by Sweet Home represents
a significant portion of our Police
Department’s training budget,”
Hitt said.
“Without question, Sweet
Home and Lebanon have enjoyed
a close and cooperative relationship
for many years,” Hitt said.
“It certainly is my desire to continue
that level of cooperation. At
this point, my staff would not understand
or apply ORS 181.695,
as has Sweet Home, in the referenced
invoice. This is especially
true in light of the fact that the
police officers involved came to
us seeking employment under
the sincere belief that their positions
with the Sweet Home Police
Department were, or very shortly
would be, eliminated.”
Lebanon does not wish to
become entangled in a protracted
dispute or disagreement about the
application of the state law, Hitt
said, but the matter of the future
employment of the two officers
needs clarification prior to Lebanon’s
response.
“The city of Sweet Home
also finds itself in a difficult financial
position due to funding
reductions beyond our control and
most recently having lost more
than 20 percent of our already reduced
cadre of officers with three
hired by your agency,” Martin replied.
In addition to training costs,
Sweet Home incurred expenses in
paying remaining officers overtime
to maintain adequate coverage.
The unanticipated training
costs and overtime will exceed
the amount of the reimbursement
Sweet Home has requested.
“I appreciate your indication
that under similar circumstances,
the city of Lebanon would likely
not request this type of statutory,”
Martin said. “I am optimistic that
under different circumstances,
the city of Sweet Home would
reciprocate in similar fashion.
However, I hope you understand
that in light of our current fiscal
picture, not recouping taxpayer
dollars per an allowable statutory
provision specifically put in place
for just this purpose would almost
certainly be viewed as fiscal irresponsibility
on our part.”
During the council’s regular
meeting on March 27, the council
referred the issue to its Admin and
Finance Committee for a recommendation.
The Administration
and Finance Committee, including
councilors Marybeth Angulo,
Greg Mahler and Ron Rodgers,
met immediately after the council
meeting.
“In my opinion, we’re already
asking for significantly less
than we could’ve if we pushed
it,” Rodgers said.
The bill doesn’t cover the extra
time the city has paid veteran
officers to accompany the rookies
following their graduation from
the Police Academy and other associated
expenses, according to
city officials.
Officers receive a 5-percent
premium while working as
a trainer, said Police Chief Bob
Burford.
The city should continue
seeking the full amount billed on
Dec. 22, Mahler said, and none
should be waived.
“When they were hiring
our officers, they were probably
laughing … because they don’t
have to train them,” Rodgers said.
“They knew we put out a significant
expense training those officers.”
Lebanon talks about a spirit
of cooperation, Rodgers said. “I
say BS.”
“I think over two periods is
reasonable,” Mahler said of splitting
the payment over two fiscal
years. “We don’t want ill feelings.”
Burford said the two departments
have a good relationship,
and they assist each other with
large events. Those include Lebanon’s
Strawberry Festival and
the Oregon Jamboree in Sweet
Home. He would like to see that
relationship continue.
The committee voted 3-0 to
recommend to the council that it
seek the full amount of the bill but
allow the payment to be spread
over two fiscal years.