Council turns down request for increased officer pay

Very little city business was on the agenda for the Daleville City Council work session Dec 2.

Council members Bobby Hardrick and Katheryne Horace were absent for the work session.

Daleville Police Chief Allen Medley requested the minimum pay for non-certified officers to be raised from $11.50. The council recently raised the minimum pay for certified officers from $12.50 to $14.

“We are very appreciative of what y’all have done. It has helped out a lot. Before, non-certified was $11.50 and certified was $12.50,” Medley said. “Certified was bumped up to $14. I am asking you to consider bumping up the non-certified to $12.50.”

Councilwoman Jo Reese said she thought the raise for non-certified officers to $12.50 had been discussed previously.

“I guess I misunderstood but I thought our bottom pay was going to be $12.50,” Reese said. “So, the starting pay now is $11.50?”

“Until they complete the academy, yes,” Medley said. “Then they get $14.”

According to Medley, non-certified officers have six months from their hire date to complete the police academy. Many times it takes longer than a month to get into the academy. The police academy is a three month long course.

Councilman Alan Souders understood Medley’s reasoning for asking for the raise. He believes other cities are paying more for non-certified officers.

“I understand what the chief is saying, as far as someone looking at a place to go to work. The bonus is that when you finish the academy you are making $14 an hour,” Souders said. “Most cities are not paying $11 or less an hour, I wouldn’t think. I don’t know for a fact. I have heard others are paying more.”

Councilman Scott Moore asked about the three months in training.

“What happens during the three months in training? Do they get paid?”

According to Medley, while at the academy the students are given lodging, food and receive pay. After successful completion of the academy new police officers receive a raise to $14 and are required to serve a two-year contract with the City of Daleville.

“If they complete the academy the city is reimbursed from the state for about half the cost incurred,” Medley said. “Including salary you are looking at roughly $5,000 to send someone to the academy.”

After discussion of the details of being a non-certified officer, Reese said she could not support a pay raise at this time.

 “Okay, as I understand it, while you are in the academy, you are living in the dorm so you have no overhead as far as room and board. You are still getting $11.50 an hour to better yourself to get $14,” Reese said. “In that case, chief, I just can’t recommend it. Because they are already being pretty well taken care of and they know if they finish that automatically they are going to get that big bump. I think we are investing a good bit on them upfront as it is. Next year if our revenue increases and things pick up some maybe we can do more.”

The council denied the request of Medley to increase the starting pay for non certified officers but agreed to reexamine the issue next fiscal year.

Daleville Chamber of Commerce executive director Kecia Ham requested the use of the Daleville Cultural and Convention Center for the Chamber of Commerce Christmas party scheduled for Dec. 12. The party is for chamber members and is at a cost of $10 per person. Attendees are asked to bring a $20 gift for the Dirty Santa gift exchange. Dinner will be provided. RSVP is requested for adequate meal preparations.

The  council voted to allow the Daleville Area Chamber of Commerce to use the Daleville Cultural and Convention Center for the Christmas party at no charge.

Ham informed the council that she would be attending the City of Enterprise Christmas parade with the Daleville queens on Dec. 3 and would not be at the council meeting.

Mayor Jayme Stayton gave an update on the Culpepper Park concession stand. Construction of the stand, if any, will have to wait until the next fiscal year, due to budget constraints.

Stayton said that site preparation is supposed to begin this month for the new Wendy’s. He said that construction should begin in January and completion is slated for April 2020.

According to Stayton, another new business is set to be announced in January 2020.

The council meeting agenda, minutes and financial reports from Dec. 3 were approved.

The next Daleville City Council work session will be on Dec. 16 at 5 p.m. in the board room at City Hall. The next meeting of the Daleville City Council will be on Dec 17 at 5:30 p.m. in the courtroom at City Hall.

The work session and meeting are open to the public.