Post Falls considers police promotions

POST FALLS - The Post Falls City Council will consider proposed police promotions tonight at 6.

Chief Scot Haug is recommending that the lieutenants in both patrol and investigations - Pat Knight and Greg McLean respectively - be promoted to captains and communications manager Charlene Holbrook be promoted to communications director as a result of taking on more duties in the past year that Haug previously had as captain.

The captain's position has remained vacant for a year, saving the city $100,718, which includes salary and benefits. Haug is proposing his former position not be filled because existing administrative staffing is sufficient, but requests three administrators be promoted instead with a 5 percent raise and new titles.

"Our administrative staff has taken on much of the work that was performed in the past by myself in the captain position," Haug said. "They have done this without complaint, but we cannot expect them to continue to perform these duties without the proper recognition or compensation."

Haug said the move would also reflect recent staffing changes at other area law enforcement agencies.

If the proposal, which city administrator Eric Keck supports, is approved, no one would be promoted to lieutenant.

"There will obviously be adequate funding to accommodate these promotions from the salary savings in not filling the original captain's position," Keck said. "There would be no additional burden to the budget or organizational structure of the city."

In another proposed personnel move, Keck is recommending that a former senior engineering technician position, which was eliminated and paid $21.71 per hour, create a sworn police officer job that pays $19.18 to assist with increasing code enforcement and nuisance calls.

The council earlier discussed the need for another code enforcement position, but no funding was available. Code enforcement is an area the city needs to improve on, according to a recent citizen survey.

"This move will still prove to be a savings to the city's personnel budget while satisfying the need for additional assistance within this service delivery area," Keck said, adding that the proposal would help the city be more proactive rather than reactive with nuisance problems.

The city has eliminated or not filled vacancies with eight positions in the past year due to a budget crunch, Keck said.

Keck said the city does not plan to immediately fill two planning positions that will be vacant after this week. Collin Coles is retiring and Garrett Smith is leaving after accepting a similar job in Hawaii.

He said his goal is to move resources around to fill where needed, when vacancies arise or there is "a desperate need for help."

"We need to be more agile as an organization to meet the service delivery needs of the community and the ordinance enforcement position is one of those such needs," Keck said.

The fiscal 2011 budget is being built without a tax increase, per the council's direction to staff. A public hearing on the budget will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 17.