City receives funding for additional cop

Grant of $75,000 will be disbursed over three years

By CHRIS VETTER

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The city of New Ulm will soon have a new full-time officer in the police department.

The City Council learned Tuesday that it will receive a $75,000 federal grant from the Universal Hiring Program. The council learned in October that it was rejected for the federal dollars.

"We scored high enough, but there wasn't adequate funding," said City Manager Dick Salvati. "With this (Congressional) funding cycle, we were approved."

The grant will be disbursed over three years. The city will receive $30,000 the first year, $25,000 in year two and $20,000 in the final year, Salvati said.

The city currently has one qualified part-time police officer who would be qualified for the position. However, the hiring process will be open to all applicants, Salvati said.

The city did not re-apply for the grant; the money simply was awarded to the city when more funds were available.

"We felt good about our original application," Salvati said. "We were told we scored high."

Salvati said the new officer will be a permanent position and will be maintained after the grant is used.

The grant pleased Council President Dan Beranek.

"The department has been pushing for more officers for years," Beranek said. With the additional officer, current police staff should have a lightened workload and less overtime, Beranek said.

The city spends about $50,000 for a new full-time officer when including wages, benefits, insurance and overtime, according to City treasurer Gary Gleisner.

The remainder of the officer's salary will be paid through the city's police pension account. In the 2001 budget approved last December, the council included money for a new officer.

According to documents released in October, the city plans to spend $306,000 for a new officer from 2001-2007.

Police Chief Howard Zins was surprised that the money came so quickly.

"We're thrilled we got it," Zins said. "It always seems like we're working short. It will help considerably."

The department is already working on sending out advertisements for the position. Zins hopes to have the first round of interviews in March and hire the officer by the end of April.

Last fall, he explained that police procedures have changed over the years, and a simple task may tie up an officer to complete paperwork.

"When we used to bring in a person for a DWI, there was one page of paperwork. Now, we literally have a packet," Zins said, noting that an officer will spend two hours processing, videotaping and recording a person charged with drinking and driving. That means it is two hours where an officer is not out patrolling, he added.

The police staff currently includes 15 full-time officers on the street, one part-time officer, the chief, the commander and an investigator, for a total of 19 officers.

The force has occasionally been two officers short of a full staff of 19.

In other news, the council accepted an agreement with the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern railroad to split the costs of upgrading a rail crossing in town.

The city will pay $8,600 to upgrade the crossing on 12th South Street, while the railroad will pick up the remaining $4,900 tab.

In previous months, the city has made two similar agreements with the railroad company, said City Engineer Steve Koehler.

There is no requirement in state law that forces the railroad to pay for the entire cost, Koehler added. The city has a working agreement with the railroad and continues to negotiate improvements along the line in town.

The city will use its money in the Municipal State Aid fund to pay for its portion of the upgrade. Municipal State Aid is generated on the state level through the gasoline tax, and does not come from property taxes, Koehler said.

The council also entered an agreement with the Department of Revenue that allows the state agency to collect the city's half-percent sales tax, then disburse the money to New Ulm coffers. The tax, approved by city voters last fall, will take effect April 1.

In one final note, the council tabled a proposal by the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce to hold an Oktoberfest celebration on Minnesota Street this year. Councilors said they do not oppose plans to hold the festival downtown. However, they want the Chamber to reconsider its location outside the Chamber offices. Some area businesses complained that they lost customers during the 2000 festival because party-goers kept clients away from shops.

The annual Oktoberfest celebration will likely move to the new Park and Recreation facilities at the Brown County Fairgrounds by 2003, said Terry Sveine, tour coordinator with the Chamber.