Bloomington police, fire departments make cases for budget increases

Aug. 24--Fourteen new cars, both marked and unmarked, to replace aging vehicles, and remodeling to law enforcement buildings. A new fire engine, and several replacements for self-contained breathing apparatus that no longer are reliable enough to function safely.

Those are just a few of the items on public safety agencies' wish lists that city officials now can fund through revenue from the new public safety local option income tax.

And they're absolutely necessary, Bloomington Police Department Chief Mike Diekhoff said.

"Those (capital outlays) are critical in order for us to continue to deliver on our mission of safeguarding life and property," Diekhoff told Bloomington City Council members Tuesday night during the second night of city budget hearings.

Diekhoff's department has identified $588,310 in capital spending -- $388,310 that will cover replacement of squad cars and $200,000 for building remodeling.

That department also oversees the Central Dispatch Center, and has requested that $475,000 from the public safety income tax go to fund computer-operated dispatch at the center, which is located downtown on the second floor of the Bloomington Transit Center.

Bloomington Fire Department Chief Jason Moore, whose department will get the lion's share of the city's portion of the revenues from the public safety income tax, identified more than twice that in needed capital upgrades.

Moore's $1.2 million request would fund replacements for "completely unreliable" equipment.

"I could not understand how a fleet got to this stage," he said of his initial reaction when he started as chief about four months ago.

The equipment purchase request covers:

--$450,000 to replace a fire engine.

--$143,000 to replace four of the department's seven staff vehicles that Moore described as completely unreliable and that spend a lot of time in fleet maintenance.

--$30,000 to upgrade computer-operated dispatch monitors in the firehouses.

--$600,000 to replace several self-contained breathing apparatus and cylinders that are beyond their shelf life, some having been put into service in 2000.

Moore said the current state of the fleet and equipment has the potential to threaten the city's ISO ranking, which currently is a 3. Should that rating move up, it would affect fire insurance rates across the city.

The new fire chief also is looking to make improvements in other areas, including spending more to increase fire training hours by 96 percent and emergency medical service training hours by 38 percent, both of which would bring the department up to national standards, and having the full department staff undergo physical examinations once a year, also to meet the national standard.

Moore said he understands the budget request is a lot, but it's a request he sees as necessary.

"It would be irresponsible for me not to ask for these funds to bring us up to standards," he said, adding many of the actions the budget would allow for are geared to increase the safety of both the public and firefighters.

The police department is undergoing similar actions in addition to its capital upgrades.

For example, the department has added $15,000 more in funding for training, and it's seeking accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a process that brings law enforcement agencies in line with federal standards and best practices.

The department also has requested two additional staff members -- an assistant supervisor in the records division and a part-time evidence clerk who would help in addressing a backlog of evidence.

Public safety already is a major commitment on the part of city officials -- as a function, it makes up about 51 percent of the general fund and parks general fund budgets and 40 percent of the overall budget as proposed for next year.

And council members expressed gratitude both for the work of public safety officers and for new revenues that will help address needs in the future.

"I just want to say, thank goodness for the public safety LOIT," council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith said. "We really needed the capital on this one."

City council members heard the following budget requests Tuesday night:

--Bloomington Police Department: Total general fund request (includes dispatch request) of $13.95 million, an increase of 10.6 percent. The department also oversees the budgets for the Board of Public Safety, $3,415; the parking meter fund, $2.35 million; dispatch training, $8,000; police education, $50,000; and police pension, $1.38 million.

--Bloomington Fire Department: Requesting $11.69 million, an increase of 16.9 percent. The department also oversees fire pension, $2.1 million.

While both the police and fire departments are increasing capital expenses, personnel costs still take up the majority of their budget requests, with police and fire requesting $11.6 million and about $9.5 million, respectively, to pay employees and cover the cost of benefits.

--Bloomington Transit: Requesting $10.2 million, a decrease of about 7 percent. That's largely due to decreased fuel costs and fewer capital projects.

--City of Bloomington Utilities: Request between stormwater, water works and sewer works totaling $40.5 million, a 10.9 percent increase that's balanced by increased revenues, driven largely by a 22 percent increase in the sewer rate. Major projects will improve water quality and reduce sanitary sewer overflows.

City budget hearing schedule

Public hearings on the proposed 2017 city budget will begin at 6 each night in the council chambers at City Hall, 401 N. Morton St.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the week:

WEDNESDAY: Housing and neighborhood development, parks and recreation, economic and sustainable development, community and family resources.

THURSDAY: Planning and transportation, public works.

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