• Online Edition
  • Archives
  • About
  • Support The Sheet
  • Contact

The Sheet

  • News
    • Mountain Town News
    • Sports and Outdoors
  • Arts and Life
  • Opinion/Editorial
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Dining

Council learning new vocabulary word: No

  • by Lara Kirkner
  • in News
  • — 21 Jan, 2011

Again rebuffs MLPD staffing request

Mammoth Lakes Police Chief Dan Watson appeared before the Town Council on Wednesday night to once again request additional personnel for the Police Department, specifically a Lieutenant and a Sergeant. The request had been made previously at the Dec. 15 Council meeting but was voted down 4-1 because Council wanted a better understanding of its financial situation before making a decision. It was waiting on three items, which have since come to conclusion: the Hot Creek litigation appeal which was denied, the Hugelman appeal which went against the Town, and the outsourcing report which has since been completed by Avery and Associates.

“I realize the financial situation is worse than it was on Dec. 15 but my recommendations are the same,” Watson said.

Watson’s plan, as he outlined it to Council, would most likely fill the Lieutenant and Sergeant positions by promoting from within the department. This would leave an empty Police Officer position that Watson would recruit from outside. The cost to the Town for the promotions and the new hire would be $234,000.

“I’ll give you what you want but you have to fit it within your [current] budget,” explained Council member Rick Wood. “I just don’t see how we pay for it [the additional $234,000],” he added, stating that he did not want to use the budget surplus that has slowly been accumulating each month.

“We are growing a surplus but every month there is a request to cut into it,” he said.

Councilmember John Eastman adamantly opposes adding another Police Officer to the force. Instead, he wished to discontinue the School Resource Officer position and move the officer currently filling that spot over to patrol.

“The School Resource Officer is a luxury, PR position that we cannot afford right now and I will not support it,” Eastman said.

With Council member Matthew Lehman attending to official business at the California League of Cities in Sacramento on Wednesday night, the rest of the Council members decided to push the decision off to their Feb. 2 meeting in order to have the full Council’s vote.

Share

Topics: mammothNewssheet

Avatar

— Lara Kirkner

Lara Kirkner is the editor of The Sheet.

You may also like...

  • The free agent season … aka overspending has begun 15 Mar, 2012
  • Three hikers found, two still missing in Mt. Whitney area 22 Oct, 2010
  • Explore your universe 24 Oct, 2011
  • Winter air service 6 Apr, 2012
  • Previous story Event ticklers
  • Next story Like water for … money. IRWMP submits grant projects list
  • Special Publications

  • Recent Posts

    • WHO LEFT WHOM?
    • SHOTS ALL AROUND
    • 1-2-3, LET’S LOPE!
    • GOING (SEMI) ROGUE
    • LOOK OUT, CASEY JONES!
  • Special Publications

  • News
    • Mountain Town News
    • Sports and Outdoors
  • Arts and Life
  • Opinion/Editorial
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Dining

© 2021 THE SHEET. DEVELOPED BY PENDERWORTH.