The Modesto Bee
CERES, Calif. — The City Council on Monday voted to dissolve the Department of Public Safety in favor of establishing separate police and fire departments.
The action eliminates a 1988 ordinance that established the public safety department. The idea at the time, according to a staff report, was that police and firefighters would be cross-trained but the concept never gained traction.
The restructuring comes three months after Director of Public Safety Art de Werk’s contentious departure from the city.
De Werk was abruptly relieved of his duties in June shortly after returning from medical leave. He officially remains on the books until February, but his position was eliminated Monday as part of an accompanying resolution establishing police chief and captain positions.
Also eliminated was the deputy chief position, which has been vacant since Mike Borges retired in March.
The salary schedule for the new captain position will be the same as the deputy chief spot, which the council voted to freeze as a cost-cutting measure in the 2014-15 budget. The position has a top salary step of $9,797 a month.
The police chief position will top out at $11,085 a month, $561 less than the director of public safety position.
Council members Linda Ryno and Mike Kline both took issue with the captain position.
Kline disagreed with the compensation, saying it leaves no room to hire a deputy chief in the future if that’s what the new chief wants. Ryno didn’t feel comfortable with adding the position because she said that decision should involve the input of the new chief.
“All we are creating is the job descriptions. We are not doing anything to fill those positions that follows,” City Manager Toby Wells said. “I am creating the tools so the police chief has the tools necessary in the organization to make those decisions.”
The item passed with a vote of 3-2, with Ryno and Kline dissenting.
New fire department positions and accompanying salaries will be presented at a future council meeting, according to Wells.
After de Werk’s separation, Wells appointed Lt. Brent Smith as acting police chief and Deputy Fire Chief Bryan Nicholes as acting fire chief.
Wells said there have been internal discussions about whether to appoint the interim chiefs, open the positions for others to apply or recruit outside the department but he would not say which direction he was leaning.
The positions cannot be filled until mid-December because an ordinance amendment requires a second reading and a 30-day waiting period before it takes effect.
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