Serving all of Eastern Laramie County since 1908

Pine Bluffs assists police with position

Police chief Robin Clark spoke to the Pine Bluffs council at their meeting Monday evening about the need of a police records clerk.

“This position would be part time and a more technical position rather than a secretary,” Clark explained. Clark reviewed the responsibilities of the clerk, saying they would be responsible for getting criminal records for the citations and compiling reports. She added the clerk must be trained to collect the records and reports and Clark said the employee doing the work now is trained.

“Neither my officers or myself is trained to do this,” Clark said. “We would have to be trained, or we would have to drive to Cheyenne and pick up the reports which would take officers off the streets and create overtime.” She added having a clerk at the office would keep a “presence” on Main Street after the town office closed since her officers were out on the streets and couldn’t always get back to the office quickly to help the walk-ins. Clark said there was a number of people who needed assistance after 4 p.m. and the clerk could fill that void.

Council man Tom Mohren was very clear about his dislike of creating a position he felt could be done by the officers.

Councilman Alan Curtis said he wondered if “this would be it,” referring to contracting out the dispatch to save money and then being told the department needs another staff person.

Mayor Bill Shain said he wasn’t very educated in the world of police, adding Mohren had the knowledge on the council but had been “out of the work for a while.”

“I have to rely on our chief to make the right decisions for the department,” Shain said.

Shain asked Clark if they could try the position at 10 hours per week not to exceed 20 hours to “see how it goes.”

Clark said the staff member who would be filling the position was present and could answer any questions the council had. Shain asked town employee Marsha Heintz how much time she would need to get the work done. Heintz said it would depend on the number of calls the night before but felt confident it wouldn’t be more than two to four hours.

The council approved the police clerk position for 10 to 20 hours per week with Mohren voting against it.

In other business, Ron Rabou, president of Laramie County Community College Foundation, spoke to the Pine Bluffs council about the the Building Forward Initiative. He explained LCCC was not only good for Cheyenne, but good for all of Laramie County.

Joe Schaffer, president of LCCC also spoke to the council and outlined the priorities of the initiative.

“I came to LCCC about a year-and-a-half ago and they had just finished their master plan,” Schaffer explained. “They handed it to me and said ‘make this happen.’ And that is what we are trying to do.”

Schaffer echoed Rabou’s remarks by saying there were not many people in Laramie County not touched in some way by LCCC. He added the new student center that would integrate student services and the industrial technology building would help LCCC create positive ripples that would affect not only Cheyenne and all of Laramie County, but all of Wyoming as well.

Schaffer said 58 percent of students from Laramie County went to LCCC their first year out of high school. The informative videos the council watched explained the 2 mil levy increase would mean an additional $38 per year for a $200,000 home and that Wyoming enjoyed one of the lowest mil levies in the nation. The council thanked LCCC for the presentation and information.

The council then directed their attention to numerous invoice approvals and amendment requests. They also formally submitted the grant/loan application to Wyoming Water Development Commission for the purchase of the Kimsey wells and property on north Main Street.

In department reports, Mohren said the day care had an average of 36 children attending per day, a high of 44 and a low of 23 in September. He added 54 families use the facility and although they were advertising for a full-time position, the director has had some interest in a part-time position so Mohren thought they might go with two part time staff to fill the void.

The next meeting will be Monday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 p.m.

 

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