Owen Sound police would provide similar service to that currently provided by the OPP in Meaford, but with significant cost savings, according to municipal staff.
On Tuesday during a special meeting of council, Chief Administrative Officer Denyse Morrissey and Director of Financial Services Darcy Chapman reported to council that over five years the municipality could save anywhere from just under $800,000 to almost $2.5 million if it went with a proposal by the Owen Sound Police Service to provide policing to the municipality.
"Our assessment was that both are capable and would provide significantly strong policing services for the Municipality of Meaford," Morrissey said following Monday's meeting. "It would be at what price."
Morrissey said staff looked at eight different criteria including staffing, facility needs, cost, service delivery and accountability. An evaluation was done based on what staff felt were the core principals, consistent with the Police Services Act.
"We did quite a bit of examination on the staffing levels and hours of duty to create a comparator that we thought was fair and equitable, and based on that we said mostly things are equal," said Morrissey.
Last month Meaford received a proposal from a consultant's firm hired by the Owen Sound Police Services Board. Meaford had asked the city force to provide the proposal as an alternative to contracting with the OPP, giving the municipality another price to consider.
The proposal presented would see Meaford paying just under $1.8 million in the first year of a five-year agreement, with the cost rising each year to just under $2 million in the fifth year.
The price covers all costs associated with providing police service in Meaford except a police building in the municipality, which would be Meaford's responsibility.
Meaford spent just under $2 million on policing in 2013 and had expressed concerns about the rising cost of policing in the municipality. The price was expected to jump to $2.2 million in 2014, but late last year Meaford decided to switch to a non-contract pay-per-call arrangement with the provincial force when it extended its agreement for a year as the OPP reviews its billing process. That arrangement allows Meaford to opt out of the service with 30 days notice.
In the report from Morrissey and Chapman presented to council on Monday, it projects the cost for the Owen Sound police service, including the building, to total just under $9.5 million over the five years of the agreement. The report estimates the OPP to cost anywhere from about $10.2 million to as much as about $11.9 over the next five years, depending on the type of contract Meaford opts to go with. The OPP is not expected to be able to sign long-term contracts as its billing process review continues. That review is expected to be complete by summer.
In order to compare, staff increased the OPP cost by 2.7% annually, which was consistent with the Owen Sound proposal. Staff Sgt. Rod Case of the OPP municipal policing bureau said the OPP would like to meet with the municipality to discuss further some of the numbers presented in Monday's report, something council was open to.
"For us it is a little more black and white. This is what we charge, this is what it gets reconciled to. Those are the numbers we should all be looking at, " said Case, who couldn't say Monday if the costs presented were close to actuals.
Morrissey said currently with a section 10 OPP contract, municipalities have a five-year commitment to the OPP, but not a five-year commitment to price.
"You get a price every year, which is a proposal and then you ratify that," said Morrissey. "Usually the only thing you are able to do is enhance the staffing compliment, you can't adjust the staffing complement they present to you."
After the staff presentation on Monday, councillors asked a variety of questions mostly of Owen Sound police chief Bill Sornberger and Grey County OPP Detachment Commander Insp. Mike Guilfoyle.
Coun. Barb Clumpus expressed skepticism that all additional costs would be covered by a $150,000 administration fee contained in the Owen Sound proposal.
Sornberger said the cost provided in the proposal would be the cost Meaford pays for policing if it chooses to go with the Owen Sound service.
"Your bill is your bill. Your cost is your cost," Sornberger said.
Coun. Deborah Young was concerned that if Meaford went with the Owen Sound police, it would receive a lower quality of policing, but Sornberger said the Owen Sound service has to "play by the same rules" as the OPP.
"You are not getting a Barney Fife," Sornberger said. "I stand behind the Owen Sound Police Service. I am very proud of my members."
Council, which voted to receive Monday's report, will now present it to the public at a meeting at Woodford Hall on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Council is also expected to discuss the issue further at its next council meeting on Feb. 18.
"Now we want to hear from the public, the taxpayers, the residents who are receiving this service and hear what their thoughts, what their concerns are," said Mayor Francis Richardson.
"There are concerns both ways on this and we need to have as many answers as we can possibly get before we make any kind of decision."
Richardson said there would be a transition period of about six months if council decides to switch to the Owen Sound service so a decision will have to be made at some point.
"We can't just keep putting it off and putting it off," said Richardson said. "After we have done all this due diligence we have to say as difficult decision as it is, a decision has to be made and we will do it at that time. How fast it is I can't say at this time."
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