Similar service, cheaper price: Meaford staff

Obscenely high and unsustainable policing costs. OPP bills are destroying communities its officers are supposed to protect. Apparent self-interest is cloaked in the guise of public safety needs. Where is the political outrage while OPP costs continue to climb? Who is going to bring policing costs in this province under control?

Similar service, cheaper price: Meaford staff

Postby Thomas » Mon Feb 10, 2014 8:26 pm

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."

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2014/0 ... ford-staff
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Owen Sound policing would save millions

Postby Thomas » Tue Feb 11, 2014 11:57 am

A staff analysis of policing proposals for the Municipality of Meaford has concluded that switching to the policing from Owen Sound would save millions of dollars.

Municipal staff undertook an extensive review of a proposal provided by the Owen Sound Police and what would be provided under OPP contract policing or OPP non-contract policing.

CAO Denyse Morrissey and Director of Finance Darcy Chapman presented the report to council at a special meeting on Monday, February 10. The public galleries were packed with representatives from Owen Sound and the OPP.

In the report staff extensively reviewed the five-year proposal provided by Owen Sound and also provided estimates for what OPP contract and non-contract policing would cost over the next five years. The OPP would not provide any figures for future financial costs. The OPP is still working on its new costing formula.

The report concluded that if the Municipality of Meaford switched to policing from Owen Sound it would save significant dollars over five years.

"Based on this analysis staff concludes that, at the very least, the Owen Sound Police Service proposal would provide five years of stability in budgeting one of the municipality's largest annual expenses," Chapman explained to council "Analysis would further suggest that potential savings of anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 annually. As well, to include a publicly open store front facility the municipality would have to enter into a Section 10 contract with the OPP for administrative enhancements," he explained.

All in for five years policing from Owen Sound would cost just over $9.4 million. The three OPP options (enhanced contract, non-enhanced contract and non-contract) would cost $11.8 million, just over $11 million or just over $10.2 million.

In the report staff concluded both the OPP and Owen Sound were capable of providing adequate and effective policing.

"Based on the analysis of the following eight areas including Community Policing Services, Costing, Staffing, Fleet, Facility Needs & Use, Municipal Coverage, Service Delivery Structure and Accountability, it is staff's assessment that the Owen Sound Police service proposal, the OPP Section 5.1 non-contract and OPP Section 10 contract would all meet or exceed the requirements for "Adequate and Effective Policing Services" as it relates to Section 4 of the Police Services Act," the report said.

At various points in the meeting representatives from both the OPP and the Owen Sound Police were on their feet answering technical questions from council.

The presentation of the report and the questions from council after took up the entire two-hour time allotment for the meeting. Council has called a public meeting in Woodford on Thursday, February 13 to gather input from residents about the policing matter. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Francis Richardson said council would not rush into a decision on the matter.

"We do have a very important decision to make whatever way it goes. Council will make a decision when council is ready to make a decision," the Mayor said.

http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/436162 ... -millions/
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