Farmington Residents Question Move to Contract Dispatch, Inmate Housing

A group of residents say they're willing to pay more in taxes to keep dispatch and inmate housing within the

A proposal to contract for those services with the was not up for discussion at Monday night's city council study session. However, officials moved public comment to the beginning of their agenda when residents began to file into their meeting room. 

The cities of Farmington and Farmington Hills have been awarded a $150,000 state Economic Vitality Incentive Program (EVIP) grant for combining dispatch services. City manager Vince Pastue said the cities had a short window of time to apply and felt it would be "prudent" to go after the funds, even though no formal agreement is in place.

Pastue estimated the contract would save $75,000-$100,000; dispatch and inmate housing currently cost about $300,000. But he pointed out that the city still has to negotiate with public safety bargaining units and work out an agreement with Farmington Hills. 

Quoting former public safety director Chuck Nebus, who is now chief of police in Farmington Hills, Pastue said, "You don't do this because it's gonna make your operation more efficient or better. The only reason you're going to be doing this is that you now need to start cutting costs somewhere." 

In the past, he added, an effort was made to cut where residents wouldn't feel the pain. Among other measures, city employees have taken a 5 percent pay cut, and officials in 2010 increased the city's operating millage.

With the city now in its fifth consecutive year of declines in taxable values, Pastue said, "we've taken it as far as we think we can" without residents feeling the impact of the reductions.

Reduction in services

Pastue said he is concerned that the move will take officers off the street for longer periods of time as they transport prisoners to the Hills facility, then wait for them to be processed. He said city hall would not be open at all times, and citizens would likely see a reduction in some services "above and beyond what a public safety agency would do". 

Council member JoAnne McShane wondered about putting a public safety millage in front of voters. Pastue said a separate millage would give structure to public safety funding, but he was concerned that it would create an "us versus them" atmosphere at city hall.

"Everybody in this city works well together," he said. "We're all part of a team ... If we were to do something, I would prefer raising the operating millage." 

Residents made it clear that safety is not an area they're willing to sacrifice. 

Maria Putt, a former Farmington Public Safety officer, said code enforcement keeps the city's property values up. "If we lose that, we will not recapture it," she said. "When you make this decision, you are almost cementing the consolidation of the two departments." 

"I think I would want to keep my services," Robert Brow said. "I don't think we should change. Whatever it costs, pass it on."

Long-time resident Hank Borgman, who lobbied for months against a bond issue that raised funds for the downtown streetscape project, said he would support a millage for police and fire. 

Council member Bill Galvin suggested putting together a kind of prospectus that would include a written rationale and background about the dispatch proposal for officials and the public.