Skip to main content

August 22, 2023

Publish Date 08/22/2023

MINUTES OF THE

BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2023

 

 

A meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri was held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, in the Community Room at Police Headquarters, 1125 Locust Street, Kansas City.

PRESENT:

Commissioner Cathy Dean, President

Commissioner Dawn Cramer, Vice President

Commissioner Tom Whittaker, Treasurer

Commissioner Mark Tolbert, Member

Mayor Quinton Lucas, Member

Mr. David Kenner, Secretary/Attorney

Stacey Graves, Chief of Police

 

This meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by Commissioner Dean.  Retired Police Officer/Property & Retention Specialist Tyler Moss led the Pledge of Allegiance.  Chaplain Bill Gorman provided the invocation.  Mr. David Kenner attended the meeting via teleconference. 

  1. City Council Update. Mayor Lucas introduced the newly-elected Councilman, Crispin Rea.  Councilman Rea serves the 4th District At-Large. 

            Mayor Lucas introduced the newly-elected Councilwoman, Melissa Patterson Hazley.  Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley serves the 3rd District At-Large.  Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley presented on behalf of the City Council.  She thanked Chief Graves and the Department for the recent meetings and collaboration since beginning her City Council term.  She appreciates Chief Graves’ leadership style, openness to ideas, and transparency.

            Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley spoke about the violent crime problem in the 3rd District.  She looks forward to working collaboratively with the Department to solve these problems.  Councilwoman Patterson-Hazley spoke about ideas of a re-imagined initiative similar to the Kansas City No Violence Alliance (KC NoVA) Program and the need for improved community relations. 

  1. Guest Presentation. Ellie Murray with Lockton Companies, the Department’s insurance broker, provided an update on the Department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP).  She advised that the Department is unsatisfied with the current EAP provider.  A request for proposal (RFP) was conducted to identify potential new providers, and it resulted in three potential vendors.  Lockton Companies recommends awarding Personal Assistance Services (PAS). 

Ms. Murray advised that PAS is able to meet the needs for the Department’s EAP, such as providing a broad network of high-quality counselors, ensuring proper triage of cases to allow for immediate member support, increasing the understanding of EAP resources available, and a dedicated account team.  PAS is a local provider with over 40 years of experience in collaborating with Missouri police departments to improve the quality of life for their law enforcement personnel, professional staff, and the members’ families.

Ms. Murray advised that the Department’s current EAP provider’s rate is up for renewal on May 1, 2024, and due to market trends, the annual premium would likely increase.  The current annual premium is $37,620.  PAS offered an annual premium of $45,432.

            A motion was made by Mayor Lucas, with a second by Commissioner Tolbert, to select Personal Assistance Services (PAS) as the provider for the Department’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), at an annual cost of $45,432.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.

  1. Chief Stacey Graves. Captain Jonas Baughman presented on the Department’s Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) and Data Informed Community Engagement (DICE) strategies.  RTM allows the Department to diagnose crime patterns using environmental factors (such as vacant houses, liquor stores, bus stops, etc.), deploy resources at priority places, and prevent predictable crime and other threats to public safety.  DICE convenes local community stakeholders and agency leaders in a structured public safety forum.  DICE participants will be provided with access to RTM analytics to identify priority areas.  This will allow community stakeholders an opportunity to contribute to solving crime problems in the community. 

Captain Baughman advised that City Council established a special task force to participate in RTM and DICE proactive strategies.  He thanked the City staff for their support and involvement with RTM and DICE.  Commissioner Dean requested quarterly reporting on the RTM and DICE strategies.  Mayor Lucas thanked Captain Baughman for these efforts, and commended the collaboration between KCPD, the City, and community stakeholders. 

Chief Graves stated that collaboration is key in order to create a safer and healthier City.  Chief Graves spoke about the KCPD-led community crime meetings and other intiatives aimed to decrease violent crime in the City.  Chief Graves advised that the Department is working on creating a focused deterrence model.  Focused deterrence models aim to defer crime by increasing the certainty of punishment for crimes and through resources.  KC NoVA is a local example of a focused deterrence model.  Commissioner Dean commended the Department for these efforts, but stated that the City needs a jail to house these offenders. 

Chief Graves advised that in 2020, the City had a record year of homicides.  The City is facing similar homicide statistics this year, and the Department is down 300+ sworn members than it was in 2020.  The Department continues to do more with less.  Chief Graves thanked personnel for their dedication to this City, and spoke of the importance to retain current Department members.

Chief Graves spoke about the proposed 11-hour work plan for sworn law enforcement members.  The 11-hour plan would provide more officers on the streets at a time to answer calls for service.  Additionally, it would allow officers more time off of work, to refresh between work weeks.  Chief Graves plans to implement the 11-hour work plan in January 2024.

Chief Graves advised that the Department is reviewing positions to identify sworn positions that can be replaced by non-sworn professional staff.  This would allow for putting more sworn members back on patrol.  Two commander positions and one supervisor position have already been civilianized. 

Chief Graves advised that the Department will soon be utilizing a variation of CompStat, a computerization and quantification program used by police departments to measure crime and effectively deploy resources. 

Chief Graves advised that all law enforcement members will be trained in Integrating Communication, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) by the end of the year.  ICAT training provides officers with the skills and tools to effectively respond to critical and volatile situations.  Additionally, constitutional policing will be embedded in several areas of next year’s In-Service training. 

In response to a question regarding the 11-hour plan, Chief Graves advised that labor is involved in these discussions.  The 11-hour plan would have officers work one additional hour per shift, compared to the current 10-hour plan.  The current 10-hour plan is very manpower intensive, and members are not in favor of an 8-hour work plan; 12-hour plans have statistically proven to be too long for people working in high-stress, critical positions.  Chief Graves advised that with the 11-hour work plan, officers would work four days on and then have four days off.  Chief Graves advised that the additional stress on officers is a concern, but it would allow the officers to have more time off to decompress.

  1. Investigations Bureau. Deputy Chief Luis Ortiz provided an update on monthly crime statistics.  He advised that to-date in 2023, there have been 129 homicides, compared to 107 at this same time in 2022; the five-year average of homicides for this same time period is 101.  The Department has cleared 61 homicides this year and 22 additional cases from previous years, totaling 83 homicides cleared to-date 2023.

Deputy Chief Ortiz advised there have been 326 non-fatal shootings year-to-date, compared to 333 for this same time period in 2022.  There were 51 non-fatal shootings in July 2023, compared to 67 in July 2022.  Deputy Chief Ortiz presented statistics on suspect and victim characteristics for the month of July 2023. 

Deputy Chief Ortiz advised that the Department recovered 194 firearms in July 2023, compared to 226 in July 2022.  The five-year average of recovered firearms for the month of July is 217.  The Department has recovered 1,309 firearms year-to-date 2023. 

            Deputy Chief Ortiz spoke about cases submitted for prosecution.  In July 2023, there were 220 cases submitted for prosecution; there were 183 cases submitted to Jackson County, 28 to Clay County, and nine to Platte County. 

  1. Patrol Bureau. Deputy Chief Joseph Mabin presented monthly statistics for the Patrol Bureau.  He advised that the median response time for Priority 10 calls (also known as Priority 1) for the month of July was 7.88 minutes; the Department’s Priority 10 response time goal is 7.50 minutes.  The Priority 20 (also known as Priority 2) response time for the month of July was 10.35 minutes; the Department’s Priority 20 response time goal is 9.00 minutes.  The response time is the amount of time from when the call is created until an officer arrives on scene.  Deputy Chief Mabin noted that the response time for Priority 10 calls for the month of July was down 17 seconds from the previous month, and the response time for Priority 20 calls for the month of July was down four seconds from the previous month. 

            Deputy Chief Mabin advised that the average 911 hold time for July 2023 was 40 seconds, compared to 47 seconds the previous month.  Deputy Chief Mabin advised that for Priority 10 calls, the average time from when the caller dialed 911 until officers responded was 8 minutes and 33 seconds, which is a decrease of 24 seconds from the previous month.  For Priority 20 calls, the average time from when the caller dialed 911 until officers responded was 11 minutes and 1 second, which is a decrease of 11 seconds from the previous month.        

Deputy Chief Mabin presented the Traffic Summary for July 2023.  He advised that there were 1,740 crashes in July 2023.  There have been 10,764 crashes year-to-date 2023, compared to 10,655 at the same time in 2022.  There have been 46 fatal traffic crashes year-to-date 2023, with 51 total fatal crash victims.  During this same time frame last year, there had been 50 fatal crashes, with 53 total fatal crash victims.  Deputy Chief Mabin advised that 16 of the fatal crashes have occurred within the East Patrol Division.  The Department is increasing traffic enforcement in the high-crash locations during the next several weeks, in an effort to reduce vehicle crashes. 

Deputy Chief Mabin advised that the Department held nine Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Wolf Pack enforcement activities during July 2023.  These enforcement activities resulted in 101 total stops, 41 DUI arrests, and 163 total citations issued. 

Major Kari Thompson presented the monthly Community Engagement Division report.  She highlighted the Patrol Bureau Member Showcases of the Month, Officer David Ferber and Officer Jamison Raines.  Officer Ferber recently attended a neighborhood safety event and played football with several children.  Officer Raines recently spotted a pair of robbery suspects and brought them into custody on his own; the suspects are now facing felony charges.

Major Thompson congratulated Sergeant Ashley McCunniff on being selected as the Missouri Statewide Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Coordinator.  Sergeant McCunniff currently serves as the supervisor of KCPD’s CIT Unit, which is deployed when officers interact with people experiencing mental, emotional, and/or behavioral health crisis.  During her role as the Statewide CIT Coordinator, Sergeant McCunniff will lead Missouri’s CIT and will help coordinate regional efforts across the state. 

Major Thompson presented a slideshow of events that Community Engagement Division personnel were involved in this past month, such as community walks, community town halls, and Ring doorbell giveaways.   Additionally, Major Thompson highlighted youth initiatives such as the KC360 “Year of the Youth” Events, Arts Tech Teens in Transition program, the Police Athletic League, and many back-to-school events. 

  1. Administration Bureau. Deputy Chief Doug Niemeier provided an update on Department staffing.  He advised that as of July 31, 2023, Department strength was 1,644.  For this time period, there were 1,099 sworn law enforcement personnel, 47 recruits, 493 professional staff, and five Board members. 

Deputy Chief Niemeier advised that Human Resources personnel are now processing applicants for the new Academy class that will begin on October 30, 2023.  Currently, there are 18 applicants in the eligibility pool; ten job offers have been extended.  Two lateral officers will begin training on September 5, 2023.  The Department will hold law enforcement testing on August 23, 2023, September 14, 2023, and October 21, 2023, at the Regional Police Academy.   

            Deputy Chief Niemeier advised that the Department hired five people for the Communications Unit this past month.  There is one pending job offer at this time, and there are 11 eligible applicants in various stages of the hiring process. 

Deputy Chief Niemeier advised that the Department is accepting applications for Detention Facility Officers (DFOs).  This position is for 18+ years of age.  Starting salary for DFOs is $3,282/month.  More information can be found at https://careers.kcpd.org.

Deputy Chief Niemeier spoke about the recruitment events that Department members attending over the past month, such as fairs at the Full Employment Council, back-to-school events, events at the T-Mobile Center, and the Senior Fair at Swope Park.  Additionally, recruiters will be going to area high schools and military bases. 

Deputy Chief Niemeier spoke about the ICAT training and constitutional policing training previously mentioned by Chief Graves.  He commended Academy personnel for taking on this training, in addition to all of the other training they hold for entrant officers and sworn personnel.  Chief Graves thanked the Police Foundation of Kansas City for funding this training. 

Deputy Chief Niemeier advised that the 177th Entrant Officer Class (EOC), containing five KCPD recruits, graduated from the Academy on August 3, 2023, and are completing their field training assignments (break-in).  Additionally, two lateral officers are also on break-in.  The 178th EOC will graduate on November 2, 2023; there are 24 KCPD recruits in this class.  The 179th EOC will graduate on February 8, 2024; there are 18 KCPD recruits in this class. 

Commissioner Cramer inquired on the status of retention bonuses for members.  She also inquired on the number of retirements and members eligible for retirements.  Deputy Chief Niemeier advised the Department has not been able to retain enough officers to outpace the retirements.  The Department continues to hold Academy classes, but is still dealing with the effects of the hiring freeze in 2020 and 2021. 

Chief Graves advised that the Department is competing with other agencies that offer hiring bonuses and higher salaries.  She advised that the Department is conducting a pay scale review to see how competitive KCPD’s salaries are compared to other agencies.  Commissioner Cramer requested that the pay scale review be shared at next month’s meeting.  She said officers in Kansas City take great more risk in their careers and should be rewarded appropriately.  Commissioner Tolbert added that the Department should be charging other agencies more to train their recruits because we are currently charging significantly below the market rate.  Deputy Chief McCollum will address Commissioner Tolbert’s comment during his update.

  1. Executive Services Bureau. Deputy Chief Derek McCollum presented the following items for Board approval:
  2. Budget Transfers for Fiscal Year 2023-24.  A memorandum dated August 15, 2023, was presented recommending approval of budget transfers.  This transfer will affect the General Fund, the Police Grants Fund, and the Grants Special Revenue Fund.     

            A motion was made by Commissioner Whittaker, with a second by Commissioner Cramer, to approve the budget transfers as presented.  The vote was 4-1 in favor, with Mayor Lucas voting Nay.

  1. Missouri Behavioral Health Council Agreement.  A memorandum dated August 7, 2023, was presented to recommend acceptance of an agreement with the Missouri Behavioral Health Council, in the amount of $220,770.00.  The term for this agreement is from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.  This agreement is for one KCPD Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Sergeant to serve as the Missouri Statewide CIT Coordinator.  These funds will be used for personnel and fringe benefits and vehicle equipment and maintenance.  The Missouri Behavioral Health Council will fund 75 percent of this expense, with a 25 percent local match.

            In response to a question, Deputy Chief McCollum advised that the 25 percent local match is paid by the Department.  This sergeant will still be required to perform their job duties with KCPD, in addition to the Missouri Statewide CIT Coordinator duties; therefore, KCPD is still contributing to this Sergeant’s salary and benefits.  Commissioner Tolbert requested a presentation on the Department’s CIT Unit at the next meeting.

            A motion was made by Commissioner Whittaker, with a second by Commissioner Cramer, to accept the Missouri Behavioral Health Council Agreement, in the amount of $220,770.00.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.

  1. FY2023-2024 Proposed Fee Schedule.  A memorandum dated July 12, 2023, was presented to recommend approval of the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Proposed Fee Schedule.  Deputy Chief McCollum advised that these fees are reviewed annually, and many of the fee revisions were due to changes in salary and benefit calculations of the members providing the service, or a change in the cost of materials.

            Mayor Lucas inquired about enforcement of City permit requirements.  Chief Graves advised that the Department only collects on alarm permit fees.  The Department does not get involved in event organization permit enforcement unless the event becomes a public safety issue.

            Commissioner Tolbert inquired about the training costs for outside agencies to send recruits to be trained by KCPD personnel at the Regional Police Academy.  He advised that the cost per trainee is $9,038.16; however, the Department is only charging these agencies $5,545.30 per trainee.  The proposed fee schedule recommends increasing the fee to $5,658.53 per trainee.  Commissioner Tolbert asked why the Department would subsidize this training, especially when the Department’s finances are already stressed.  Deputy Chief McCollum advised that the Department offers a discount on services because the Academy staff are already training KCPD recruits, so there is not an added salary and benefit expense.  Additionally, the Department does this to be a good partner to local outside agencies.  These local agencies are trained the same as KCPD recruits, so it is helpful when neighboring agencies are on calls for service and critical incidents together. 

            Commissioner Tolbert asked how much other law enforcement training centers charge in the area, like Blue River and Missouri Western.  Deputy Chief McCollum advised that his staff will find the requested information.  Commissioner Tolbert recommended holding the vote on the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Proposed Fee Schedule, until the training expenses are revised.  He reiterated that the Department is subsidizing these fees, and it is not good business. 

            Chief Graves advised that the Department will review the training fees, but recommended that the Department give its local partners ample notification of any proposed changes.  Mayor Lucas recommended the Department review the current market rate for such training and increase the fees, but remain competitive.  Deputy Chief McCollum advised that holding this item until next month will delay the revisions to all of the other Department fees. 

            A motion was made by Commissioner Whittaker, with a second by Commissioner Cramer, to approve the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Proposed Fee Schedule, as presented.  The vote was 4-1 in favor, with Commissioner Tolbert voting Nay.

  1. Traffic Services Grant Awards 2023-2024.  A memorandum dated August 7, 2023, was presented to recommend the acceptance of Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) Highway Safety and Traffic Division awards, with a federal award amount of $678,837.64 and a local match of $73,757.50.  The award period is October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024.  This funding will provide salary, benefits, overtime, training, and equipment to increase compliance with traffic laws and reduce fatalities related to traffic law violations.  The Department has been receiving funding from MODOT since 1982.  

            A motion was made by Commissioner Tolbert, with a second by Mayor Lucas, to accept the MODOT Highway Safety and Traffic Division awards, as presented.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.

  1. Adjustment to Special Revenue Accounts for Fiscal Year 2023-2024.  A memorandum dated August 14, 2023, was presented to recommend approval of a special revenue adjustment in the amount of $1,522,694.00, from the Jackson County 911 Tax Revenue Fund to the Communications Unit – Minor Equipment Fund.  The funding received from Jackson County will be used to purchase a Unified Computing System (UCS), to be used in the Communications Unit.

            In response to a question from Commissioner Cramer, Deputy Chief McCollum advised that this funding has been requested in the Department’s formal budget request to the City for the last several years, but never approved.  During communications with Jackson County Administrator Troy Schulte, the Department learned of the Jackson County 911 Tax Revenue Fund.  The UCS replacement is a critical need for the Department, and Deputy Chief McCollum thanked Administrator Schulte for getting this done.

            A motion was made by Mayor Lucas, with a second by Commissioner Whittaker, to approve the necessary adjustment to special revenue accounts for the UCS replacement, in the amount of $1,522,694.00.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.

  1. Unified Computing System (UCS) Replacement.  A memorandum dated August 15, 2023, was presented to recommend approval to purchase the Unified Computing System (UCS) replacement from ConvergeOne, Insight, and Staco Electronics, at a total cost of $1,522,693.97.  This purchase utilizes funding from the Jackson County 911 Tax Revenue Fund.

            A motion was made by Commissioner Whittaker, with a second by Commissioner Cramer, to approve the purchase of the UCS replacement from ConvergeOne, Insight, and Staco Electronics, at a total cost of $1,522,693,97.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.

            Deputy Chief McCollum provided an update on the Communications Unit.  He advised that the Unit is currently staffed with 36 dispatchers and 35 call takers; there are 25 vacancies.  The average 911 hold time for the month of July was 40 seconds, compared to 47 seconds last month and 28 seconds in July 2022.  Last month, the Communications Unit received approximately 138 calls per hour, which equates to 3,325 calls per day, or 103,087 calls for the month; these statistics are compared to 89,491 calls per day at the same time period in 2022.  Calls to 911 have significantly increased, but staffing remains low.  Deputy Chief McCollum advised that there are currently two dispatchers in training and ten call takers in training. 

Deputy Chief McCollum advised that, in an attempt to reduce 911 hold times, the Department has extended overtime opportunities for members in other units to become trained within the Communications Unit to supplement duties.  This opportunity is available for sworn law enforcement and professional staff.  So far, the Department has received interest from approximately 80 members.  The Communications Unit began this training two weeks ago.  So far, nine law enforcement members have attended this training and are now answering emergency and non-emergency calls.  Command staff believes this initiative has huge potential and could be very beneficial to staffing concerns in the Unit.   

            Deputy Chief McCollum provided an update on the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Regional 911 System.  He advised that Motorola provided a quote for the auto-attendant feature that was requested by the Board.  The initial cost is $157,000, and includes five years of support; beginning on the sixth year, an annual fee of $14,000 will be charged for continued support.  Commissioner Dean directed Deputy Chief McCollum to speak with the Police Foundation for funding.  Mayor Lucas expressed his frustration and disappointment with other counties and agencies recent comments regarding the 911 system issues.    

            Commissioner Tolbert left the open session meeting at 11:58 p.m. 

  1. Chief’s Executive Officer. Deputy Chief Young presented the following consent agenda item:
  2. Project #1459: Board Orientation Manual

Commissioner Dean requested that the Board be provided with red-lined versions

for all future policy and procedure projects.

            A motion was made by Mayor Lucas, with a second by Commissioner Whittaker, to approve Project #1459, Board Orientation Manual, as presented.  The vote was 4-0 in favor.  

  1. Approval of Minutes. A motion was made by Commissioner Whittaker, with a second by Mayor Lucas, to approve the open session minutes from the Board meeting on July 25, 2023.  The vote was 4-0 in favor.
  2. Scheduled meetings. The Board of Police Commissioners of Kansas City, Missouri has scheduled the following meetings:

 

Board Disciplinary Hearings:

 

BOPC 21-02

Friday, December 1, 2023

9:00 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

BOPC 23-04

Friday, December 8, 2023

9:00 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

*Discipline hearings are closed under Section 590.502.3(6) of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.

 

Regular Meetings:

 

September 26, 2023, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

October 31, 2023, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

November 14, 2023, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

December 12, 2023, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

January 23, 2024, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

February 20, 2024, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

March 19, 2024, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

April 23, 2024, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

May 28, 2024, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

June 25, 2024, 9:30 a.m., at KCPD Headquarters, Community Room, 1125 Locust, Kansas City.

 

A motion was made by Mayor Lucas, with a second by Commissioner Whittaker, and by vote indicated below, to go into closed session at 12:00 p.m., as provided in the following resolution.  Following a roll call, the vote was 4-0 in favor. 

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, notice of the board meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners was given on January 26, 2023, and

WHEREAS, said notice indicated that the Board of Police Commissioners might go into closed session during said meeting, and

WHEREAS, notice of the closed meeting follows the guidelines of Section 610.020 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Police Commissioners go into closed session during the meeting being held on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at KCPD Headquarters, 1125 Locust Street, Kansas City, for the purpose of discussing personnel matters, labor negotiations, and litigation matters.

The following Commissioners were present and voted to go into closed session as follows:

Mayor Quinton Lucas                                                 -           Aye

Commissioner Tom Whittaker                                    -           Aye

            Commissioner Dawn Cramer                                     -           Aye

Commissioner Cathy Dean                                         -           Aye

            There being a quorum present and the question of holding a closed session having received an affirmative public vote of at least three (3) members, a closed meeting was held as set forth above.

Below are the votes from the closed session of the Board of Police Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, August 22, 2023:

The Board went into closed session at 12:12 p.m.  Mr. David Kenner had an excused absence.  Commissioner Tolbert joined the closed session.  

1)         Following a motion by Mayor Lucas and a second by Commissioner Cramer, the Board voted to approve the application for continued employment of Police Officer Kevin Eifert.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.  Following polling, Commissioner Dean voted Aye, Commissioner Cramer voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, Commissioner Whittaker voted Aye, and Mayor Lucas voted Aye.

2)         Following a motion by Mayor Lucas and a second by Commissioner Tolbert, the Board voted to approve the minutes of the closed Board meeting on July 25, 2023.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.  Following polling, Commissioner Dean voted Aye, Commissioner Cramer voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, Commissioner Whittaker voted Aye, and Mayor Lucas voted Aye.

3)         Following a motion by Mayor Lucas and a second by Commissioner Whittaker, the Board voted to go into special closed session to discuss personnel matters.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.  Following polling, Commissioner Dean voted Aye, Commissioner Cramer voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, Commissioner Whittaker voted Aye, and Mayor Lucas voted Aye.

4)         Following a motion by Mayor Lucas and a second by Commissioner Whittaker, the Board voted to increase the annual salary of Chief Stacey Graves to $198,000, effective August 28, 2023.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.   Following polling, Commissioner Dean voted Aye, Commissioner Cramer voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, Commissioner Whittaker voted Aye, and Mayor Lucas voted Aye.

5)         Following a motion by Commissioner Tolbert and a second by Mayor Lucas, the Board voted to go out of special closed session and adjourn.  The vote was 5-0 in favor.  Following polling, Commissioner Dean voted Aye, Commissioner Cramer voted Aye, Commissioner Tolbert voted Aye, Commissioner Whittaker voted Aye, and Mayor Lucas voted Aye.

            The Board adjourned at 1:48 p.m.