14 - CITY ORDINANCE 26-1 COMPOSITION OF DEPARTMENTItem No. 14
memorandum
TO: City Council
John Godwin, City Manager
FROM: Bob Hundley, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: CITY ORDINANCE 26-1 COMPOSITION OF DEPARTMENT
DATE: September 1, 2017
BACKGROUND: City Ordinance 26-1 establishes staffing levels for the police department.
Currently the ordinance provides for a chief, one assistant chief, three captains, eight lieutenants,
four sergeants and forty three officers.
STATUS OF ISSUE: Two issues require amending the ordinance. The loss of three officers to
the newly formed North Lamar Police Department requires a reduction in the total number of
officers from forty three to forty. Secondly, a lieutenant is scheduled to retire on October 31.
Upon amending the ordinance this lieutenant position will be changed to a sergeant position.
This reduces the number of lieutenants from eight to seven and increases the number of sergeants
from 4 to 5. Reducing the number of lieutenant positions by attrition is part of the strategic plan
for the department.
BUDGET: The three officer's salaries and benefits were paid for by the NLISD contract. There
is no impact to the 2017-2018 budget for the loss of these positions. There is a modest reduction
of personnel cost by changing the lieutenant position to a sergeant position.
RECOMMENDATION: Amend the ordinance to reflect the changes in both the total number of
officers and the police officer category and become effective on November 1, 2017.
DRAFT
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS,
AMENDING SEC. 26-1, "COMPOSITION OF DEPARTMENT," OF CHAPTER
26, "POLICE," OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF PARIS,
TEXAS BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE
PARIS POLICE DEPARTMENT BY THREE, BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF
LIEUTENANT POSITIONS FROM EIGHT TO SEVEN, AND BY INCREASING
THE NUMBER OF SERGEANTS FROM 4 TO 5; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS
AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; PROVIDING A REPEALER
CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND DECLARING
AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the employment of police officers in the City of Paris is governed by
Chapter 143 of the Local Government Code, dealing with Civil Service employment; and,
WHEREAS, Section 143.021 of said Chapter 143 of the Local Government Code
states that that the Civil Service Commission shall provide for the classification of all fire
fighters and police officers and the municipal governing body shall establish the
classifications of police officers by ordinance; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Paris has established the classifications of police officers in
Chapter 26 of the Code of Ordinances; and,
WHEREAS, due to the loss of three officers to the newly formed North Lamar Police
Department, there is a reduction in the total number of officers of the Paris Police
Department (from forty three (43) to forty (40)), and the Chief of Police has requested a
reduction of one Lieutenant position which will be vacated by retirement, (reducing the
number of lieutenants from eight (8) to seven (7)) and an increase in one sergeant position
(increasing the number of sergeants from five (5) to six (6)), consistent with the strategic
plan of the Department;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
PARIS, TEXAS:
Section 1. That the findings set out in the preamble to this ordinance are hereby
in all things approved.
Section 2. That Section 26-1 of Chapter 26 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of
Paris, Texas, is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Sec. 26-1. Composition of department.
The police department of the City shall be composed of the chief of police and
fifty-nine (56) members classified as follows:
(1) One (1) Assistant Police Chief
(2) Three (3) police captains.
(3) Eight (7) police lieutenants.
(4) Four (5) police sergeants
(5) Forty (40) police officers."
Section 3. That all provisions of the ordinances of the City of Paris, Texas in
conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed, and all other provisions
of the ordinances of the City of Paris not in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance
shall remain in full force and effect.
Section 4. That the repeal of any ordinance or part of ordinances affected by the
enactment of this ordinance shall not be construed as abandoning any action now pending
under or by virtue of such ordinance or as discontinuing, abating, modifying, or altering
any penalty accruing or to accrue, or as affecting any rights of the municipality under any
section or provisions of any ordinance at the time of passage of this ordinance.
Section 5. That it is the intention of the City Council of the City of Paris that this
ordinance and every provision hereof, shall be considered severable, and the invalidity or
partial invalidity of any section, clause, or provisions of this ordinance shall not affect the
validity of any other portion of this ordinance.
Section 6. That this ordinance shall become effective from and after its passage
as required by law.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 11th day of September, 2017.
Steven J. Clifford, M.D., Mayor
ATTEST:
Janice Ellis, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Stephanie H. Harris, City Attorney