BABBITT- City councilors will take a closer look next week at police department spending, staffing, and wages after hearing Tuesday that department expenses had already climbed well into the $600,000 range during the first half of the year.
Councilor Joe White requested the study session as the city begins preparing its 2027 budget and considers upcoming contract negotiations with police officers.
“We’ll be looking at busting a million if we don’t actually get off our rear ends and start doing something about that,” White said.
Clerk-Treasurer Kirsten Traut said the figure covers the department’s entire budget, not just wages. She said approximately $83,000 had been spent on outside assistance through joint-powers agreements, although that does not include additional hours worked by the city’s part-time officers.
White wants the council to examine whether higher wages could help Babbitt recruit and retain its own officers while reducing its reliance on outside agencies.
“If our community wants to have our department be internal, we need to start really looking at what that looks like,” White said.
Among the possibilities he raised was operating with one fewer officer while using some of the savings to increase wages for the remaining positions. White emphasized that the idea was something to study rather than a proposal ready for council action.
The city would also need the union to agree to reopen the current police contract before any wage changes could take effect.
“I think it’s kind of urgent we not wait until September or October to start new union negotiations,” White said.
The council approved pursuing a study session with police officers and union representatives, tentatively planned for Thursday, Aug. 13. The council is expected to review detailed budget figures and possible staffing and contract options.
Water concerns
Paula Shannon asked the council for help Tuesday with persistent sediment in the water at her Garden Circle home.
She brought a jar of the water so council members could see the sediment it contained. She said the problem has continued for more than a year and that her family no longer drinks the water.
“We no longer drink water from our home,” Shannon said. “We don’t feel it’s safe. I’ve asked neighbors about any problems for their water. No one has the problem we have. Clean drinkable water is all we are asking for.”
Shannon said a plumber replaced the remaining three-foot section of the home’s older private water line, but the sediment continued.
The PUC later excavated the connection and found a cracked curb-stop shutoff, which was repaired. Shannon said sediment had also clogged or damaged her washing machine, toilet tank, and outdoor spigot, resulting in more than $1,000 in plumbing and repair expenses.
The PUC subsequently paid to have a whole-house filter installed. Shannon said the filter must be changed frequently and continues to collect a substantial amount of sediment.
Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Sara Powell, who also serves as PUC secretary, said the cracked curb stop was repaired within three business days after it was identified. She said the PUC believes the defect caused manganese buildup inside the line to break loose and that the remaining material should gradually clear from the household plumbing.
Powell said the city’s water is regularly tested at designated locations under Minnesota Department of Health requirements. Shannon said private testing would cost her approximately $275.
Because the PUC operates the city water system under its own governing board, the city council could not order additional testing or repairs. White and Councilor John Fitzpatrick agreed to attend the PUC meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 2 p.m. Shannon will also be placed on the meeting agenda.
Fire response pays
dividends
Babbitt Fire Chief Tony Chamberlin praised department members for their extended response to the July Lightning Incident and reported that the deployment will also provide a substantial financial return to the city.
Chamberlin said the department sent multiple trucks to the fires, generally deploying two for approximately 10 days.
The department maintained enough personnel and equipment in Babbitt to respond to several other incidents during the deployment. No Babbitt firefighters suffered reportable injuries, and the department had no vehicle incidents.
Chamberlin said the department has billed more than $129,000 for its work on the July Lightning Incident, with expenses estimated at approximately $25,000. That leaves the city roughly $100,000 ahead before the final accounting.
Including other billable fires, the department has invoiced $140,275 this year.
A new Type 4 wildland truck has generated $38,757 in billings during its first year. The city bought the used truck for $73,000 and received a $40,000 grant for its skid unit. With department members performing much of the remaining work, Chamberlin expects the completed cost to remain below $80,000.
“On an $80,000 expenditure, we have billed nearly half of its total expenditure in the first year,” Chamberlin said.
Chamberlin described the truck as “absolutely a shining star in its capability.”
The department plans to direct some of the wildfire revenue toward new personal protective equipment and other safety needs.
Ambulance grant
The council authorized the ambulance department to apply for approximately $22,740 from a Minnesota Department of Health pilot program that reimburses rural services for eligible calls in which a patient is treated or assisted but not transported to a hospital.
Assistant Ambulance Director Rebekah Littler said the department averages approximately 275 calls annually, including 25 to 30 nontransport calls for which it currently receives little or no payment.
Lift assists are a common example. Ambulance personnel may respond after someone falls, evaluate the person for injuries, and help the individual back into a bed or chair without transporting the patient.
“This is just a way to ensure that we can get some of those funds back and we’re not out that much additional money towards not transporting,” Littler said.
The program requires no local match.
In other action, the council rescinded its previous authorization to spend $53,895 from the Permanent Improvement fund for arena lighting. Councilors discussed adding the project to the city’s Culture and Tourism grant application but decided against doing so.