Vienna’s Police Department will be adding a new position in the near future after receiving approval from the Town Council on Feb. 7. The position will be responsible for the Police Department’s technology, including its new dispatch system.
Currently, the job is being done by a uniformed sergeant, but that person is nearing retirement. The new position, not a uniformed officer, will free whoever fills the sergeant’s job to return to the street. “It will free up the current sergeant position,” said Vienna Police Chief Robert Carlisle.
Councilmember George Lovelace expressed some reservations about the proposal. Echoing comments he had made during a Council work session discussing the proposed new position, he noted that the Town already has a full-time Information Technology Specialist.
Lovelace was concerned that the new position might expand. “Does this position expand into where you will need a couple more people?” Lovelace said. He added that the police should concentrate its personnel dollars into increasing uniformed officers. “[We] need to focus on what needs to be done over there and not get a burgeoning in positions like this.”
Carlisle said that while he could not project the department’s needs in the far future, “In the near term, in the foreseeable future that I can predict, no, I don’t see any additional need.”
The Town Council approved the position unanimously. The estimated salary of the new position is just under $44,000 per year.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the Town Council unanimously approved allowing the police department to hire temporary workers to assist in clerical support. Two clerical positions are currently vacant in the department, and a third is preparing to take 12 weeks of family medical leave.
Councilmembers approved spending up to $10,000 for the temporary worker.
The Council also passed a resolution supporting a memorandum of agreement between the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department and Fairfax County. The memorandum was part of the deal that secured $1.5 million in funding to renovate the fire station.
The Council formally adopted an ordinance that exempts owners of service dogs from paying the Town’s dog license fee. Such dogs will still need a license; this new ordinance simply exempts them from the fee.
The Town Council set dates for closed sessions on Feb. 14 and 28 to interview people who are applying for appointment to various Town boards and commissions.