Following the City’s recent progress update, residents have asked additional questions about two important issues: the cost and staffing of the Weed Police Department and the timeline for the Main Street Cleanup Project. The City is providing the following information to clarify both matters.

Public Safety Staffing and Police Service Costs

The average cost of operating the entire Weed Police Department is approximately $77.75 per hour. This figure represents the Department’s overall personnel costs and the expense of maintaining local police services. It is not the hourly wage or cost of an individual officer.

The Weed Police Department currently has eight filled officer positions (1 still in training, and 1 we are sponsoring in the police academy at College of the Siskiyous). However, eight filled positions do not mean that eight officers are always available for independent patrol duty. The Department must account for workers’ compensation, injuries, leaves of absence, illness, vacation, mandatory training, court appearances, compensatory time, and holiday leave.

A newly hired officer who is not an experienced lateral officer also requires at least 16 weeks of training before working independently. During that period, the employee fills an authorized position but does not yet provide the same patrol capacity as a fully trained officer.

The Department’s tenth officer position has remained frozen since approximately 2015. The City’s General Plan previously identified the need for that position as South Weed developed and the number of residents, visitors, traffic, and calls for service increased. Restoring the ninth and tenth positions would improve the Department’s ability to maintain patrol coverage and participate in regional investigations, school safety, specialized enforcement, and proactive policing.

In previous years, Weed police officers participated in the Siskiyou County Narcotics Task Force, the Siskiyou Unified Major Investigation Team, and the Northern California Child Abduction Response Team. The Department also maintained agreements with the Siskiyou Union High School District and Weed Elementary School District for part-time school resource officer services. Current staffing levels do not allow the Department to fill those assignments or their modern equivalents.

Police work also continues after the initial call or arrest. Officers prepare criminal reports that may require repeated court appearances after review by the District Attorney’s Office. Court schedules are established independently of Police Department schedules. They may require officers to appear during a regular shift, on a scheduled day off, or during hours when they would normally be resting between shifts.

Additional coverage is necessary for sick leave, vacation, training, holiday accruals, compensatory time, prisoner transportation, and major incidents. When staffing falls below the minimum patrol levels, off-duty officers may be asked to return to work to maintain police coverage.

The City does not currently pay standby compensation, meaning off-duty officers are not required to remain available for callout. Nevertheless, officers regularly respond when asked, particularly during serious incidents or periods of reduced staffing.

Minimum staffing allows the Department to respond to calls for service, but it leaves little capacity for proactive policing. Proactive services include neighborhood patrols, traffic enforcement, school engagement, narcotics investigations, business contacts, problem-property enforcement, and crime-prevention activities.

At an average departmental operating cost of $77.75 per hour, the City maintains a local police presence that makes every reasonable effort to ensure Weed is not left without coverage.

Main Street RFP Bidding Period Extended

After consultation with PACE Engineering and City staff, the City has decided to extend the bidding period for the Main Street Cleanup Project from 14 days to at least 30 days.

PACE and staff recommended the longer bidding period because of the project’s sensitivity, technical complexity, hazardous-material requirements, and potential impacts on adjacent properties. The additional time will allow more contractors to become aware of the project, review the bid documents, inspect the site, attend the pre-bid meeting, submit questions, and prepare complete proposals.

The extended period will also provide PACE Engineering and the City with sufficient time to evaluate bidder questions, issue formal responses, and prepare any necessary addenda or revisions to the bidding documents. This process is intended to improve bid quality, reduce uncertainty, and ensure that all contractors compete on the same information.

The project involves substantially more than routine demolition. Providing at least 30 days gives qualified contractors a better opportunity to evaluate these conditions and prepare accurate and responsible bids. Although extending the bidding period delays the opening of bids, addressing these issues during procurement is preferable to incurring avoidable change orders, disputes, delays, or unexpected costs after construction begins.

The City and PACE Engineering are striving to publish the revised solicitation this week or next. If the project remains on schedule and responsive bids are received, the City hopes to present the bid results and a potential contract award to the City Council at its September meeting.

The City recognizes the community’s desire for visible progress on Main Street. Extending the bidding period does not reflect a lack of urgency. It reflects the City Council and staff’s commitment to safety, competition, legal compliance, protection of neighboring properties, and responsible stewardship of public funds.

The City remains focused on advancing the Main Street cleanup as quickly as reasonably possible while ensuring the project is properly planned, competitively bid, and completed.