City staff told the finance committee that 15 public-safety positions added since 2021 — including firefighters, a community-outreach specialist in police, and two downtown police officers — are currently funded with a mix of FEMA SAFER grant dollars, ARPA funding and one-time foundation and state receipts. Mary Anne said the total annual payroll for those 15 positions is just under $1.5 million and that the SAFER grant expires Feb. 6, leaving the city with a shortfall if no alternative funding is secured.

"The SAFER grant expires February 6," Mary Anne said, noting that under current grant terms the city would spend roughly $154,000 of SAFER-funded payroll in 2026 before expiration. She told the committee staff had reached out to FEMA to request a grant-extension window but cautioned approval "takes them a long time." Staff reported they had identified roughly $1.3 million in one-time revenue sources (investment income, supplemental Medicare EMS payments, ARPA carryover and other items) to offset the 2026 shortfall but said that approach is not sustainable for 2027, when the city could face the need to fund roughly $1.2 million on an ongoing basis.

Staff described a near-term outreach and planning path rather than a formal council decision at this meeting. Mary Anne said the city will issue a request for proposals to seek professional help communicating with residents about the need for a continuing funding source, citing prior public-education work on SAFER-funded positions. "We're gonna have to reeducate our residents on why that was needed back in 2021," she said, referencing the competitive SAFER application and prior council presentations.

Committee discussion included possible alternate revenue sources staff were pursuing: an application to FEMA for a grant extension, a request to a foundation to fund one firefighter position, and supplemental Medicare reimbursements for EMS that the city expects to flow annually after recent state reporting changes. Jeremy, a city staff member, said he had reached out to FEMA and expects an application window to open in October but warned the approval timeline is uncertain.

Decision vs. discussion: the committee did not vote on a ballot question or make a formal referendum commitment. Staff were directed to prepare the RFP and return with proposals for committee review.