Council debates contracting out fire inspections and prioritizing DPW/parks staffing

A substantial portion of the meeting focused on whether the city should contract out fire inspections or add internal staff and how to prioritize limited new positions within the 2027 budget.

Matthew and several council members said the city is behind on inspections (roughly 400 annual inspections outstanding) and identified a proposal for contracting inspections at an estimated $19,600 as a potential short-term savings compared with hiring a full-time fire inspector. "There is a proposal to contract out fire inspections... I believe the estimated cost was $19,600 which is clearly significantly less than a full time fire inspector," Matthew said. Alder Rustad and others recommended soliciting additional quotes and, if contracting, ensuring the contract requires clear deliverables and monthly reporting to capture inspection knowledge for emergency response.

Councilmembers also discussed prioritizing DPW and parks maintenance. Several members favored creating a parks-lead role pulled from existing maintenance staff to provide consistent oversight rather than immediately hiring a full new position. Options discussed included seeking three quotes for inspection contracting, evaluating incentive pay for volunteer inspectors, and exploring regional partnerships or grant funding for shared services. Staff committed to returning with more detailed cost comparisons and bids at an upcoming meeting.