Municipal court seeks additional staff to handle heavy dockets and growing caseload

The municipal court director presented a request for additional court staff (conversion of part‑time to full‑time roles and an administrative position) to address a growing caseload and heavy dockets. The presenter described recent workload—three court dates in a month with more than 100 cases on some dockets—and said expanding court staffing would allow the court to hold more frequent dockets and reduce backlog.

The director explained the operational tradeoffs: without added staff the court can still function by scheduling very heavy dockets on fewer days, but that approach increases processing workload, may increase overtime and delays case resolution. The director also described the link between police evidence handling (the records/case manager request) and court workflow: timely evidence transfer affects the court calendar and prosecutorial outcomes.

Council and staff discussed revenues and costs connected to court operations. Krista provided figures showing the court’s revenue budget at roughly $20,000 for fines, with current collections near $17,000 year to date, and noted court operating expenses including personnel costs. No formal council action was taken; the council suggested monitoring the initial months and indicated the possibility of revisiting staffing as a midyear budget amendment if necessary.