Council approves emergency reclassification to add police fleet technician after mechanic illness

The Conway City Council unanimously adopted an emergency ordinance to reclassify a vacant records position as a fleet maintenance technician for the Conway Police Department after the department’s lead mechanic required additional medical leave.

Police Chief explained the department’s vehicle fleet has depended on two fleet staff; one long-serving head mechanic has had surgeries and the remaining mechanic had been carrying the workload. The chief said reclassifying the vacant records post will add a technician so the department can sustain maintenance in-house rather than outsourcing at higher cost.

Why it matters: Maintaining municipal fleet assets affects daily public-safety operations and emergency response readiness. The chief told the council that, because the records position had been vacant all year, the department does not expect a budget increase for the remainder of the year from the reclassification.

Procedural notes: Council voted to suspend the three-reading requirement and then adopted ordinance O2569 with the emergency clause. Council members also discussed that fire department vehicles have separate mechanics and would not be affected by this police fleet staffing change.

Ending: The council approved the emergency ordinance 7–0 and noted staff will monitor whether outsourcing would be necessary if in-house staffing cannot be maintained.