Council delays 9-1-1 director reclassification, keeps public hearing open

The mayor’s chief of staff asked the Lincoln City Council to move a proposed reclassification of the 9-1-1 director position to pending with no date certain and to keep the public hearing open while staff complete related work. Councilmembers voted to delay the item unanimously.

The chief of staff told the council the reclassification would accompany a pay increase for the director and said staff were also preparing a separate proposal on compensation for 9-1-1 dispatch workers and other retention strategies. “That’s why I’m asking for no date certain. But when those 2 pieces are ready, we’d like to move forward with those and the other piece so you’re getting a complete picture of the changes that we intend to make, to improve the working conditions in the 9 11 center,” the chief of staff said.

Councilman Tom Duden moved to delay the item indefinitely, with Councilman John Carlson seconding the motion. The clerk called the roll and recorded unanimous “yes” votes from Bowers, Carlson, Schaub, Studen, Beckias, Weber and Washington. Chair Washington announced, “Motion carried 7 0.”

The council did not take any action on pay levels, specific reclassification language, or retention measures at the meeting. Staff said the compensation analysis and any proposed reclassification will return to the council when the related pieces are ready; no timelines or dollar amounts were provided.

Because the council left the public hearing open, the hearing will be reactivated when staff bring the consolidated proposal back to the council, the chief of staff said. The council did not set a return date.