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Dispatch supervisor urges staffing, pay and evaluation changes amid retention concerns
Summary
The Daniels County dispatch supervisor told commissioners that current pay and staffing arrangements make it difficult to recruit and retain employees, and asked the board to consider merit‑based raises, more frequent evaluations and a regional mutual‑aid MOU for dispatch coverage.
The Daniels County 9‑1‑1 and dispatch supervisor outlined staffing shortages, pay disparities and operational risk for the county’s emergency communications and asked the commissioners to consider restructuring pay and using formal performance evaluations to tie raises to merit.
The supervisor said recruitment is difficult and noted nearby counties start dispatch pay in a range higher than some county positions; she described workload and training requirements and argued that the county should use evaluations tied to merit, longevity and cost‑of‑living adjustments to better retain trained staff. She recommended establishing more frequent performance appraisals and a transparent, merit‑linked raise process so employees could see a clear path to higher pay for meeting training and performance standards.
The supervisor also described the operational vulnerability if multiple dispatchers are unavailable and reported ongoing outreach to Sheridan County about a mutual‑aid arrangement and a training/policy alignment MOU that could provide backup coverage during outages. She said staff are preparing a policy manual and standardized procedures so an outside dispatch center could handle calls reliably if needed. Commissioners encouraged the supervisor to draft performance‑evaluation criteria that could be applied fairly across the county and to bring back options for merit, longevity and other raise structures for board consideration.
No formal pay changes were approved at this meeting; the board asked staff to prepare options and noted department heads should be empowered to provide input on staffing and pay structures.
