Committee reports ongoing hiring challenges for CDLs, police and dispatch; links pay review to hiring and retention

The Franklin City Personnel Committee reviewed a staffing report that noted ongoing openings for CDL operators, police officers and dispatch positions and discussed links between pay competitiveness and recruitment.

Staff said the city had invited five CDL candidates for interviews and two responded; the department remains short on applicants. The city reported openings for four police officers and two dispatch vacancies created by a retirement and a resignation, though staff said one dispatch vacancy has been filled and another candidate selected.

Committee members and staff flagged training and licensing constraints as additional hiring barriers: staff said some MATC CDL classes have long waiting lists and can take up to a year to complete; the city typically requires employees to obtain a CDL but has previously approved hiring candidates on the condition they obtain the license during probation when certification access was available.

Members tied the recruitment challenges to the ongoing compensation and classification plan discussion and asked staff to include recruitment and retention considerations when modeling pay-range adjustments for the 2026 budget. Staff confirmed it will return with detailed numbers showing each employee’s position in the pay range and cost scenarios.

Ending: No formal staffing decisions were made at this meeting; staff will continue recruiting and will include hiring/retention context in the compensation models produced for the 2026 budget cycle.