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Council directs expedited workgroup after reports that dispatch is short by up to half its staff
Summary
Councilman Koppel flagged an urgent staffing shortage in the dispatch/911 center—reporting the division of 20 was short 7–10 people at times and some operators working excessive consecutive 12‑hour shifts— and directed the city manager to convene an expedited workgroup to present short‑ and long‑term staffing options.
Councilman Mitch Koppel raised a new business item about the city’s 911/dispatch staffing crisis, saying the department of roughly 20 positions has been operating severely short‑staffed and that recent training attrition left the unit down approximately 10 positions. Koppel warned of unsustainable overtime patterns—multiple 12‑hour shifts in a row—and urged rapid action.
He moved that the city manager convene a workgroup to explore expedited short‑term solutions and longer‑term staffing and pay strategies. The city manager said he had already begun brainstorming with public‑safety chiefs and HR and agreed to return with a summary of expedited options and longer‑range pay/staffing proposals, noting a major funding opportunity to address pay and retention could be part of the August budget cycle.
Council expressed interest in both short‑term operational fixes (part‑time hires, cross‑training, toolbox/contractor arrangements, targeted recruitment from allied professions) and longer‑term pay and retention measures. The council also emphasized the need for a functioning dispatch center as a public‑safety priority and asked for a report back with concrete, time‑limited options.
