City human resources staff presented a year‑end report Jan. 12 summarizing workforce metrics and priorities ahead of the 2027 budget cycle.

Staff reported the city employed 168 full‑time employees at year end, with authorization for 182 positions. In 2025 the city hired 16 full‑time employees and recorded 11 separations, yielding a turnover rate of about 6% (noted as below peer averages of 10–15%). HR said it promoted 12 employees into leadership roles and conducted 11 town halls across departments to gather workforce feedback.

Key topics raised included the three retirement tiers under KPPA (tier 1, 2 and 3) and the growing share of tier‑3 employees; staff noted concerns about the retirement value difference for tier‑3 employees and discussed potential deferred‑compensation matches and other retention incentives. Employees expressed interest in expanding training, tuition reimbursement, and a possible employer health clinic—staff said a clinic would require significant investment and strategic partners.

Staff framed the material as informational for commissioners and asked for guidance during the upcoming budget process. Commissioners asked targeted questions about which departments saw higher turnover (police cited as majority) and about options to offset tier‑3 retirement disparities. HR said recruiting remains strong but identified the sub‑five‑year employee cohort as the highest turnover risk.

Next steps: staff will incorporate feedback into budget planning, continue the compensation study with the retained vendor (Hannah Resource Group), and return with specific proposals on benefits and retention incentives.