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Council questions HR staffing, out-of-title pay and safety training coverage
Summary
During the HR briefing, councilors asked about vacancies, out-of-title pay, which departments have dedicated HR, and the city's safety officer training scope; HR said police have dedicated HR staff, fire does not, and safety officers cover non-public-safety departments.
Council members used the HR briefing to probe staffing shortages, pay practices and training coverage across departments.
HR said it has two current vacancies; one candidate received an offer and another offer was expected to go out soon. The department plans to onboard new hires in the coming weeks and reshuffle workloads rather than immediately add a new budgeted post for retiree benefits.
On pay, a councilor asked whether employees who perform duties above their grade receive out-of-title pay. The staff member said the city compensates employees for work above their classification but does not pay extra when employees temporarily perform work below the assigned class. "If it's above, yes. We don't pay for work below, but we pay for work above," the staff member said.
Councilors also asked about safety officers and training. HR said the safety officers under Lisa's purview provide training and spot checks for non-public-safety departments — including DPW, Parks and Water — while police and fire operate their own safety programs. Training examples cited included "stop the bleed" instruction and defensive driving.
Finally, HR confirmed it does not have additional positions funded under the sheriff's budget beyond the one already discussed.
Next steps: HR will fill vacancies where possible and adjust workloads; no policy changes or votes were recorded at the briefing.
