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Wyoming council approves two part-time public-safety positions to boost daytime response
Summary
The council approved posting a part-time firefighter (12'16 hrs/wk, up to 29 hrs) and a part-time community service officer (24 hrs/wk) to improve daytime response, inspections and noncriminal code enforcement; both roles are limited to keep them below benefits thresholds and were discussed as cost-effective measures.
The Wyoming City Council voted Jan. 6 to establish and post two part-time positions intended to bolster daytime public-safety capacity: a part-time firefighter and a part-time community service officer (CSO).
Fire Chief Bower described the firefighter role as a daytime responder who would handle medical and fire calls while on shift, attend department training, and help with vehicle maintenance. "We're looking to establish this position...starting salary rates of $25.66 per hour up to $31.19 an hour," Chief Bower said, describing a five-step pay schedule; the role is planned for 12 to 16 hours per week and capped at 29 hours to avoid full-time benefits and to exclude membership in the relief association. Within the first year the employee would be expected to complete fire-inspector training so the city can perform inspections for multifamily, educational and commercial facilities.
On the CSO, Chief Bower said the nonsworn, uniformed position would handle noncriminal public-safety tasks such as vehicle maintenance, traffic control, parking and animal complaints and would free sworn officers to focus on law-enforcement duties. The CSO is scheduled for about 24 hours per week; staff said an existing vehicle can be repurposed and funding is available in the current budget.
Council members raised budget and oversight questions. Member Joerger asked how often fire inspections should be done; staff said annual inspections are typical for multifamily and commercial properties and that the city currently lacks capacity. Member Luger asked about liability and the public-safety consequences of not performing inspections; legal staff said the city's civil liability exposure is limited, but the absence of inspections poses public-safety and capacity concerns. Some council members suggested exploring alternatives using existing resources, while others said the hires are a cost-effective way to address daytime coverage as the city grows.
Both positions were approved; the CSO program was approved with a three-year cap to allow staff to assess effectiveness and maintain a pipeline for future recruitment.
Next steps: staff will finalize job descriptions, reporting structure and recruitment timelines and return with the posting details.
