Council approves city clerk reclassification and restores police front desk staffing

The council approved two personnel items on June 8: a grade reclassification for the city clerk and a request to hire an unbudgeted police customer‑service assistant to restore front‑desk hours.

Human Resources staff said the city clerk’s workload has grown, particularly as FOIA/open‑meetings requests have increased, and recommended a grading change to reflect those responsibilities. HR staff noted comparisons with nearby municipalities and internal grade alignment as part of the evaluation; council approved the reclassification by roll call.

Police leaders described an unusual shortage of dispatchers that has strained 911 operations and said closing the front desk shifted non‑emergency calls to the emergency dispatch center, increasing dispatcher workload by an estimated 40 percent during unstaffed periods. The chief said restoring a third customer‑service assistant at the front desk would cost roughly $25,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year, funded from personnel savings from vacancies and without requiring additional budget appropriation. The council approved hiring the customer‑service assistant and directed staff to proceed with filling the role.

Council members asked about retention, training time for dispatchers and alternatives to new hires; the chief said dispatcher training takes months and that the department is competing regionally for experienced telecommunicators.