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Cherokee Village council unanimously OKs accelerated hire to cover fire department staffing gaps
Summary
The Cherokee Village City Council unanimously approved accelerating the hiring of a full‑time firefighter to cover recent long‑term absences and a pending retirement; council authorized using city reserve funds to cover initial costs, though the chief and council stated different figures for total budgetary impact.
The Cherokee Village City Council on Jan. 16 unanimously authorized Fire Chief Mr. Cal to accelerate hiring a full‑time firefighter to address short‑term staffing gaps caused by a serious on‑duty injury and a firefighter who recently lost a spouse.
Chief Mr. Cal told the council the department is currently thin: two new hires are in or scheduled for academy training, but recent events have left the department operating two stations with limited backup and extended overtime. “I have a fireman who's in recovery after a serious accident and another who is an unexpected single parent right now,” Mr. Cal said, urging an earlier hire so a recruit can be partly trained before a planned retirement in October.
Mr. Cal gave two cost framings during his remarks. He initially described an approximate $330,000 increase when factoring in the full complement of salary, benefits and insurance over a year. During the subsequent discussion council members and the mayor described the immediate appropriation as an additional $30,000 to be transferred from the city reserve account to cover startup costs and to be allocated by the treasurer to the appropriate departmental accounts. The council did not reconcile those two figures on the record.
The hiring motion was made by Mrs. Tatum and seconded by Mr. Martin. The council voted by roll call and recorded unanimous approval (all present members voting “yes”). The mayor said the treasurer would apportion funds from the city reserve to cover the initial costs; the exact reserve account and the detailed year‑long budget impact were not specified in the meeting record.
Arkansas law requires that a firefighter hired for this role be certified within one year of hire, Mr. Cal noted, and the department plans to enroll recruits in certification training as timelines permit. Chief Cal said a realistic training window is roughly 60 days before a new hire could reliably cover a shift, though full certification would follow statutory timelines.
Council members also discussed broader staff retention and benefits for other municipal employees during later remarks, including exploring retirement plan options to improve recruitment and reduce turnover.
What happens next: The council approved hiring authorization and directed the treasurer to allocate funds from the city reserve account to the fire department. The council did not specify the precise reserve account or provide a reconciled year‑long budget figure during the meeting.
