Council weighs overtime trend lines, dispatch reclassification and a $100 shift differential

Staff presented a multi-pronged approach to staffing and overtime. The City Manager said the city changed a benefit that previously counted leave as 'hours worked' (a retention incentive) because overtime spending had grown unsustainably; staff reported FY figures (example: $220,524 in early FY'26) and estimated the long-term overtime level could reach prior peaks if unchecked. The manager recommended reclassifying a dispatch supervisor to telecommunications manager and creating a second senior telecommunicator to reduce floor-staffing drag; staff estimated a roughly $20,000 FY impact for the classification change.