HomeMy WebLinkAbout124-99 RESOLUTION•
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RESOLUTION NO 124-99
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
TO CREATE THREE (3) NEW DISPATCH TRAINER POSITIONS
FOR THE CENTRAL DISPATCH CENTER; AND APPROVAL OF
A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE,
ARKANSAS:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby authorizes the police department to create three
new dispatch trainer positions for the Central Dispatch Center.
Section 9. The City Council hereby approves a budget adjustment in the amount of
$20,100 increasing Salaries and benefits (multiple), Acct. No. 1010 2600 5100 00 decreasing 911
Salary reimbursements, Acct. No. 1010 0001 4401 01. A copy of the budget adjustment is attached
hereto marked Exhibit A and made a part hereof.
PASSED AND APPROVED this day of October , 1999.
APPROVED:/%
71
ATTEST:
By 'D[
Heather odruff, City Cler
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By
Fred Hanna, Mayor
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City of Fayetteville, Arkansas
Budget Adjustment Form
EXHIBIT A
Budget Year
1999
Department: Police
Division: Communications
Program: Central Dispatch Center
Date Requested
09/16/99
Adjustment #
Project or Item Requested:
Funding to implement the three Dispatch Trainer positions.
Project or Item Deleted:
None
Justification of this Increase:
These positions will reduce the work load of the Lead
Dispatchers and form a streamlined training program.
They will also act as dispatchers during personnel shortages.
Justification of this Decrease:
N/A
Increase Expen e (Decrease Revenue)
Account Name Amount Account Number Project Number
Salaries and benefits (multiple)
$20,100.00 1010 2600 5100 .00
Decrease Expense (Increase Revenue)
Account Name Amount
911 Salary reimbursement $20,100.00
Account Number Project Number
1010 0001 4401 01
Approval Signatures
9/6-9y
Date
Date
9-/G-99
Budget Office Use Only
Type: A B C
Date of Approval
Posted to General Ledger
Posted to Project Accounting
Entered in Category Log
Blue Copy: Budget & Research / Yellow Copy: Requester
E
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STAFF REVIEW FORM
X AGENDA REQUEST
CONTRACT REVIEW
GRANT REVIEW
For the Fayetteville City Council meeting of October 5, 1999
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FROM:
Richard L. Watson
Police
Name Division
Police
Department
ACTION REQUIRED: Approve three new Dispatch Trainer positions for the Central
Dispatch Center, and also approve the budget adjustment.
COST TO CITY:
$20,100.00
Cost of this Request
See attached
Account Number
Project Number
543,345.00
Category/Project Budget
365,459.00
Funds Used To Date
177,886.00
Remaining Balance
Personnel
Category/Project Name
Central Dispatch
Program Name
General
Fund
Budgeted Item
Budget Adjustment Attached
Budget Manager Administrative Services Director
CONTRACT/GRANT/LEASE REVIEW:
Purchasing Officer
4-4 -%
Date
JbLig
Date
9-1(9.99
Date
GRANTING AGENCY:
Internal Auditor
ADA Coordinator
Date
Date
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approval of the three additional Dispatch Trainer positions
and the budget adjustment.
Division Head
D-.artmen Di
�u1 N~
Date
Date
KViJr_`n
Admin ra v Services Director D e II
970.
May
Date
Cross Reference
New Item: Yes No
Prev Ord/Res #:
Orig Contract Date:
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FAYETTEVILLE
THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE. ARKANSAS
DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE
MEMORANDUM
To: Fred B. Hanna, Mayor
From: Richard L. Watson, Chief of Police . is erY'-
Subject: Agenda Request & Budget Adjustment - Dispatch Trainer Positions
Date: September 16, 1999
Attached you will find an Agenda Request and Budget Adjustment for creation of 3 new
Dispatch Trainer positions. The City Personnel committee recently met and approved job
descriptions and pay grades for these new positions. The Police Department has been discussing
staffing and turnover with Mr. Don Bailey of the Personnel Division for some time and creation
of the new positions has been the outcome of those discussions.
Our Dispatch center has been understaffed for several years even when it is at full
authorized strength. However we have not been at full strength for a couple of years. Due to the
competitive job market in Northwest Arkansas we are in a constant mode of trying to retain our
current dispatchers and at any given time we are training new dispatchers. One problem we have
is the length of time it takes to train a new dispatcher. Because of the various equipment,
computers, procedures, protocol, etc., to be learned, it usually takes about six months for a
dispatcher to be trained. We are also constantly trying to explain to our dispatchers why the City
of Springdale has 24 dispatch slots and we have only 17. Although we have constantly worked
with the Personnel Division to try and keep the pay competitive with area agencies, we still can't
explain to our staff why other agencies have more people to do the job and our Center has the
biggest workload of any city in Northwest Arkansas..
Recently our workload in the Dispatch Center increased because of new technology with
cellular phones. We are now the only County in a 4 state area that actually routes cellular 911
calls to the dispatch center to which the cellular tower is located closest In the past, all cellular
911 calls automatically went to the Springdale Police Department and they then transferred them
to the appropriate police, fire or ambulance service. We have seen our average daily 911 calls
we answer increase almost 70% in the past month.
We currently train new dispatchers by putting them with a Lead Dispatcher (supervisor)
who then tries to systematically go over training material during the six month training period.
However, because of continuous shortages of personnel, the Lead Dispatchers are constantly
interrupted and spend the majority of their time actually filling in for shifts and working as a
dispatcher. When they do this, training suffers, their other supervision duties suffer, and we get
further behind.
We have been working with Mr. Bailey of the Personnel Division to examine ways to
retain our personnel, provide more job satisfaction and reduce the stress level in the Dispatch
Center. We propose to add 3 new positions to the Dispatch Center and these positions would be
"Dispatch Trainers". We would shift the responsibility from the Lead Dispatchers for training
new personnel and have the Trainers be responsible One Trainer would work on each of the 3
shifts and our current training program would be even more closely examined to find ways to
accelerate the training process as much as possible without a corresponding loss of quality.
Salaries of all dispatch personnel are offset 25% by a fee collected through the 911 phone
system. Because of the recent change to the cellular service we have also begun to receive
additional funding through the new Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) fee. We expect
to receive a minimum of $ 44,000 annually from this fee and as cell phones increase, this number
could increase as well. By law, we are only allowed to spend this money for 911 purposes and
dispatch salaries are an approved expenditure. The City will only have to pay for 75% of the
total salaries for the new positions and this amount will be further offset by the expected
$ 44,000 from the new annual fee.
The total cost of creating these new positions for the remainder of 1999 will be $ 20,100.
As stated earlier, 25% of that amount will be paid by the 911 fee and we expect to receive
approximately $ 22,000 (and possibly the entire $ 44,000) before the end of the year from the
new CMRS fee Of course these new positions will impact the 2000 City budget which you will
review later this year. Just for your information, the total cost of these new positions in the 2000
budget year will be $ 102,250. However, because of the 25% salary reimbursement we will
receive from 911 and the expected $ 44,000 to be received from the CMRS fee, the total impact
to next year's budget will be $ 32,687.
Creating and funding these new positions will accomplish several things in our Dispatch
Center. Overall staffing will increase and better service will be provided. Training will become
even more standardized and hopefully training time may be shortened Lead Dispatchers will be
able to devote more time to actual supervision duties on their shifts. Because the Trainer
position will be a grade higher than a dispatcher, employees will have another avenue of upward
mobility. All of these improvements will have a positive effect on job satisfaction, workload,
stress levels and we hope to see our turnover rate stabilized.
cc:
Mr. Don Bailey
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FAYETTEVILLE
THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE. ARKANSAS
DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE
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To: Richard Watson, Chief of Police
From: Heather Woodruff, City Clerk
Date: October 11, 1999
Attached is a copy of the resolution authorizing the creation of three new dispatch trainer
positions. The original will be microfilmed and filed with the City Clerk.
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cc. Yolanda Fields, Internal Auditor
Steve Davis, Budget and Research