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DATE: September 14, 2015
Agenda Item #5.E
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager
FROM: Patrick Williams, Police Chief O'A)
SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing the Funding of an Additional 0.5 FTE Public Safety
Dispatcher Position Allocation in the Police Department Budget
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Authorizing the Funding
of an Additional 0.5 FTE Public Safety Dispatcher Allocation in the Police Department Budget.
BACKGROUND
The Petaluma Police Department currently has twelve Public Safety Dispatcher positions, nine of
which are funded. Two of the nine positions are filled by Job Share employees, four employees
that each have half -time schedules. In addition, there is funding authorized for three part-time,
non - regular dispatchers, and one Public Safety Dispatcher Supervisor. One part-time, non-
regular position is currently vacant. The Communications Center is open 7 days a week, 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. Scheduled and unscheduled absences significantly impact the ability of
the Department to maintain this coverage. Besides the dispatch staff having to fill the current
staffing needs, there are approximately 240 hours per month of mandatory overtime that need to
be filled. Over the past year, we have been in the process of trying to fill the vacant part-time
dispatcher position. We have not found a qualified candidate because of various issues in their
pre - employment backgrounds.
DISCUSSION
As of August 1, 2015, we have not filled the part-time, non - regular dispatcher position. Instead
of opening up another recruiting process, the Department would like to convert a current job
share into a full -time position and fund an additional 0.5 FTE regular Public Safety Dispatcher
position. Two dispatchers currently job share and have the desire to go full -time as soon as the
opportunity exists. The senior job share position would move into the new full -time dispatcher
position. The remaining job share position would move into the 0.5 FTE regular Public Safety
Dispatcher position.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The fully burdened rate of the Public Safety Dispatcher position including benefits is $98,752
annually. The two job share dispatcher positions including benefits is $99,535 and the rate for a
part-time dispatcher is $49,969. We are currently allocated $132,045 for the two job share
dispatcher positions and the part -time dispatcher position. The new full -time position and the
new part-time position with benefits will cost $148,721. There will be a one -time cost savings
for discontinuing the recruitment for the vacant part-time position, including recruiting and
hiring costs ($4,000), training costs ($2,000), overtime savings ($4,800), and not having to train
a new employee for eight months. The cost savings for not filling the vacant part-time
dispatcher position is approximately $10,800. There will also be a reoccurring monthly savings
of approximately 100 hours of the monthly mandatory overtime. This reduction in mandatory
overtime will save approximately $16,000 annually in overtime costs. There will be no
additional cost to the City for funding the position.
ATTACHMENT
1. Resolution
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ATTACHMENT 1
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE FUNDING OF AN ADDITIONAL 0.5 FTE PUBLIC
SAFETY DISPATCHER POSITION ALLOCATION IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
BUDGET
WHEREAS, the Police Department has maintained one (1) vacant funded part-time
Public Safety Dispatcher position over the past year due to several applicants not passing the pre-
employment background process; and
WHEREAS, the Department has two (2) current Job Share Public Safety Dispatcher
positions and those employees wish to become full -time employees; and
WHEREAS, the conversion of the vacant part-time dispatcher position and one job share
dispatcher position to a full -time position will fill the needs of the Police Department.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Petaluma authorizes the funding of 0.5 additional positions for Public Safety Dispatcher effective
with the adoption of this Resolution.
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