Committee weighs whether managers should receive overtime for 24/7 coverage

The Finance Committee spent the largest portion of the meeting on whether exempt managers should be eligible for overtime pay when they pick up patrol or dispatch shifts.

Charlie and the city manager said the practice has existed informally for some time even though the city ordinance currently states exempt employees are not eligible for overtime. Carrie, the human-resources lead, said the ordinance is standard but raised equity and long-term cost concerns if overtime were broadened to managers in multiple departments: overtime wages carry FICA and retirement costs and could become a persistent long-term expense. She recommended caution and suggested limiting any change to emergency coverage or critical 24/7 units such as police and dispatch.

Council members, led by Steve and others, said the practice can help with retention and shift coverage but emphasized the need for transparent policy and budgeted authority. Steve suggested freezing the expanded overtime practice through June 30 to allow staff to produce cost estimates; other members asked for a comparison of the city’s cost when a manager covers a shift versus an officer covering it and for multiple scenarios (police-only, all 24/7 departments, salary-adjustment alternatives). Charlie and Carrie agreed to prepare cost estimates and draft ordinance or policy language to present at a future finance-committee meeting, then to bring a recommended option to the full council for consideration.

No formal vote was taken; committee members verbally agreed on a near-term plan to model costs and draft options and to keep the current practice in place while staff prepares materials.