Council asks staff to analyze staffing levels and training needs

Multiple tables urged a staffing analysis to determine whether departments are understaffed and where additional staff dollars should be allocated. "So maybe doing an analysis of staffing and then and then, developing some metrics to keep it in place," said Staff member (S8), who emphasized coupling staffing levels with service-level metrics to measure impact.

The group debated training approaches: some argued for in-house training to save costs, while others cautioned that sending staff to external training can create overtime burdens. Agency official (S10) noted a specific training cost increase: "the fee for that doubled in the last 2 years from just $300 to $600," underscoring budget pressure for professional development. The council requested staff present findings to inform FY2027 budget decisions.