City reports 27 vacancies, nine firefighter openings; overtime remains concentrated in public safety

Staff told the council the city currently has 27 full‑time vacancies across general fund and enterprise departments; nine of those vacant roles are firefighters, and average vacancy duration is roughly three to four months. Jared said some positions such as solid‑waste operator are repeatedly open for extended periods due to turnover.

"So right now, we have 27 full time positions across general fund and enterprise fund departments that are, vacant," Jared said. He added the average vacancy duration is three to four months, though some roles remain open longer because of turnover.

On overtime, staff identified fire, police and public works as the top three departments for overtime expenditures and described operational steps to curb costs: limiting training absences per shift, negotiating ESD 7 funding to offset training and overtime, over‑hiring in police to reduce minimum‑staff callbacks, and better overtime budgeting and coordination among departments.

Why it matters: vacancies and overtime affect service delivery and recurring costs. Council members asked for follow‑up on which departments have persistent recruiting challenges and how vacancy factors are built into the FY2027 payroll assumptions.