Fiscal Year 2019 Budget

74

Budget Impact: The Communication Center continues to provide quality emergency dispatch services. The department puts an emphasis on continuing education and training and this budget continues to allow employees to review the required training they need to have to perform their duties. In Fiscal Year 2018, the department eliminated two part-time dispatcher positions in able to create one full-time position. This arrangement appears to be working well and has allowed more flexibility and reliability to staffing levels. There are no proposed changes to the department under the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. Any changes to the overall amount being budgeted is due to inflationary costs, cost of living salary increases, pension (IPERS) contribution increases and increases in group health insurance. The city has stopped payments into the Communication Center Reserve fund under this budget. Based upon the current balance in the fund, the department has sufficient money available to meet any unplanned expenditures. The rational behind the decision is that all department expenses are split 50/50 with Clay County and the fact that the current operation centers is only five years old and is equipped with all new equipment. The reserve fund is not responsible for the future replacement of the E-911 communication system which is funded by the Clay County E-911 Board.

Future Concerns:

While not an immediate concern, there are members of the department that in the coming five years have the ability to retire from service with the department. Finding quality replacements is increasingly difficult. The move to eliminate the part-time dispatchers arose out of this difficulty in finding quality dispatchers.

Percent of General Fund Expenditures (net transfers)

Employees

8

7

7

2

2

0

0

Actual 15/16 Actual 16/17 Budget 17/18 Budget 18/19

Communicati on Center 5%

Number of Employees (FTEs)

Part Time Employees