Finance Committee, April 24, 2026

The City of Watertown Finance Committee met on April 24, 2026, to review and approve previous meeting minutes and discuss departmental overtime and staffing issues for the fire and police departments. The fire chief detailed the causes of overtime, including minimum staffing requirements, training, and operational needs, emphasizing that overtime is a result of maintaining service levels amid increased call demand and staffing instability. The police chief explained the department's approach to managing overtime by staffing for routine calls and using overtime for major incidents, highlighting that vacancies and leaves significantly drive overtime costs. Both chiefs discussed efforts to control overtime through staffing, training, and operational adjustments. The committee also reviewed and approved intergovernmental agreements with surrounding townships for sharing fire records and discussed mutual aid provisions related to water rescue services. No new contracts or procurement actions were reported, but budget considerations related to staffing and overtime were a key focus.