HomeMy WebLinkAbout01(A) - 2027 - 2031 Personnel Plan Report
ITEM: 1A
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: May 12, 2026
PREPARED BY: Lori Olson, Assistant City Manager
PRESENTED BY: Lori Olson
AGENDA ITEM: 2027 - 2031 Personnel Plan
BACKGROUND:
Similar to how the City plans its infrastructure, facility and fleet needs through the Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP), the personnel plan is designed to address the staffing needs required
to support the City’s anticipated growth and related service demands. This plan projects the
service levels and related staffing needs for the City of Prior Lake through 2031 and will be
revisited annually to adapt to the evolving needs and expectations of the community. Like other
elements adopted as part of the CIP, the Personnel Plan is a planning document that will be
reviewed annually in conjunction with the annual budget process.
City of Prior Lake | 4646 Dakota Street SE | Prior Lake MN 55372
PERSONNEL PLAN
2027-2031
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 2
INTRODUCTION
Similar to how the City plans its infrastructure and equipment needs through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), this Personnel Plan is designed
to address the staffing needs required to support the anticipated demand for City services as Prior Lake grows. The general fund budget is
dominated by personnel costs (72.2% of the total budget in 2026) which explains why planning for personnel is critical for long-range planning.
This Plan projects the anticipated staffing requirements for the City of Prior Lake by 2031. It will be revisited annually to adapt to the evolving
needs and expectations of the community.
The objectives of the plan include:
• Informing annual and long-range budget discussions and decisions;
• Forecasting future demands for service; and
• Identifying the resources required to perform current service levels in the future.
This five-year document will be incorporated into the City’s long-range financial plan and will be updated each year to inform the annual budget
process. Departments will be responsible for providing the metrics to justify the personnel requests and impact on current service levels during
annual budget deliberations. The decision on how/if the City will fund these positions will occur as part of the annual budgeting process in
conjunction with other budget requests. The City Council will ultimately determine the addition and timing of additional employees through the
adoption of the annual budget.
BACKGROUND
City staff provide essential services to 29,057 residents (2024 Met Council population estimate) over nineteen square miles, not including the
recent annexation agreement with Spring Lake Township. In addition, the residents of Spring Lake Township, the City of Credit River, and the
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) receive public safety services from the City. Prior Lake has grown at a steady pace of about
five hundred residents annually in one of the fastest growing counties in Minnesota. The Metropolitan Council forecasts Prior Lake’s population
will grow to 37,600 residents by 2040.
Cities do not grow solely in terms of population or households as the services -- infrastructure, parks, public safety, and technology, to name a few
– that are required to accommodate such growth must expand as well. These services are supported by municipal employees togethe r with the
equipment, supplies and training necessary to execute their functions
The City of Prior Lake currently operates with 125 employees. The majority (75%) of employees work in Public Works, Police Department, and Fire
Department, most of whom are considered essential employees. The City also hires around fifty seasonal and temporary positions each year and
employs 26 part-time, shift assigned firefighters/EMTs.
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 3
PERSONNEL NEEDS THROUGH 2031
Below is an overview of the projected staffing needs to maintain current service levels through 2031. Several factors play into the number of
employees requested in this plan, including the Police Department staffing study completed in 2024, the significant increase in Fire Department
calls as the primary responder for medicals, and the approval of the new orderly annexation area in Spring Lake Township. On the following pages,
each department is profiled with a summary of all current and proposed positions within the department and a rationale for each new FTE request.
POSITIONS REQUESTED BY YEAR:
2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
- Administrative Assistant
- Police Officer (2)
- Comms Specialist (PT)
- Firefighter/EMT (6)
- Police Officer
- PT Records Specialist to FT
- PT Comms Specialist to FT
- Police Officer
- Facilities Maintenance
TOTAL HEADCOUNT REQUESTED BY DEPARTMENT AND YEAR:
Department 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Administration (9)
1
.62 - .38 -
Community Development (10.8)
- - - - -
Finance (6.8)
- - - - -
Fire (15)
- 6 - - -
Police (42.42) 2 - 1.38 1
Public Works (41) - - - - 1
Total New: 3 6.62 1.38 1.38 1
Total City Headcount (125.02) 128.02 134.64 136.02 137.4 138.4
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 4
DEPARTMENT
PROFILES
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 5
ADMINISTRATION
*2027: Administrative/Utility Billing Assistant (1 FTE). Managing the front desk of City Hall and completing City Clerk-related tasks has become
increasingly difficult for the Deputy City Clerk (DCC). First, new election mandates, like the addition of a primary election and expansion of early
voting, have stretched elections management to over six months each election cycle. During elections, the DCC is frequently away from the front
desk for a variety of elections-related reasons. This places the burden of answering the main phone and helping walk-in customers onto other
staff who are then pulled away from their own duties. Second, the nature of the City’s front desk means constant interruption. Many DCC tasks,
such as issuing solicitor permits, drafting minutes, and reviewing data requests, require the DCC’s full attention. Finally, the City needs to update
and implement a formal records management and retention policy (database purging and organization, staff training, ongoing cleanup) to
ensure compliance with state laws. This project and other process improvements, like online licensing and payment, have been put on the back
burner due to time and staffing constraints.
For these reasons and others, we request an Administrative Assistant position in 2027. The primary duties for this position include staffing the
front desk of City Hall, greeting customers, answering phone calls, and routing City information inbox emails as well as providing executive
support to the City Manager, which currently does not exist. In addition, this position will assist Utility Billing (UB) to enhance customer service,
especially for walk-in customers, by looking up account information and processing payments when UB staff are unavailable. The Administrative
Assistant would help prepare and mail letters related to the UB certification process and contact residents who are on the high consumption
report, a task that UB performs only as time allows. At that time, the Administrative Assistant could then direct residents to the My360 portal
and help them set up an account which could increase adoption rates, which would be a new service provided to our residents.
*2028: Communications Specialist/Graphic Designer (.62 FTE). Communicating with the public is a core city service, and as a local government,
we are obligated to provide timely, relevant information to our citizens to ensure transparency and accountability. With only one full-time
communications employee, taking advantage of the multiple mediums to reach a broad spectrum of residents is a challenge. Examples of the
array of options to reach residents include videos, social media content, press releases, news items, website updates, etc. Outreach efforts like
the Citizen Engagement Committee (CEC), the Community Academy, and special events further consume communication resources. Additional
support is needed to help manage these efforts with specific focus on the City’s website. As communication in general moves toward data
visualization, creating graphics that translate City information and data into digestible, quick content helps relay complex information, engage
residents and, ultimately, foster trust. Peer cities’ average 2.5 communications FTEs. If the needs of the City and the capacity of current
employees to meet them support additional hours, this position could move to full-time in 2031.
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 6
Total FTEs in 2026 – 9
Administration 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
City Manager 1 1 1 1 1
Assistant City Manager 1 1 1 1 1
City Clerk 1 1 1 1 1
Deputy City Clerk 1 1 1 1 1
HR Coordinator 1 1 1 1 1
Communications Manager 1 1 1 1 1
Communications Specialist - .62* .62 1* 1
IT Manager 1 1 1 1 1
Network Engineer 1 1 1 1 1
IT Specialist 1 1 1 1 1
Admin Assistant 1* 1 1 1 1
TOTAL: 10 10.62 10.62 11 11
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 7
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The department anticipates the retirement of two key staff members in the near future which will require replacement; however, no new
personnel additions are anticipated through 2031. The last position added in Community Development was a full-time Building Inspector in
2021. The new Building Inspector position was necessary due to the increased demand for inspections, plan review, and permit issuance and the
first two years’ salary was partially funded by a Department of Labor and Industry grant. In addition to plan review and assisting customers at
the counter, the city issues over 2,800 building permits and conducts 6,000+ building inspections per year; it is common during the busier times
of year for each inspector to have over twenty inspections on their daily calendar. Code enforcement opens and closes over 500 cases per year
and completes over 1,500 inspections. Current staffing levels should meet the demand for services for the near future.
Total FTEs in 202 – 10.8
Community Development 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Comm Development Director 1 1 1 1 1
Building Official 1 1 1 1 1
Building Inspector 3 3 3 3 3
Code Enforcement Officer 1 1 1 1 1
Planner 2 2 2 2 2
Development Services Assistant 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8
TOTAL: 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8 10.8
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 8
FINANCE
In late 2025, a new Finance Director was appointed by the City Manager due to the retirement of the City’s previous Director. This appointment
provided an ideal time to assess the Finance Department’s structure, job functions, and needs and resulted in a re-organization of the Department,
including the creation of new positions. The Assistant Finance Director position was eliminated and the duties dispersed to the new positions.
Specifically, the Senior Financial Analyst/Senior Accountant was promoted to the new Accounting Manager position, and the former Accountant
was promoted to the new Finance Supervisor role. The Accounting Manager supervises the Accountant position which allows for the alignment
and oversight of accounting and audit functions. The Finance Supervisor now oversees Utility Billing, the special assessment process, and manages
special projects. This reorganization provided not only opportunities for staff to remain and grow with the City but, also, right-sized the number
of direct reports per supervisor, improved efficiency by streamlining financial processes under subject matter experts, and created more
promotional paths for existing employees.
*2027/2028: On August 22, 2024, the federal government released proposed rules related to the Financial Data Transparency Act (FDTA). This law
mandates that certain data and financial information provided must be sent in a ‘structured data’ format after the rules are finalized (sometime
in 2026 or thereafter). This unfunded mandate would require extensive staff time, consulting resources and potentially risky updates to
government financial systems. This mandate poses require identical financial reporting taxonomies across all types of public and non-profit entities
with the same technology. Given the wide variety of government and non-profit entities, combining them into a single standardized template has
the potential to lose information and reduce transparency by eliminating detail specific to the unique functions or services that each provide.
Transitioning to or adding new reporting categories would require changes to underlying financial systems. The law does not provide any financial
assistance for transition costs to hire consultants, reconfigure financial systems, or implement new software. If the proposed rules become law,
additional staffing at the Senior Analyst/Senior Accountant level may be required.
Total FTEs in 2026 – 6.8
Finance 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Finance Director 1 1 1 1 1
Accounting Manager 1 1 1 1 1
Finance Supervisor 1 1 1 1 1
Financial Analyst .8 .8 .8 .8 .8
Account Specialist 1 1 1 1 1
Utility Billing Clerk 2 2 2 2 2
TOTAL: 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 9
FIRE
2026: In 2026, all PLFD paid-on-call (POC), shift-assigned firefighters transitioned to regular part-time employees with the dissolution of the Prior
Lake Volunteer Fire Relief Association. This change means the City will now receive Fire State Aid funding, which previously went to the Relief
Association, to subsidize pension costs. Also in 2026, the hourly wage for part-time firefighters was increased from $17.50/hour to $21.00/hour
to remain competitive with other departments and to recognize the certifications and training of current part-time firefighters. (In 2025, PLFD
started hiring only already state-licensed paid-on-call (POC) firefighters/certified EMTs). PLFD will look to hire additional part-time staff to
supplement the retirements of four POC firefighters because of the Relief Association dissolution.
*2028: Firefighter (6 FTE). In the fall of 2024, the fire department became the primary responder for all medical calls in the fire service area, which
led to a 60% increase in call responses in one year. In 2023, the department responded to 484 EMS calls, and by 2025, that number increased to
1,626 EMS calls. PLFD has taken significant steps to respond to the increase in demand for services by putting a lite rescue vehicle in service, adding
shift assigned part-time firefighters, and separating crews into two vehicles. These changes have made the PLFD’s medical response more efficient
and will allow other apparatus to remain clear to answer additional calls. This model is not a long-term, sustainable, option because we expect
these medical calls along with other fire-related calls and fire prevention duties to increase as our communities grow. The request to add six
additional full-time firefighters (two per shift) will allow PLFD to utilize Fire Station 2 with 24/7 staffing, place two additional apparatus into service,
and provide better area coverage in the City’s growth area. Part-time firefighters will continue to support calls at both stations. At the same time,
PLFD’s non-emergency duties, such as inspections, public education, and pre-planning, will continue uninterrupted as more buildings and
structures are added throughout the service area. PLFD plans to submit a SAFER grant request to facilitate the hiring of additional staff.
Total full-time (15) and part-time (26) firefighters/EMTs in 2026
Fire 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Fire Chief 1 1 1 1 1
Assistant Fire Chief 1 1 1 1 1
Fire Marshall 1 1 1 1 1
Full-time Fire Captain 3 3 3 3 3
Full-time Firefighter 9 15* 15 15 15
TOTAL:
15 21 21 21 21
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 10
POLICE
The Prior Lake Police Department (PLPD) is unique in that it provides services to two communities - Prior Lake and the Shakopee Mdewakanton
Sioux Community (SMSC). PLPD continues to work toward fulfilling consultant staffing recommendations to maintain current service levels and
support staff wellness, including increasing the allocation of personnel for patrol to 22 officers and administrative support. PLPD currently had 19
patrol officers and 6 police officers assigned to special duties (e.g., school liaison, detectives, drug task force). Recognizing the budget impact of
adding positions, the PD proposes to incrementally add these positions over the next few years which is detailed below.
2027 (2), 2029, and 2030: Patrol Officer (4 FTEs). The workload study found that staffing in the Patrol Division is not adequate to provide shift
relief, manage workload volumes and the appropriate geographic distribution of personnel. It is recommended that PLPD should adjust its
deployment of personnel for primary response from 19 to 22 patrol officers. This number is considered the operational minimum and is the
baseline for staffing, not the maximum. The study notes that the addition of four positions represents the full volume of calls for service currently
being handled by PLPD sergeants. In addition, this increase takes into account the ‘non-operational’ (vacancies to ensure staffing at operational
minimal levels) hours for officers who are in training, on leave, injured or otherwise unable to fulfill their duties. The st udy also recommends
adding an additional officer to the investigation unit. Currently, PLPD has three general investigation detectives, and the city would benefit from
the additional capacity. This would allow active cases to be diverted from patrol into investigations and increase the numbers of hours dedic ated
to each case per investigator. Additional considerations include the impact of paid family leave as mandated by the State of MN on staffing
requirements. As of early 2026, PLPD anticipate multiple sworn staff to be taking extended time off, creating vacancies that likely will need to be
filled with overtime to maintain minimum service abilities. Budgetary consideration for this increase in 2027 includes an inc rease of SMSC
contributions of $125k in 2027.
2028: Records Specialist (.38 FTE). With an increase in the number of calls for service, state mandates like the decriminalization of records, and
technological demands, the transition of the current .62 FTE in records would be converted to a 1 FTE.
TBD: Community Service Officer (evaluation). Non-sworn personnel, such as a community service officer (CSO), builds capacity to assist in
functions like records management, evidence support, non-sworn patrol duties, and special details, such as drone operations. Adding an additional
.8 FTE CSO also creates a funnel to identify and train future sworn officers. PLPD previously had two part-time CSO’s and transitioned, but one
position was reclassified into the current investigative aide/evidence technician position. The “hole” created by this move has yet to be filled.
TBD: Administrative Assistant (evaluation). With a total headcount of 42.42 FTEs in 2026, the PLPD currently has no dedicated administrative
personnel. All administrative functions fall under the Support Services Division which is understaffed when considering these admin duties. The
workload study found that the Support Services Supervisor has a workload equivalent to 2 full-time employees, primarily due to administrative
support work. In addition, command staff and investigators provide their own administrative support which takes them away from their primary
duties. The study recommends adding a full-time administrative assistant position to assist with workloads and to support department operations.
An analysis of administrative duties currently being performed by the Support Services Division (e.g., scheduling, answering phones, website
updates, presentations, agenda reports) will help develop the job description and allow support services staff, supervisors, and investigators to
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 11
focus on their primary duties. The addition of this position will be evaluated based on the impact the new Administrative Sergeant and Records
Specialist (added in 2026) have on the overall workload.
Total FTEs in 2026 – 42.42
Police 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Police Chief 1 1 1 1 1
Commander 2 2 2 2 2
Sergeant 7 7 7 7 7
Patrol Officer/Investigator 27* 27 28* 29* 29
Records Supervisor 1 1 1 1 1
Records Specialist 4.62 4.62 5* 5 5
Community Service Officer .8 .8 .8 .8 .8
Evidence / Inv Analyst 1 1 1 1 1
Admin Support Staff 0 TBD TBD TBD TBD
TOTAL: 44.42 44.42 45.8 46.8 46.8
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 12
PUBLIC WORKS
2026: In 2026, the Public Works Department was fully staff for the first time in several years. All vacancies have been filled, including the
Superintendent position, which had been vacant since 2023 due to internal transitions and promotions. New positions, like Facilities Manager
and Parks & Recreation Manager, were created by repurposing existing positions. As a result, Public Works staffing looks stable for the
immediate future. Several long-term employees are due to retire over the next five years which may provide further opportunity to look at the
department’s services, staffing and supervisory needs. Doing this should not require the addition of any new FTEs. One area to monitor is the
impact of the orderly annexation area (OAA) as it develops. Although not shown as part of this five-year plan, additional maintenance positions
could be added depending on the speed of growth in the OAA.
*2031: Facilities Maintenance Worker (1 FTE). As City facilities age, there is more maintenance and upkeep associated with keeping them safe,
pleasant for the public, well-designed and comfortable for employees, and in compliance with OSHA standards. Facilities include City Hall, the
Police Station, two Fire Stations, the Maintenance Center, Water Treatment Plant and well houses/booster stations, Lakefront Pavilion, all parks’
buildings, CDA and rental properties, and the Public Library/Club Prior. To keep up with the demand, an additional Facility Maintenance Worker
position is required and proposed to be added in 2031. This position also will allow the Facility Maintenance Manager to focus on upcoming
large facility projects, like the new Public Works Facility, and other long-term planning rather than day-to-day maintenance issues.
Total FTEs in 2026 – 41
Public Works 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
PW Director/City Engineer 1 1 1 1 1
Superintendent 1 1 1 1 1
Supervisor (Admin, Parks, Utilities) 3 3 3 3 3
Facility Maintenance Manager 1 1 1 1 1
Mechanics 3 3 3 3 3
Maintenance Worker/Operator 21 21 21 21 21
Facilities Maintenance Worker 1 1 1 1 2*
GIS Coordinator 1 1 1 1 1
PW Specialist 1 1 1 1 1
Asst City Engineer 1 1 1 1 1
Engineering Tech 2 2 2 2 2
Project Engineer-Stormwater 1 1 1 1 1
Parks & Recreation Manager 1 1 1 1 1
Recreation Supervisor 1 1 1 1 1
Recreation Programmer 2 2 2 2 2
TOTAL: 41 41 41 41 42
2027 – 2031 Personnel Plan / Page 13