Scott County commissioner voices concern over dispatcher turnover

BENTON, Mo. -- Despite offering decent wages and benefits in a time of high unemployment, Scott County is having problems keeping staff at its E-911 Communications Center, according to Scott County Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn.

The Sikeston Standard Democrat reported Ziegenhorn contacted Debbie Glenn, branch manager of Manpower in Sikeston, during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday for advice on retaining dispatchers.

Some dispatchers for the Communication Center have, after being trained for the position by Scott County during their employment, quit to take a job at another area agency.

"This is a problem right now with a lot of employers," Ziegenhorn said. "She's seeing people change jobs for 25 or 50 cents an hour more."

"We're fully staffed again but we had two people recently quit," Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said. "So we're training those two people who will make us fully staffed again."

Ziegenhorn said Glenn confirmed the county is paying dispatchers enough and that increasing the pay rate isn't likely to resolve the problem.

Glenn advised she "would be glad to give an assessment, give some ideas out there," according to Ziegenhorn. "She said she will come up and observe, offer some suggestions."

He said he is surprised it isn't easier to fill positions and keep people in those positions with the unemployment rate so high. Ziegenhorn said the extension of unemployment benefits may have something to do with it although the extended benefits should be ending soon. "They extended it but they're not going to extend it again," he said.

It is "sad," Ziegenhorn said, that some people would rather continue to collect unemployment benefits than take a job that is available.