Staffing and equipment concerns at the city’s police and fire departments dominated discussion at Tuesday night’s council forum meeting, with police arguing for expanding their complement of officers and Councilor Kathy Kline saying she wants to revive a part-time program at the fire department.

Kline said she intends to present council members next month with a plan to add four part-time firefighters to the 17-person department, saying she believes adding the part timers would help alleviate overtime costs. Kline said she wants to use money budgeted for the fire chief’s annual salary — $70,000, according to an online copy of the city’s 2017 budget — to pay for the additional manpower.

“We have to do something, because our overtime is going to be worse than it was last year,” she said.

Mayor Tom Donaldson agreed on that point, saying that the department has already used nearly 50 percent of its total overtime budget of $37,066 for the year.

On Tuesday Police Chief Ron Brown and assistant chief Dave Adam both told council members that the department, which is in the process of hiring four new officers, needs at least 23 members to function efficiently.

“I know we are always straining our budget,” Adam said. “Unfortunately, that’s our life. Everybody is working at the maximum with the minimum amount.”

Council members voted last month to allow the department to hire up to a total of 24 officers, but later pulled back on its approval amid cost concerns.