HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 12-12-2000 SpecialAdopted Minutes
Special City Council Meeting
December 12, 2000
A Special Meeting of the Plymouth City Council was called to order by Mayor Tierney at
5:40 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 3400 Plymouth Boulevard, on December 12, 2000.
CITY COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Tierney, Councilmembers Johnson, Harstad,
Bildsoe, Slavik, Brown, and Black.
ABSENT: None.
STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Johnson, Assistant City Manager Ahrens, Community
Development Director Hurlburt, Public Works Director Moore, Park and Recreation
Director Blank, Finance Director Hahn, Public Safety Director Gerdes, and City Clerk
Paulson.
Mayor Tierney stated the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the Fire Service Task Force
report.
Assistant City Manager Ahrens stated she and Community Development Director
Hurlburt served on the task force as co-chairs. She reported on the process utilized by the
task force. She stated the task force was created to study and make recommendations on
staffing concerns in the Fire Department. This included evaluating current and future risk
to life and property, staffing needs, and provide recommendations for the 2001 budget.
Community Development Director Hurlburt highlighted some of issues and options that
were discussed by the task force which included:
1. Duty crew and fire department operations: Review amending program rules so
firefighters could work more shifts, recruit City staff to work duty crew only, allow
participants to live or work anywhere, expand to include 6 a.m.-9 a.m. shift, and consider
expanding to full-time paid fire department.
2. Recommendations for operations: Investigate expanding mutual aid, reduce false
alarms, and not expanding other services (i.e. primary medical response).
3. Recruitment: Try targeting group most likely to become firefighters, i.e. young
individuals, renters, students, those who desire flexible, well -paying part-time jobs,
enhance and promote benefits (pension, childcare, and tuition), and study additional
benefits (housing).
4. Retention: Since time required is a major issue for retention, duty crew program
should be a major benefit to address time concern, increase efficiency (i.e. training time,
computers in stations), develop pay system rewarding performance and longevity, and
recognition.
Adopted City Council Minutes
Special Meeting of December 12, 2000
Page 2 of 6
5. Hiring additional full-time staff: Continue to rely on paid -on-call firefighters, add
full-time only to support operation of duty crew, and fire captain positions to staff duty
crew and assist with supervision and training. She noted the cost of a full-time fire
department would be approximately $1.6 million. Recommended additional
administrative position in the Community Development Department, schedule to serve up
to 15 hours/week (five shifts) on duty crew, and inspections of existing buildings, and fire
pre -plans.
6. Utilizing of City employees to provide supplemental response: Recruitment of current
firefighters for other City jobs, posting of City jobs at the fire stations, and review of
FLSA issues for utilizing City employees to supplement fire responders.
7. Firefighter's pay: Annually review and adjust paid -on-call wages and benefits and
provide a $1 per hour pay increase in 2001.
8. Pension benefits: The City assist in paying for actuarial studies for pension benefits
that could be a positive incentive.
9. Worker compensation insurance benefits: The threat of injury could discourage
retention and recruitment of firefighters, and the benefit only covers firefighters who earn
a maximum of $58,506 per year. The City should pay for supplemental disability
insurance.
10. Other benefits: Increase funding for tuition reimbursement and expand the number
of approved childcare providers.
11. Construction of Fire Station No. 4: Postpone decision to construct a fourth fire
station beyond the time frame of the current five year Capital Improvements Program.
12. Legislative initiatives: Pursue legislation to address firefighter shortages.
13. Other recommendations: Monthly reporting of key performance factors, consider
impacts on emergency response in future request for speed humps, and encourage ISO to
increase insurance rating from five to four.
14. Implementation schedule and budget impacts: Immediate and on-going
recommendations for 2001-2004 and beyond. Budget impacts of $26,100 for 2000,
165,000 for 2001, and $225,000 for 2002.
Councilmember Bildsoe thanked staff for all their hard work on this report. He stated
regarding a full-time fire department, the Council never discussed this. He stated at this
time, he is not personally advocating a full-time fire department. He stated hiring
supplemental full-time fire fighters to assist the duty crew is not a step towards a full-
time fire department.
Mayor Tierney commented the cost of a full-time fire department is very prohibitive, and
the City doesn't receive any type of aid to fund a full-time fire department.
Councilmember Bildsoe stated there is an urgent need for recruitment of additional
firefighters. He is concerned about increasing the restriction that firefighters have to
Adopted City Council Minutes
Special Meeting of December 12, 2000
Page 3 of 6
reside within five minutes of a fire station. He stated if the requirement is increased to
five minutes, how would that affect the fire department's response time to a fire?
Community Development Director Hurlburt replied when the duty crew is at the station,
the recommendation was that those firefighters wouldn't have to reside within five
minutes of the fire station. She added currently, there are enough firefighters to respond
to overnight hours, but the day crew poses more of a problem.
Councilmember Johnson stated in the report, it is recommended that the housing issue be
discussed in 2001 with some type of implementation in 2003. She would prefer that the
City be more aggressive with affordable housing issues and utilize the City's Housing
and Redevelopment Authority. She questioned why this issue isn't being studied sooner.
Community Development Director Hurlburt stated there are many other implementation
strategies to be occurring in 2001, and the task force wanted to make sure the
implementation schedule was manageable. She stated in addition, additional research
needs to be conducted whether the City could offer assistance for public housing to City
employees. Finance Director Hahn added another issue was that some of the existing
firefighters were also concerned there could be some inequity in providing additional
assistance to new firefighters when they received none.
Councilmember Brown commented there needs to be continuous recruitment. He stated
changing the work structure needs to be continually evaluated as well. Regarding
structure, he asked at what point does the fire department report directly to the City
Manager? Community Development Director Hurlburt stated this was not discussed, as
it was not within the scope of what the task force was requested to study.
City Manager Johnson commented that as cities grow larger, there tends to be more
departments/divisions that may report to the city manager. When this occurs, there could
be several deputy city managers that would report to the city manager.
Councilmember Harstad suggested this not be discussed this evening but rather at a
future study session.
He added the pension schedule concerns him in that firefighters couldn't collect on their
pension until after 10 years of service.
Community Development Director Hurlburt stated the task force did not discuss this
issue. Finance Director Hahn added there are some proposals in the legislature to
increase the amount vested which would assist in retaining long-term firefighters.
Public Safety Director Gerdes noted that any changes made to the pension would require
the Fire Relief Association to amend their by-laws.
Adopted City Council Minutes
Special Meeting of December 12, 2000
Page 4 of 6
Councilmember Bildsoe stated he doesn't view the task force's report to be a final report
but rather an initial report. He stated it was mentioned that in six months the Council
would conduct another study session which he totally supports. He suggested that basic
statistics of the Fire Department be provided to the Council on a monthly basis.
Community Development Director Hurlburt cautioned the Council on analyzing the data
on a monthly basis because utilizing such a short time period may not provide a realistic
report.
Councilmember Bildsoe stated regarding the high number of false alarms, what is being
recommended over the next year to correct or reduce that situation? Community
Development Director Hurlburt replied the task force recommended that a new false
alarm task force consider this issue. Councilmember Bildsoe suggested a report be
provided to the Council within the next six months on this issue.
Mayor Tierney indicated her support for another Council study session in five to six
months to review the report again.
Motion was made by Councilmember Black, and seconded by Councilmember Johnson,
to extend the meeting until 7:30 p.m. With all members voting in favor but Tierney, the
motion carried.
John Gavin, a lieutenant with the Fire Department and treasurer of the Fire Relief
Association, stated that firefighters have participated in this report. However, he
personally found the process to be challenging in addressing the task force. Therefore, he
only signed off on the staffing recommendations. He stated four out of the fire
recommendations that appeared in the report were presented to the Council in April. He
voiced his concern with the additional full-time personnel that would report to the
Community Development Director other than the fire officer. He mentioned the day-to-
day mechanical problems in the department, and he questioned why the City wouldn't
hire a full-time firefighter/engineer (mechanical) to address these day-to-day problems
with the equipment. He noted that the Fire Relief Association was never invited to
participate in the study. He stated there is an expense to recruit and maintain personnel
which the City should be responsible for. He stated some of the firefighters are career
professional people, but he noted that the 10 -year vesting in the pension doesn't provide
any incentive for possible firefighters.
Susan Magy stated she has served on the Fire Department for six years. She feels that the
Council has been provided an incomplete report as the majority of the report recommends
that certain issues be studied further. She voiced her concern that the hiring of additional
inspectors would be assisting the Community Development Department with code
enforcement when there is a need for fire prevention work at schools. She requested that
Adopted City Council Minutes
Special Meeting of December 12, 2000
Page 5 of 6
any additional information that is prepared by the task force for the Council be provided
to the firefighters in a more timely manner than when this report was given.
Councilmember Johnson asked how the composition of the task force was determined
when there seemed to be very few firefighters who served on the task force.
City Manager Johnson stated it was his decision to create the task force and select its
members. It was his goal to have representation from all the City departments that work
closely with the Fire Department. He stated it was the goal to involve the firefighters,
and he and the task force visited all fire stations. A majority of firefighters were in
attendance at those meetings. The Fire Chief and Fire Administrative Officer served on
the task force.
Sandy Hewitt, 2800 Weston Lane North, asked if the current firefighters are in support of
expanding the duty crew. She stated some of the reasons for firefighters quitting are
burnout" related and the amount of time. She also questioned the fire inspector position
that wasn't filled and expanding the duties to include code enforcement.
Community Development Director Hurlburt stated one of the benefits of maintaining a
duty crew is that it makes the firefighters' time commitment more predictable. She stated
the task force discovered that there was a misunderstanding with the City Attorney for
those individuals who desired to work additional time. She stated the duty crew has been
in place for three years. However, many of the firefighters who left, left before the
system was in place. Assistant City Manager Ahrens added that the duty crew is
voluntary.
Councilmember Johnson requested staff s opinion on the suggestion to hire a mechanical
engineer to assist the Fire Department. Community Development Director Hurlburt
stated that was discussed initially, however, there more pressing issues that needed to be
discussed. She stated regarding the inspection positions, the City has had two full-time
fire inspector positions that are knowledgeable about the entire fire code, and they inspect
new construction. When one of the individuals relocated to another city, the city
attempted to replace that individual. However, the City couldn't find someone that knew
the fire code. Therefore, the job description was amended to also include plan review
responsibilities.
Councilmember Johnson repeated her question regarding issues surrounding the day-to-
day maintenance of the fire equipment. Community Development Director Hurlburt
stated that this was never conveyed to the task force that this was a problem with the Fire
Department.
Adopted City Council Minutes
Special Meeting of December 12, 2000
Page 6 of 6
Gary Hendrickson, Hazardous Material Coordinator, requested that in the future, the
Council conduct study sessions with the firefighters.
Mayor Tierney requested that firefighters deliver their comments to the City Manager.
The majority of the Council felt that another study session would be necessary to discuss
the report.
Motion was made by Councilmember Brown, and seconded by Councilmember Bildsoe,
to conduct a study session at 5:30 p.m. on December 19 which would be prior to the
Council's Regular Meeting. With all members voting in favor, the motion carried.
Mayor Tierney declared the meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.