HomeMy WebLinkAbout31- City Managers CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO—REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
From: Charles E. McNeely, City Manager Subject: Authorization for the Hum I N) ient
to proceed with the reduction of the Fire
Dept: City Manager Department's staffing levels.
Date: June 30, 2010 MC/C Meeting Date: July 6, 2010
Synopsis of Previous Council Action:
12/07/09 Resolution 2009-370 authorizing the Fire Department to apply for and administer the FY 2009
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant submitted to the Department
of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency.
RECOMMENDATION:
Authorize the Human Resources Department to reduce the Fire Department' staffing levels.
Signature
Contact Person: Michael J. Comad, Fire Chief Phone: (909) 384-5286
Supporting data attached: Staff Report Ward: Citywide
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: Amount: $
Source:
Finance:
Council Notes:
Agenda Item No.
STAFF REPORT
SUBJECT
Authorization for the Human Resources Department to proceed with the reduction of the Fire
Department's staffing levels.
BACKGROUND
On May 21, 2010, the Fire Department was awarded a grant through the Department of
Homeland Security's Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.
This $2.7 million grant is to be used to fund twelve (12) firefighter and paramedic/firefighter
positions, including all wages(excluding overtime) and benefits, for two years.
Once accepted, the grant criterion precludes the laying off of any Fire Department safety
personnel during the two-year grant performance period. Doing so would require the City to
return portions of the grant funds equivalent to the costs of any positions eliminated.
Fire has contacted the grant administrators to assess the City's options. The grant administrators
have advised that due to our declared fiscal emergency and the imminent threat of a reduction in
force; they would allow us to use the grant funding to fund existing positions instead of hiring
additional firefighters as the grant originally called for.
In order for this to occur, the City will need to provide formal documentation that the City
expects to eliminate 12 firefighter and paramedic/firefighter positions prior to August 19, 2010,
which is the official beginning of the grant performance period. Advice from the grant
administrators indicates that this documentation will suffice for permission to fund existing
positions through the grant and should not require the actual layoff of current personnel. These
options and their exact application are contingent upon the written acceptance of the grant
administrator, which may take up to two weeks to receive.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Upon receiving written acceptance from the grant administrators that the City can use the grant
funding for existing positions; the City will receive funding up to $2,769,602 over the two-year
grant performance period to fund twelve existing firefighter and paramedic/firefighter positions.
If the Mayor and Council do not wish to pass this motion, the full amount of the grant funding
will still be available. However, the funding will have to be used to hire twelve additional
positions and will preclude the City from implementing a reduction in force for fire safety
personnel without losing grant funding.
In either case, the grant performance period begins on August 19, 2010. The City will be
obligated to pay the costs for backfill at time and a half of each employee's base pay rate when
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employees in these positions use elective leave time or injury time per the firefighter's MOU.
This cost is estimated to be $283,557 over the two year term of the grant.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the Human Resources Department to reduce the Fire Department's staffing levels.
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