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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 11171992 - 2.4 ay Contra - R Costa TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS County FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR TTq `°U 4° County Administrator DATE: November 17, 1992 SUBJECT: Status Report on the Proposed Elimination of Orinda Fire Suppression Personnel Specific Request( s) or Recommendation( s) & Background & Justification RECOMMENDATIONS. 1. Amend Resolution No. 92/746 with respect to the Orinda Fire Protection District regarding the elimination and layoff of seven fire suppression positions to rescind the proposed elimination and layoff . 2. Acknowledge that the County Administrator' s Office has continued to work with the fire chiefs in exploring cost saving measures outlined in the October 27, 1992 report to the Board and that County and fire district staff have met with the United Professional Firefighters Union Local 1230 (Local 1230) in an effort to implement certain cost saving measures. 3 . Direct that the Orinda budget shortfall of $381,483 be covered by savings in the Orinda budget of $91, 483 related to the retirement of Chief David Evans, an allocation of $200,000 from the SDAF emergency capital reserve and $90,000 from overtime and Services and Supplies reductions in fire district budgets. 4. Acknowledge that the restoration of the Orinda Fire District positions will require further reductions in other fire districts. 5. Direct the County Administrator and the County fire chiefs to begin exploring benefit assessment programs for districts that do not currently have fire flow taxes. Continued on Attachment: X YES Signature: Recommendation of County Administrator Recommendation of Board Committee Approve Other Signature(s) : Action of Board on: November 17, 1992 Approved as Recommended--L—otherX APPROVED recommendations above with Recommendation No. 3 amended to reflect the allocation of $290,000 as a loan. (See aattachment for list of speakers and correspondence) Vote of Supervisors: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE XXX _ _ _ AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN Unanimous (Absent ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE Ayes: Noes: ) BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN. Contact: Terry McGraw (646-4855) Attested: November 17, 1992 cc: County Administrator Phil Batchelor, Clerk of Auditor-Controller the Board of Supervisors County Counsel and County Administrator County and Indep. , Fire Dist. Nb CaA United Professional By: , DEPUTY Firefighters Local 1230 `'lo cJq REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND: On October 27, 1992, the Board of Supervisors adopted the final budgets for County special districts. The adopted budget for the Orinda Fire Protection District (OFPD) required the elimination of seven fire suppression positions effective November 17, :1992. The staff reductions were necessary because of a budget reduction caused by the revenue shortage that resulted from the State budget legislation and the impoundment of $3 . 5 million resulting from the lawsuit against the County by the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District and the Contra Costa Mosquito Abatement District. The proposed elimination of the Orinda positions had been postponed until November 17, 1992 to allow time to determine the results of the Orinda Fire District fire flow tax measure on the November 3, 1992 ballot. The unofficial results of the election now indicate that the measure received yes votes of 64.7% which is short of the required two-thirds majority support. A passing vote on the measure would have provided funding to retain the staff and fire station. The Board action on October 27, 1992 directed the County Administrator to continue to work with the fire chiefs on cost saving measures and to meet with the firefighters union on the following cost saving suggestions as a means to maintain the existing staffing and fire stations in Orinda. 1 . Modify holiday pay Pay time and one-half overtime only for actual hours worked on a holiday. Currently, all represented shift personnel are credited with 12 hours of overtime when a holiday occurs, regardless of whether or not they actually work on a holiday. 2. Delete acting pay Represented personnel currently receive such pay regardless of whether or not they actually work in an acting capacity. 3 . Reduce minimum staffing overtime by taking actions such as: a. Reverting from three-person to two-person engine companies. b. Closing stations on a rotational basis. C. For Orinda and Moraga, transferring personnel between the Districts to provide for minimum staffing coverage. 4. Modify vacation policy Modify the vacation schedule policy by reducing the number of vacation openings in popular months and increasing openings during the less popular months, thus reducing the need for overtime to cover for vacations. On November 3, 1992, representatives of the County Administrator' s Office, the County Personnel Department and the fire districts met with representatives of the firefighters union, Local 1230 to confer on the above items. The union proposed that the County consider the cost saving suggestions outlined in its July '31, 1992 letter rather than the above suggestions contained in the October 27, 1992 Board Order. The management team informed the union representatives that the cost saving suggestions regarding the modification of holiday pay and the deletion of acting pay alone would save an estimated $967,000 on an annual basis, which for the balance of this fiscal year would be enough to save the Orinda positions. The management team also informed the union representatives that some of the union suggestions had been implemented. The adopted fire district budgets reflect reductions in capital of $2, 409,000, Services and Supplies of $1, 415 ,000 and two management positions of $219,000. 2 The management team met with the union again on November 12, 1992 to further discuss cost saving measures. The union representatives reiterated their views about the merits of the union budget reduction proposals. In view of the union' s strong assertions about the County' s obligation to consider its cost saving measures, the management team proposed that a task force be formed, made up of both management and labor, to explore the union' s suggestions as well as the County Administrator' s Office recommendations. The union rejected this proposal on the grounds that the discussion of the management proposals would require that the current MOU would have to be reopened before the contract termination date. The union' s position was that it would not agree to open the contract at this time. It is recommended that the Orinda positions be restored for the balance of this fiscal year. The original required funding of $381,483 has been reduced to approximately $290,000 as a result of savings primarily related to the retirement of Orinda Fire Chief David Evans, effective November 10, 1992. It is proposed that this revised shortfall be covered by a combination of additional fire district budget reductions in the amount of $90,000 and an allocation from the emergency capital reserve fund of $200,000. The additional funding for Orinda of $290,000 should be considered a loan to the Orinda Fire District to be paid back in 1993-1994. The loan repayment couldbe made by implementing a benefit assessment. In view of the level of voter support for the :special tax in Orinda, it is assumed that a benefit assessment would be feasible. In addition to Orinda Fire, it is recommended that all County fire districts, with the exception of Moraga Fire which has a fire flow tax, begin exploring benefit assessment programs designed to deal with the anticipated loss of AB8 funding over the next couple of years. 3 ATTACHMENT Board Order Dated November 17 , 1992 Agenda Item No. 2. 4 The following persons spoke on . staffing for the Orinda Fire Protection District: Bill Dabel, Mayor, City of Orinda; Charles Blue, Board of Commissioners, Orinda Fire Protection District; William Gross, Board of Commissioners, Orinda Fire Protection District; and Ray Davis, 20 Zander Drive, Orinda. Letters of support for the Orinda Fire Service were received from: Board of Directors, The Orinda Association, P. O. Box 97, Orinda 94563; Resolution No. 72-92 adopted by the Orinda City Council; Jean Pearl, 20 Irwin Way, 4603 , Orinda 94563 ; Gladys V. Raymond, 20 Irwin Way, #740, Orinda 94563 ; and Patty Cohen, 38 La Noria, Orinda 94563 . 4 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Resolution on November 17 , 1992_, by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Powers , Fanden, Schroder , Torlakson, McPeak NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None Resolution No. 92/818 AMEND attachments to; Board Resolution 92/746 as follows: Deletes from positions to be abolished positions #78-08, 78-09, 78-12, 78-33, 78-36, 78-37, and 78-25. I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. ATTESTED: November 17 , 1992 PHIL BATCHELOR, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator By ,�.61• 'LZ�- , Deputy cc: Personnel Department County Administrator Orinda Fire District Resolution No. 82/818 Attachment C & D Revised 11/17/92 CONTRA COSTA COUNTY POSITIONS TO BE ABOLISHED DEPARTMENT: Orinda Fire District EFFECTIVE: Close of Business on October 31, 1992 unless otherwise noted POSITION NO. CLASS CODE POSITION TYPE 78-00025 Firefighter RPWA Full (Vacant) 78-00046 Firefighter RPWA Full (Vacant) Res. No. 92/497, as amended by Res. No. 92/625, 92/746 & 92,818 RESOLUTION NO. 92/818