City Council - Finance Committee

CITY OF EASTHAMPTON OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL Easthampton Municipal Building 50 Payson Ave., Ste. 100 Easthampton, Massachusetts 01027-2260 Telephone #: (413) 529-1460 11/11/2020 MINUTES FINANCE Meeting 11/11/2020 Attendees: FINANCE Committee Members*: Councilor Dan Rist, Chair Councilor Peg Conniff Councilor Homar Gomez Other Attendees: Nicole LaChapelle - Mayor Val Bernier, City Auditor Captain Sandi Krauss, EFD Captain Kevin Benson, EFD Chris Norris, Chief, EFD Meeting called to order at 5:00pm. The meeting was videotaped. Minutes from 11/02/2020 meeting were approved 2-0 (1 abstention) Mayor Communication: PARC grant awarded plus the CPA funding will allow us to create a trails on Mount Tom. New Business 1. Request for Supplemental appropriation $135,000 to Fire Overtime (BOLD below are part of the discussion notes) - These funds will be used to cover contractual overtime for shift staffing through June 30, 2021. Will be presented at Public Hearing on 12/2. - 2021 Budget allocated reduced funding for OT for EFD  - Chief Norris presented a PPT. presentation outlining how this OT number was determined. - FD has 5 OT line items. (FD: shift coverage, Emergency, Training; Ambu- lance: ALS/EMS, Emergency. - 2020 Funded for $150K for Shift Coverage, 2021 funded at $101.5K - OT rate for top step firefighter is $38.41/Hour - Actual averages over the past 4 years is $236,000 - Each shift needs 5 people contractually, if you drop below that additional Firefighters will be called in. - SAFER Grant positions: 4 new Firefighters in March 2020. The grant pays for those positions 75% for first 2 years. for third year Grant will pay 35% - All 4 have completed the Fire Academy on 9/11. While at the Academy, these FF were not available during high OT months in the summer. - All 4 are currently going through Paramedic Training. Will complete end of June 2021 - Ultimately the City will not see the full value of these positions until July, 2021 - Approximately 78% of all calls are Rescue & Emergency - 10% of all calls are False Alarms - 2019/2020:Overlapping calls are at 22%. While one team is out on a call, an- other call came in. With a team of 5, that will put only 1 person left in station for all of the city. - 2020/2021 September/October: Overlapping calls are running at 29% - (See Attached PPT presentation) - Councilor Rist: Clarification on the Westhampton contract - We are going to receive more in billing than we will lose in OT shift coverage. - Councilor Gomez: OT/Month is approx $18,500. For the remainder of the year is 148K. Chief Norris stated that this avg is based on the high OT months and is not representative of the entire year. Additional Question: if OT goes over this amount, Councilor Gomez asked if the unused salary for open Firefighter position could be used to fill the gap. Chief Norris does not feel this is needed. Motion that Finance Committee make a recommendation to the full council to approve the supplemental appropriation of $135,000. Motion: Councilor Conniff, Seconded by Coun- cilor Gomez. Passed 3-0. 5:52 pm - Motion to adjourn by Councilor Gomez, Second Councilor Conniff 3-0 Next Meeting: Monday, 11/23/2020 at 5:00pm (Tax Classification) Monday, 11/30/2020 time TBD (MGL 121A - Ferry Street Project)