City Council

Minutes of the Public Safety Committee Meeting Troy City Council Tuesday, October 11, 2016 - 6:00pm Called to Order at 6:03 p.m. Committee Members Present: Chairperson Kim Ashe-McPherson, Councilman Dean Bodnar, Council Member Erin Sullivan-Teta, Council Member John Donohue, Council Member Mark McGrath and Chief Garrett. Absent: Chief Tedesco. Other Council Members Present: Council President Mantello, Council Member Gulli Council Member Kopka and Council Member Doherty. Council Member Ashe-McPherson states we are here to discuss the proposed UFA Contract agreement. Council Member McGrath asked for the proposed contract. Chief Garrett stated the contract is ratified and there is a proposed memo of agreement. Council Member McGrath asks for an overview and asks about the “me, too” clause. McGrath further states that if this contract passes the Chief and approximately 30 chiefs of staff will get a 5% raise. Chief Garrett states if we go into Executive Session we can better explain. Mark Robarge, the Record newspapers, states he objects to the committee going to Executive Session due to the fact that there is already a ratified contract existing. Ken Crowe, Times Union, objects, too. Bryan Goldberger, attorney for UFA strongly advised that topics on strategy should be held in Executive session. Ashe-McPherson asks who was involved in the bargaining of the contract. McGrath responds, the bargaining unit of the UFA, the City bargaining unit, the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, Corporation Counsel and Bryan Goldberger. Ashe McPherson states she has asked for previous contracts and to date has not received them. She asks for the fiscal impact and Mantello states it is $325,000. Deputy Comptroller Piotrowski states the salary impact for 2017 is $238,000. McGrath states that in three years that’s roughly $1,000,000. Upon the discussion of adding personnel Deputy Comptroller Piotrowski states that the following number of positions will be added: 2 for 2017, 0-2018, for 2019, 2 for 2010 and 2 for 2020. Mantello states all are positions are good for two years and on the third year then we pay. Deputy Comptroller Piotrowski states that is correct. Ashe-McPherson notes that 81 firefighters live in Troy. Bodnar asks for an overview. Goldberger responds that there are four years of $0 salary increases, there is an addition of a new step, EMT stipend and a continuation of the no layoff clause. Sullivan-Teta asks for an explanation of the no layoff clause. Goldberger responds that the clause originated in the mid 1990’s by the advisory board and the dates have been modified and further discussion regarding the modification have to be discussed in Executive session. McGrath asks Chief Garrett if it is a requirement to be a firefighter in Troy you must be an EMT? Chief states that you must be a paramedic before getting hired. McGrath states we have a 28.9% tax levy and the alternative is that we may have to go to arbitration. Chief states that why we need to go into Executive session. McGrath states this is very serious and Chief again states that’s why we would like to go into Executive session. McGrath says he is not sure why because we are talking about strategy and if we take this to the simplest form it’s about what’s right and what’s wrong, we are looking at a 28% tax increase and I can’t add to that. McGrath further states that it’s not about them doing their job it’s about bad timing. Sullivan-Teta asks if there is a cost associated with arbitration. Goldberger states, yes. After discussion the Committee votes to go to Executive Session with a vote 4 yes (Ashe-McPherson, Donohue, Bodnar, Sullivan-Teta, 1 no McGrath. The Committee returns from Executive session at 7:35 pm As there is no resolution for this meeting it is decided that a resolution will go to the Finance committee. Bodnar makes a motion, 2nd Sullivan-Teta to move this to the Finance committee. On the vote to move this to Finance Donohue, Bodnar and Sullivan-Teta Yes, Ashe-McPherson, McGrath No. The meeting was adjourned at 7:40pm.