Committee of the Whole

CITY OF VERONA MINUTES COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING JULY 30, 2013 (DRAFT) 1. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Jon Hochkammer at 6:00 p.m. 2. Roll call: Jon Hochkammer, Mike Bare, Luke Diaz, Elizabeth Doyle, Scott Manley, Heather Reekie, Brad Stiner, Dale Yurs. Absent (excused): Mac McGilvray. Also in attendance: Bill Burns, City Administrator; Joe Giver, Fire Chief; Brian Myrland, Fitch-Rona EMS Director; Steve Zach, Boardman and Clark; Delora Newtown, Police and Fire Commission President. 3. Public Comments:  Patrick Kilbane, IAFF 311: Spoke regarding concerns about the proposed open hiring process for the City Fire Department including the potential cost of the hiring process. He stated that there is a good fire department currently and that he would like to see all current employees come over to the City department.  Paul Schultz: He is a paid-on-call member of the Verona Fire Department. He stated that he feels that there have been problems in the department over the past ten years and that there are morale issues which are made worse by people not knowing if they have a job.  Celena Venturelli: Stated that it is important to distinguish the process for the full-time, paid-on-call, and paid-on-premise staff. She also stated that there should be a performance evaluation process.  Bob Lezale: Stated that as a member of Fitch-Rona EMS he has a comfort level working with the current firefighters who have a love for the community.  Andrew Larsen: Stated that if there were problems in the Fire Department they should have been dealt with in the past.  Harry Barger: Stated that he feels that there are communication and morale issues in the Fire Department and a lack of good leadership.  Dawn Barger: Stated that it is expense to train people and a lot has been invested in the current employees. 4. Minutes of the June 17 2013 Committee of the Whole Meeting. Motion by Doyle, seconded by Reekie, to approve the minutes of the June 17 2013 Committee of the Whole Meeting. Motion carried 7-0. 5. Transition from the Verona Fire District to a City Fire Department. Mr. Burns provided an overview of the statutes regarding the Police and Fire Commission and  the hiring process for Fire Department personnel. He also relayed comments from the City Attorney regarding potential liability issues. Attorney Steve Zach explained that the Verona Fire District will be dissolved at the end of the 2013. That employer will cease to exist and employees will need to be hired by the City for the City Fire Department. The Verona Fire District will be responsible for the handling of accrued benefits including vacation and sick leave. Police and Fire Commission President Delora Newton stated that in making the decision to hire Chief Giver the Commission talked to member of the Fire District Commission, reviewed the hiring process that was used by the District to hire the Chief, interviewed Chief Giver, and discussed the pros and cons of selection. Ms. Newton also stated that at the last Commission meeting she indicated that she would like to use an open hiring process and that the other Commission Members were in agreement. Chief Giver stated that his goal is to provide the best possible Fire Department for the City and the best way to do that is to consider all options including current District employees. Comments and questions from Council Members included:  Concern over the costs of an open recruitment process  Concern about the amount of time needed to conduct an open process  Encourage the Police and Fire Commission to look at alternative models to fill the positions  Would like to see a breakdown of the costs for the hiring process  What process would be used to fill the part-time positions?  What would be the impact of the City Council not funding the hiring process desired by the Police and Fire Commission? Chief Giver presented his recommended structure for the Fire Department. It would initially include six full-time positions: Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, two or three Lieutenants/Inspectors and one or two Firefighter/Inspectors. If funds allow, he would like to begin staffing full-time personnel on 24 hour shifts and hire three Lieutenants. An alternative would be to staff 12 hour shifts and hire two Lieutenants and two Firefighters. Chief Giver also stated that he would like to consider shared positions for Assistant Chief and Administrative Assistant as part of the 2014 budget process. He is also seeking authorization to hire up to 40 part-time paid-on-call staff and 30 part-time paid-on-premise staff. Mr. Burns presented 2014 cost estimates for the requests full and part-time positions considering both 12 and 24 hour scheduling. Those estimates are subject to change based on actual 2014 benefit costs and potential contract negotiations. 6. Update and Discussion on the Selection of an Architectural Firm for the Design of a Fire and EMS Facility. Mr. Burns provided and update on the selection of an architectural firm for the planned Fire and EMS Facility. The City received six responses to a Request for Proposals. A staff committee consisting of Chiefs Coughlin, Giver, Myrland and the City Administrator individually rating the proposals and met to develop a collective ranking. The top two firms are Bray Architects and Five Bugles Design. Interviews have been scheduled for these firms  with the Ad Hoc Public Safety Committee beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 8, 2013. 7. Update and Discussion on a Potential Study on Fire and EMS Service Collaboration and/or Consolidation. Mr. Burns provided an update on a potential study for Fire and EMS Collaboration and/or Consolidation. Following a cost-benefit analysis performed in 2012, the City included funds in the 2013 for a potential study to look at options and strategies for enhanced cooperation with the City of Fitchburg, Village of Oregon, the Town of Madison, and/or Fitch-Rona EMS. Staff from these organizations have met with three firms to discuss potential studies: ESCI, McGrath Consulting, and Public Policy Forum. The consensus is that proposal from ESCI would best address the issues facing these departments. The next step was for staff to consult with the governing bodies to determine if there is interest in scheduling a joint meeting to review the proposal an potentially begin work on the study. Several Council Members raised concerns that this may not be best time to begin a study given the other changes going on with the establishment of a City Fire Department and design of a new facility. Mayor Hochkammer stated that he feels that it is important to look at the potential for sharing services, but that Verona also needs to continue moving forward with its own items. Chief Myrland stated that there are potential long-term benefits to consolidation, but that the City may not be in the best position to answer the questions that would come up during a study. Chief Giver stated that he feels that a study could provide a useful guide on how to proceed with future decisions. There were some comments from Council Members stated that the City should continue to look for ways to work together with other departments, but that it may be best to hold off on doing the study at this time. 8. Adjourn. Motion by Diaz, seconded by Yurs, to adjourn the Committee of the Whole meeting at 8:21 p.m. Motion carried 7-0. Bill Burns City Administrator/Recorder