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<br />Councilmember Schroeder also suggested that the City might achieve $180,000-$227,250 in <br />savings if the City were to eliminate its Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief, and instead revert back <br />to having these functions provided by paid-on-call firefighters. <br /> <br />While it is true, that eliminating these two positions will relieve the City of having to pay the <br />applicable salary and benefits, it does not relieve the City of having to provide for these <br />functions. The individuals in these two positions collectively spend on average 100 hours per <br />week on administrative duties. Assuming the City aspires to maintain the same level of <br />oversight and coordination of the Fire Department, paid-on-call firefighters would have to fill <br />this void. At $11 per hour, the annual cost of providing these functions with paid-on-call <br />firefighters would be approximately $57,000. This of course, aSSUlnes that City has firefighters <br />that are qualified and willing to perfonn these duties at this hourly pay. One could argue that if <br />the City values this work at $35-40 per hour (the amount currently being paid) for this type of <br />work, how likely is it that someone would accept 11 per hour? In addition, how likely is it that <br />they would be willing to meet the City's current expectations for only $11 per hour? Finally, the <br />City studied the issue of a volunteer vs. full-time Chief and Assistant Chief in the mid 1990's; <br />the Council decision then was to make these two positions full-time. <br /> <br />Final Comments <br />Staff is prepared to address all Budget-related issues at the upcoming budget discussion(s). <br /> <br />8 <br />