Laserfiche WebLink
City Council Study Session — 09/19/OS <br />DRAFT Minutes - Page 15 <br />Ms. Bacon noted that staff was recommending option 2, which <br />would include Community Service Officers (C�O's} and Cadets; <br />but further study firefighters and various implications. <br />Further discussion included impacts on contract negotiations and <br />arbitration; employee or volunteer status of part-time firefighters; <br />definition and determination of all or a portion of employees; <br />traditional status of volunteer firefighters and proposed increase <br />as presented with City Manager Beets' budget recommendations; <br />and levy ramifications. <br />Ms. Bacon noted staffs detennination to provide equitable status <br />for all employees; and encouraged the City Council to make a <br />thoughtful decision on how best to proceed, especially with the <br />fire staff and their future, whether merged with City staff or not. <br />Ms. Bacon further noted that, if the firefighters were merged <br />with other employees, the City would need to make a <br />determination on their employee status (on-call, part-time) and <br />the benefit compensation as a philosophical discussion. <br />Further discussion included incentives; benefits for part-time <br />employees; consistency; adoption of a separate firefighter pay <br />increase as recommended by City Manager Beets; long-term <br />decisions related to firefighters and the organization; and Fire <br />Relief Association versus or in addition to Public Employees <br />Retirement Association (PERA) benefits. <br />Councilmember Maschka opined that there should be no linkage <br />with the Fire Department and this proposal, due to their separate <br />pension and other issues, citing "unintended consequences." <br />Councilmember Maschka was supportive of staff-recommended <br />option 2, <br />Councilmember Ihlan concurred with Councilmember <br />Maschka's comments related to the firefighters; but opined the <br />need for something comparable for firefighters; and preferred a <br />slower phasing-in to minimize levy impact, maintaining her <br />preference for further reducing the preliminary levy increase. <br />Ms. Bacon opined that any step toward market place <br />compensation was a step in the right direction; and staff would <br />