By Dian Woodhouse
(With help from an un-named Gentle Friend)
Council Notes: 6.6.06
The labor negotiations for both police and fire are currently at an impasse, and that was tonight's main issue. It is unfortunate that the agenda was not publicly available prior to the meeting. Other issues than this one were discussed, of course, but I am going to concentrate on this one for now and do the rest separately. All council members were present except for Bill Glasmann, who was excused.
Bill Cook began with some background, in which he said that the "meet and confer" process provides employment associations an opportunity to negotiate with the city. There were three associations involved this year--the police department, the fire department, and UAGE, the Utah Association of Government Employees. UAGE settled, but the former two are at an impasse.
Chairman Garcia then announced that he had brought up the question if the hearing could be held in a work session instead of a council meeting, and he had been advised that there can be no hearings in work sessions. He then went on to state the usual admonitions---no clapping, no booing, etc., and please keep the tone of your presentations and comments respectful.
Mark Johnson first presented the administration's point of view, projecting overhead a document entitled "Employee Wage and Benefits Negotiations FY 2007." He said that he felt like Custer, in this "sea of blue," but that his opinion was that he had a good rapport with the individuals he had worked with from the OPD. "My view is from my rose colored glasses," he said.
He went on to state that the city budget has to balance, and as we all know, the expenditures have exceeded the revenue. In 2006, there were mandatory hikes in what was spent for auto fuel, a utilities increase, and state mandated retirement increases. The discretionary expenses were the employee increases.
Johnson went on to say that there were $1,540,850 in total adjustments. $790,675 was the sum of department reductions, and $750,175 was a one time bonus, which consisted of carryover funds from last year. He then zeroed in on the issue at hand, and told some of what the city paid these departments.
There is a 30% retirement contribution, "although they don't get the full 30%." (This is evidently having to do with how the state retirement works---if anyone can clarify this, please do so.) The city pays roughly $10,000 insurance for the family health plan, (I assume this is per employee.) It pays life insurance, clothing allowance, car per officer....this was interesting, that the ex-hummer driver was stating this. It would be very interesting to get these figures, because, as you will see, comparison of various employees' deals is one way that some are looking at this.
"Benefits are substantial here at the city," Johnson said.
He then went on to detail what had happened since 2004, and the impression here was a dismal one. Partial notes are: 2004--proposed frozen wages, eliminated 22 positions, 2% COLA (cost of living allowance.) 2005---eliminating 14 positions, 7% raise police, 9% fire. 2007's proposal is a 5% merit increase and eliminate 2 positions. Here Councilman Safsten helpfully clarified that the positions cut, with the exception of three firefighters, had not been police or firefighters, but other departmental employees.
Here Doug Stephens asked what the figure was for a 2% COLA and was told that it was half a million dollars.
Johnson then projected information on the screen as to what other cities are doing. "The amount of increase is decreasing," he said, and stated that the average increase is 4.43%. Harrisville, for instance, because "they had had good fortune there," was paying its police a 3% COLA, whereas Ogden was 2%.
The history of the negotiation with the police department was:
The OPD's first proposal was 14% raise for sworn officers hired prior to 2005, a 5% merit increase, and 2% bonus.
The city came back with what it is offering now.
The OPD's second proposal was a 6% increase, a 3.4% COLA, and a 2.5% merit raise.
The city held firm.
The OPD's third proposal was a 9% increase...(Here a cell phone rang and the screen changed.)
The city held firm with its 5%.
The OPD declared an impasse, stating that the city was "unwilling to waver," while the OPD "has changed our stance several times.
Johnson commented that perhaps it had been unwise to "put my best deal on the table at the beginning." His conclusion was that this year, expenses are greater than revenue, and this was "beyond our control."
"Can we make up for two years of no merit increases? Do I see us being able to do that? To be honest--no, I don't. My personal opinion is that we can't make up for those three years this year," and then stated that "impasse" means that everything that was previously on the table is now off.
Paul Oles presented on behalf of the Police Benefit Association. "These gentlemen want me, of course, to advance their position," he said. He began with mention of Ogden's future, and Ogden's vision, and put up a slide picturing a gondola, stating then that the OPD was also part of Ogden's future. He brought up the fact that Ogden had been named in the "50 smart places to live," (I think we were #49,) and put up another slide of children playing that said, "Ogden City, a safe place to live, to work, to play.
He then stated that the criminal justice system is "absolutely vital to commerce," and characterized the police as "A group of professional individuals who are committed to this community...It cannot be stressed enough that they are not apart from this community, but are a part of this community."
He spoke of Officer Medina, who, whenever he was subpoenaed to testify on his day off, was there, nonetheless, in a suit, ready to testify. The police are "your most recognizable representatives," he said. He spoke of the department's efforts to curb domestic violence, which made such an impact that when Officer Garcia went to a home to investigate one case, the homeowner had heard of him.
He detailed all the community service activities the police are involved in---Shop with a Cop, Kops, kids, and Christmas, the OPD horse patrol, etc. Many community partnerships, numerous hours spent on volunteer work, and many, such as the horse patrol, entirely funded by the officers. Recent OPD funded projects totaled $29 thousand.
"We are highly trained professionals," he said. "This training, coupled with experience is vital to what you want them to do."
"We will not give up on OUR community," was projected on the overhead. "We understand the risks...
Here the April 1st incident when two officers were overcome by carbon monoxide was mentioned, and the fact that the officers were still suffering long term effects from this and wear monitors that go on when CO2 is present so that they can get away from it.
...that come with protecting our community, the slide said.
Oles said that he did not want to imply that the police were "better than, more important than, other departments," but:
"Other jurisdictions draw away your best people."
He then projected a slide that said "Joint resolutions," and stated, saying that "there was no way to sugarcoat it," that the highlighted areas had not been complied with by the city. We saw no highlighted areas---this was evidently a handout that the council had--but there were four resolutions with one or two sections each.
In salary comparison, our police are in the 50th percentile, but more importantly, "We are at bottom with comparable cities for maximum salary range," and mentioned the importance of having seasoned officers.
He said he was troubled by Johnson's statement that his first offer was his best offer. The Association has made concessions, crime is down but officer activity has increased, these are trained professionals who are called upon to sometimes use lethal force---what they want is a "reasonable amount of give and take," and "a sense of trust" between the city and the association.
Oles concluded that a possible solution was that the percentage of increase was important because of retirement. Ogden's increase wasn't there. Stating again that if you want good people, you have to pay for them, (interesting, because the mayor has said this very thing to justify the salaries of the management team,) Ohls suggested that a proposed 2% bonus be made instead a 2% increase in wages.
Kevin Hoffmann presented for the firefighters. He began by requesting again that the presentation not be done in a council meeting. He believes that the resolution on the hearing has been misinterpreted, and asks once again if the meeting could be private.
Here there was a pause, and Chairman Garcia gently reiterated that the legal opinion he had received was that these hearings had to be in the council meeting situation.
And so Hoffmann began. A presentation that was short, to the point, and, in a word, riveting. No power point, no tangential speeches--he simply laid out the situation as it is. Since 2004, he said, the department has suffered decreased manpower with more calls. There has also been a mandated increase in training. The medical operations generate 40% of the entire departmental budget.
Their turnover is frightening. They hired 32 people in two years. Never before has this high of a turnover been seen, and it is because of the low salaries. Not only do they need to function with less people, but also with less experienced people, because the best leave for higher wages. He believes that infrastructure is the top priority of government, here we have this "multitude of projects, and the infrastructure is underfunded."
They had been told that revenues from BDO would help rectify this situation, but that money was diverted, as we all know.
He then compared the plight of the fire department with the "fat" of the administration, the car allowances, etc., and said that the fat should be cut.
He stated that "The union was asked to endorse the gondola in return for staffing." He ended by stating that "We urge you to fulfill the primary role of government."
Then was public comment, and Basil Beech stated that he spend 14 years with the railroad transportation union. The railroad union had one thing they could do that police and firefighters can't do---walk out. "I know that you can find the money in this budget---you can cut the fat," he said. Look at all the fat in your budget--please look after these men here tonight."
At this point, someone forgot protocol and began to applaud. Hoffmann's presentation, followed by Beech, had almost mandated it.
Sharon Beech then stated suggestions: that the administration take a 6% decrease, and that the car allowances be discontinued, using carpooling instead. She stated that our officials are servants of the people and "should not be on the dole themselves."
And after this, the council adjourned to closed executive session. The city's final offers to the police and fire will be announced---you guessed it, Tuesday, June 13th, day of the last public comment opportunity for the budget at the city council meeting, and also the first of two meetings for the Mount Ogden neighborhood plan. Busy, busy day.
Editorial comments: With all the "secret meetings," held lately, the "private negotiations" with prospective developers," and the paucity of information regarding certain projects because that info has been deemed "privileged," it is odd that Kevin Hoffmann was not allowed to sit down with the Council and talk privately to it about employee wage negotiations, which was what he had requested to do.
Secondly, perhaps the Council will remember that it voted down the expenditure of a possible $400,000 a year for a proposed lease deal, and compare that figure with that of a 2% increase: $500,000.
Seems like it's possible to come up with something somewhat workable, doesn't it?
As always, feel free to correct or add to anything in the above--it is more than welcome.
Public comment notes:
Following the executive session, Councilman Garcia opened the floor for public comments.
- A small businessman complained about the city's wasting money "bribing" businesses to come here via tax increment subsidies, and he complained that such subsidies went only to "big businesses" and not to small businessmen. (Councilman Safsten commented that the citizen did not understand tax-increment subsidies, and the Mayor added that such subsidies were available to small businesses and that organizations largely composed of small businessmen, like the Chamber of Commerce, supported using tax-increment subsidies to draw businesses to the city.)
- Mr. Chris Bentley, a student at WSU, presented a petition to the council, signed by more than 1100 people, opposing the sale of university land to Mr. Chris Peterson for real estate development. Mr. Bentley explained he had collected that many signatures opposing the sale in only "a week and a half." (Mayor Godfrey responded by telling the Council that a WSU professor had months ago conducted a student survey on campus in which students indicated they strongly supported the gondola proposal. The Mayor did not indicate the number of students surveyed, nor did he address the question of whether the students surveyed were under the impression they were being asked about a gondola that would run from the WSU campus to Snow Basin Ski Resort.)
- Another citizen commented on the revelation made by the Police Benevolent Association spokesman earlier in the evening that the June 2006 issue of Kiplinger Magazine listed Ogden among the "top 50 smart cities to live in" in the United States. He pointed out that the Ogden Kiplinger thought so highly of was an Ogden "that has not sold 28% of its public park lands for real estate speculation" and was "an Ogden that did not have a... gondola system on 40 foot poles clattering overhead down its streets." He also noted that the Mayor and Lift Ogden often suggested that, absent the gondola scheme and Peterson land speculation, Ogden was "a dying town" and that clearly the Kiplinger organization thought the Mayor wrong about that. (In comment, they Mayor denied that he had ever suggested Ogden would be a dying town without the gondola; he had merely noted that Ogden had a net loss of businesses over recent years.)
- A woman spoke briefly in support of the previous two speakers, and said she was tired of the "lie" that Ogden was a town in crisis. She then asked the Council to find the money to provide police and firemen with carbon monoxide detectors to prevent their dying when entering buildings with a high carbon monoxide content. She related the story of an Ogden City policeman who was "withing 30 seconds of dying" when pulled from a building he had entered without knowing there was carbon monoxide present. Councilman Jeske spoke in support. There was brief discussion. Mayor Godfrey replied that Ogden firemen already had such detectors, but that the police did not.
Disclaimer
I need to make it very clear on these notes that I am fully aware that the financial information is sketchy. It might in places be inaccurate. The overhead projector was at times fuzzy. As a member of the public attending these things, with no handouts provided, I was unable to get everything. If Councilmembers, or other interested parties have this information and can add or clarify to what I have here, please do.
