12/17/2002 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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' Council Minutes of 12/17/2002 .,~ fire false alarms also be addressed. This request has been made to this administration ' in the past. The actual costs of responding to a fire false alarms have not been addressed, and this needs to be determined in order to appropriately address the addition of those alarms to the ordinance. After further discussion, a motion was made to recommend Ordinance 2002-193, contingent upon an amendment by the Law Department, to include fire false alarm chazges for commercial establishments to this ordinance. Subsequent to this meeting and after a detailed review by the Law Department, it was recommended that the ordinance be approved as originally presented in order to put in place the adjustment for the police false alarms and to allow the Law Department time to further investigate changing the Fire Code to reflect fre false alarms in a separate and later ordinance. Having shared that information with Council in caucus, it is her recommendation that the ordinance be passed under suspension tonight as originally proposed. The committee was in agreement with that as well as other Council members. ^ Ordinance 2002-198, which is an ordinance abolishing the position of Assistant Fire Chief in the organizational chart of the Fire Department of the City of North Olmsted and declaring an emergency. The acting Fire Chief spoke to this issue and stated that, if this would prevent any further layoffs-and he was led to believe that it would-he could operate temporarily without an assistant. The Fire Department has made a contribution to reducing the deficit by agreeing not to replace three fire fighters who have left or will be leaving and by allowing this temporary loss of an Assistant Chief. The acting Chief explained that the duties of the Assistant Fire Chief are administrative, fire prevention and standing in the place of the Fire Chief to name a few. When asked about the temporary loss of an Assistant Chief, and the word "temporary" being the key word, the Fire Chief stated that he felt that no more than one year would be tolerable. He understood this could prevent further layoffs in the department and, rather than lose more men on the street, he would be willing to sacrifice in his office. The Safety Director made it clear that, in fact, layoffs in all departments were an option and that no final decision in this area had been made. The Fire Chief stated that the department was at its safest level at bare bones and that they are in need of a stable work force in order to function and provide needed services to the city. Further discussions were held regarding additional cuts to the Fire Department. Fire fighters who were present questioned the meeting held with the Mayor at which they were given the impression that no further cuts would take place in the Fire Department. The following day, however, Ordinance 2002-198 was presented which abolished the position of Assistant Chief. Discussions between the Safety Director, Mayor and fire fighters produced no results to that question. The intention of this ordinance it appeared was to eliminate the position of Assistant Fire Chief. The Law Department advised, however, that it is not wise to abolish a position; and, if the administration did not wish for a position to exist, it would have to recommend that it not be funded and that it is a separate question to be addressed in a budget ordinance. The committee recommended unanimously to table this ordinance. She will personally address the issue of funding or not funding the position during discussion of the appropriations ordinance. 9 .~~ ~.. j