02-06-95 v MINUTES OF THE IMPASSE HEARING BETWEEN THE ATLANTIC BEACH CITY
COMMISSION AND PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS OF JACKSONVILLE BEACH,
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS ( IAFF) LOCAL 2622 HELD IN
CITY HALL AT 6:30 PM ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1995.
Present: Mayor Lyman T. Fletcher
Commissioner Steven M. Rosenbloom
Commissioner Suzanne Shaughnessy
Commissioner J. Dezmond Waters, III
Commissioner Robert G. Weiss
And: City Manager Kim Leinbach
Deputy City Manager James R. Jarboe
City Attorney Alan C. Jensen
Capt. John Campbell (Negotiator for city)
City Clerk Maureen King
Lt. James Hill (Representing Firefighters)
The meeting was called to order at 6:45 PM by Mayor Fletcher who
explained that this meeting was a continuation of the impasse
hearing on Monday, January 30, 1995.
Commissioner Weiss moved that the meeting be adjourned at or before
9:30 PM. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Rosenbloom and
was unanimously approved.
ARTICLE 28 - WAGES
Mayor Fletcher pointed out the Special Master had indicated that
mediation was an option that may be considered and he inquired
whether both parties would be receptive to mediation at this time.
Following brief discussion of the matter, it was felt that since
the basic problem was one of funding, and since mediation would not
be binding, it would be best for the City Commission to try to
resolve the issues at impasse.
Captain Campbell presented five-year financial comparisons of the
city and union proposals which had been prepared by Finance
Director Ann Meuse, a copy of which is attached hereto and made a
part hereof. Capt. Campbell explained the cost to fund the city' s
proposal had been budgeted for this fiscal year, while the union
proposal would require additional funding of $40,443.91 .
Lt. Hill explained the union' s proposal was intended to bring the
firefighters into line with police officers ' salaries and he felt
the city' s comparison did not reflect a comparison of comparable
positions.
Commissioner Rosenbloom suggested the possibility of using surplus
funds which had resulted from the Fire Marshal vacancy, however, it
was pointed out this would create an unfunded liability in future
years.
Page Two
Minutes - Fire Department Impasse Hearing
February 6, 1995
Following further discussion, Commissioner Weiss moved to accept
the pay plan proposed by the city. The motion was seconded by
Commissioner Rosenbloom.
Discussion ensued and Commissioner Shaughnessy indicated a review
of salary comparisons provided by the Florida League of Cities had
indicated salaries were roughly in relation to population and it
appeared that the salaries of Atlantic Beach firefighters were in
line with cities with a population of approximately 25,000.
Discussion ensued relative to overtime hours and it was pointed out
only $5,000.00 had been budgeted for overtime and at the current
rate of usage it appeared there would be approximately $20,000.00
shortfall.
The question was called on the motion to accept the city' s proposal
and carried on a vote of 3 - 2 with Commissioner Waters and Mayor
Fletcher voting nay.
ARTICLE 15 - HOURS OF WORK AND OVERTIME
The situation with respect to Kelly hours was reviewed and Capt.
Campbell confirmed that Kelly hours had been increased from twelve
hours every twenty-eight days to eighteen hours every twenty-eight
days due to a typographical error in the current contract. Since
both the union and city had signed off on that section of the
contract when the error was noticed, the union felt the error
should be allowed to stand. The city was now asking for correction
of the error.
Commissioner Weiss moved to accept the city' s proposal to reflect
that Kelly hours would be at the rate of twelve hours every twenty-
eight days. Following further discussion, the questions was
called and the motion failed on a vote of 2 - 3 with the Mayor and
Commissioners Shaughnessy and Waters voting nay.
Commissioner Waters moved to allow the language setting the rate of
Kelly hours at eighteen hours every twenty eight days to remain.
The motion carried on a 3 - 2 vote with Commissioners Weiss and
Rosenbloom voting nay.
ARTICLE 11 - PERSONAL LEAVE
Lt. Hill explained the union was asking for one additional day of
personal leave. He explained that an error had occurred in the
city' s bookkeeping and this had resulted in some firefighters
having a negative balance of personal leave.
Capt. Campbell explained that because of the 24-hour shifts, fire-
fighters worked 24. 5% more hours than other city employees;
however, they earned 40% more personal leave hours than other city
employees. It was the city' s position this was fair and they were
opposed to granting additional personal leave.
Page Three
Minutes - Fire Department Impasse Hearing
February 6, 1995
It was the union' s position that an additional personal leave day
would compensate for the burden which the error had placed on the
firefighters. Lt. Hill felt the cost of adopting the union's
proposal would be minimal and urged the City Commission to grant
their request.
Commissioner Rosenbloom moved to adopt the union's proposal and
approve an additional 24 hours personal leave per year. The motion
was seconded by Commissioner Waters. Following further discussion,
both motion and second were withdrawn.
Commissioner Weiss moved to adopt the city' s proposal to continue
personal leave at its present level. The motion was seconded by
Commissioner Shaughnessy. Following further discussion, the
question was called and the motion failed on a vote of 1 - 4 with
Commissioner Weiss casting the single vote in support of the
motion.
Discussion ensued relative to union' s request to be charged sixteen
hours for each twenty-four hour shift taken off and Commissioner
Shaughnessy expressed concern with the requirement that it be made
retroactive to October 1, 1992.
Commissioner Shaughnessy moved to amend Article 11.1b to read as
follows: "The Fire Chief or the Chief's designee shall have the
discretion to grant or deny the use of personal leave hours.
Personal leave must be taken in one (1) personal leave hour or more
increments. Employees will be charged 16 hours for each 24-hour
shift taken off on personal leave (P.L. ) , " and adopt Article 11.lb
as amended. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Weiss.
Following further discussion, the question was called and the
motion failed on a 2 - 3 vote with the Mayor and Commissioners
Rosenbloom and Waters voting nay.
Following further discussion Commissioner Weiss moved to adopt the
city' s position with respect to personal leave. The motion was
seconded by the Mayor and carried on a vote of 3 - 2 with
Commissioners Waters and Shaughnessy voting nay.
Since all issues at impasse had been resolved, the Mayor indicated
he hoped negotiations would go better next year, and declared the
meeting adjourned at 10:40 PM.
Lyman T. Fletcher
MAYOR
ATT E S T:
,f/76,,
Maureen King
CITY CLERK
aka
4,w4)` - a/4 /w
PROPOSED PAY PLAN INCREASES
City 5 %
Union 18 %
MEMORANDUM
Date: February 1 , 1995
To: Kim Leinbach, City Manager
From: Ann Meuse, Finance Director
Subject: Fire Union Impasse - City Proposal Vs. Fire Union Proposal
As you requested in our meeting this morning, I have calculated the difference in the cost
between the fire union pay plan proposed by the City and the proposal presented by the
fire union to the City Commission Monday January 30, 1995. The City's proposal is a 2%
cost of living retroactive to October 1 , 1994 and a step increase to the next closest step
on the fire employee's anniversary date, guaranteeing at least an additional 1 %. This is
consistent with the salary increases approved for the general employees, police and public
works employees. The cost to fund the City's proposal has been budget for in the 1994-
1995 Annual Operating Budget. The Fire union has proposed another plan which would
require an additional funding of $ 40,443.91 not included in the 1994-1995 Budget. And
over a five year period the Fire Union proposal would cost the City an additional
$242,815. (See attached chart) Following is a summary of the difference between the
two plans:
Salaries:
Fire Union Proposal January 31, 1995 5351,770.22
City Proposal 2% October 1, 1994 - Annivers. Step 321,944.13
Unfunded Difference Between Union & City Proposed
Salaries 29,826.09
Unfunded Difference in Overtime 2,652.00
(Based on 1,700 Overtime Hrs x $1.54 Avg Diff. in OTT Pay)
Total Unfunded Difference in Salaries and Overtime City Proposal Vs Fire $ 32,478.09
Benefits:
FICA ( 7.65%) 2,484.45
Pension ( 10.665%) 3,463.64
Workers Compensation (6.21%) 2,017.73
$ 7,965.82
Total Unfunded Difference Between City Proposal and
Fire Union Proposal - Salaries, Overtime & Benefits $ 40,443.91
Fiscal Year 1995
Attached is a detailed copy of the Fire and City proposed pay plans and a 5 year projection
of the cost of the pay plans. Please be advised that overtime in the Fire Control
Department was budgeted for $5,000 for fiscal year 1994-1995. Fire Control has already
incurred $12,000 in overtime to date and based on overtime hours last year will have a
budget shortfall of approximately $20,000. This shortfall will have to be made up through
Memo Page 2.
transfers within the Fire Department budget or possibly funded from the $58,000 surplus
tax revenues (increase in preliminary and final assessed values). Transfers for budget
shortfalls are reviewed on a monthly basis and a mid year budget transfer will be proposed
in March. Due to variances in budgeted revenues and expenditures a portion the $58,000
surplus may need to be considered as a possible funding source for shortfalls of the Fire
Control overtime as described above.
A pay plan is a recurring cost which increases exponentially each year as seen in the
attached Five Year schedule. Recurring costs should be funded by recurring revenues, not
one-time sources of revenues such as reserves or proceeds of sale of assets. The City
receives 80% of its General Fund revenues from property taxes( 55%) and
Intergovernmental Revenues (25%). Intergovernmental Revenues such as Sales Tax, ect.
have only been increasing at a rate of 1 .5% a year. The impact of a pay plan must take
into consideration costs in future years. With the minimal increase in Intergovernmental
Revenues the City will be challenged with creating new revenue sources or looking to
property taxes to fund increases in costs.
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
FIVE YEAR COMPARISON OF FIRE UNION PROPOSAL AND CITY PROPOSAL
FEBRUARY 6, 1995
FIVE YEAR
1994-1995 1995-1996 1996-1997 1997-1998 1998-1999 TOTAL
FIRE UNION PROPOSAL
WAGES
Salaries 351,770 364,082 376,825 390,014 403,664 1,886,355
Overtime 27,540 28,504 29,502 30,534 31,603 147,682
Special Pay 30,000 31,050 32,137 33,262 34.426 160,874
Total 409,310 423,636 438,463 453,809 469,693 2,194,911
BENEFITS
FICA 29,017 30,033 31,084 32,172 33,298 155,604
Pension 40,453 41,869 43,335 44,851 46,421 216,930
Health Insurance 24,500 25,358 26,245 27,164 28,114 131,380
Workers Comp. 23,555 24,380 25.233 26.116 27.030 126.314
Total 117,526 121,639 125,897 130,303 134,864 630,228
FIRE UNION PROPOSAL
TOTAL WAGES & BENEFITS 52.6.836 545.275 564.360 584.112 504.555 2.825.139
CITY PROPOSAL
WAGES
Salaries 321,944 331,602 341,550 351,797 362,351 1,709,244
Overtime 24,888 25,635 26,404 27,196 28,012 132,134
Special Pay 30,000 30.900 31.827 32.782 33.765 159.274
Total 376,832 388,137 399,781 411,775 424,128 2,000,652
BENEFITS
FICA 26,533 27,329 28,148 28,993 29,863 140,865
Pension 36,990 38,099 39,242 40,420 41,632 196,383
Health Insurance 24,500 25,235 25,992 26,772 27,575 130,074
Workers Comp. 21.538 22.184 22,850 23.535 24.242 114,350
Total 109,561 112,847 116,233 119,720 123,311 581,672
CITY PROPOSAL
TOTAL WAGES & BENEFITS 48.6,E 504.984 516.014 531.494 547,439 2.582.324
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
FIRE UNION & CITY • $.40A48 $44.291 $48346 $52.51$ $57.117 $242.815