CC 2020-05-26_11a Supplemental No 1_R p,RRO Y0
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MEMORANDUM
TO: CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JESSICA MATSON, DEPUTY CITY CLERK
SUBJECT: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
AGENDA ITEM 11.a. — MAY 26, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING
DISCUSSION AND PROVIDE INPUT AND/OR DIRECTION TO FIVE
CITIES FIRE AUTHORITY BOARD REPRESENTATIVE REGARDING
SUCCESSOR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS LOCAL 4403
DATE: MAY 26, 2020
Attached is correspondence received.
CC' City Attorney
City Clerk
City Website (or public review binder)
From: Benjamin Oakley
To: public comment
Subject: Agenda Item 11.a. FCFA Memorandum of Understanding
Date: Friday,May 22,2020 6:03:07 PM
Dear Arroyo Grande Mayor Ray Russom and City Council:
I'd like to comment on Agenda Item 11. a - Discussion and Provide Input And/Or Direction to Five
Cities Fire Authority Board Representative Regarding Successor Memorandum of Understanding
with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4403.
1 appreciate our community's first responders and believe that under normal circumstances, the
salary increases and one-time lump sum payments in the proposed MOU would be reasonable.
However, the circumstances we find ourselves in could hardly be described as normal. The
economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has yet to be fully understood, but initial indications are
grim. Economic activity has been severely restricted, millions of Californians are unemployed, and
state and local government budget shortfalls are projected to be massive.
Just a few weeks ago, this City Council considered "Implementing Strategies to Address the
Projected Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 Budget Shortfall" (Agenda Item 11. B. April 28, 2020). One of the
strategies implemented was shifting an additional 2% of the FCFA budget obligation from the
General Fund to the Local Sales Tax Fund. According to the staff report, "the Local Sales Tax Fund
has sufficient fund balance to absorb the additional allocation for the current year and into the
future", which is baffling considering that Table 1 of the same staff report projected a $550,000 sales
tax decrease as a primary driver of the overall budget shortfall.
Now the FCFA would like to implement the modest pay increases negotiated pursuant to the MOU
prior to the pandemic. According to the Arroyo Grande staff report "the proposed MOU is not
anticipated to create increased costs to the City' because "the City's obligations to contribute
funding to FCFA is fixed at$2,580,955 for both FY2019-20 and FY2020-21" since the Oceano
Community Services District's March 2020 ballot measure failed. The staff report goes on to say "if
the proposed MOU is approved, the $49,700 in salary and benefit increases will need to be carried
forward into the FY2020-21 FCFA budget."
It's not entirely clear what is suggested by the above statement. Any increased FCFA salary costs will
ultimately be borne by the communities served by FCFA.
And it appears that while the City of Arroyo Grande is shifting more of its FCFA obligation to a sales
tax fund that is projected to see a significant decrease, the FCFA wants to pass out pay raises as if it's
business as usual.
Neither of which seem to be fiscally responsible decisions to this Arroyo Grande resident.
Regards,
Ben Oakley
From: Art Madson >
Date: May 25, 2020 at 10:10:16 PM PDT
To: Keith Storton <kstorton@arroyogrande.org>
Subject: Meeting 5/26
Council Member Storton
My e-mail pertains to the upcoming council meeting on 5/26 and specifically
agenda Item 11.
It would be my understanding, at this meeting Item 11 will be discussed and input
and or direction will be given to our representative for the Five Cities Fire
Authority (FCFA) Board on the proposed MOU.
In view of the crisis we are in with the virus, the budget issues with the city of
AG, cuts that have and will be made, high unemployment and the overall
uncertainty in the days to come, it is not a time to be proposing a pay raise and
bonus. Not even if this was an "assumed" expenditure and was in the budget. We
are all going to be faced with making tough decisions, this includes not spending
money as we thought we would have. This should be applied to items in our
budgets as well. I have heard that AGPD made a decision to hold back on their
pay raise this year because of all the uncertainty with the Covid crisis. As tough
as that may have been, that department and their leadership must have felt it was
the appropriate and or right thing to do. Has the FCFA taken note of this and
given any thought or consideration toward this within their own budget? It seems
not as this proposed expenditure is being taken to our city council for discussion
and consideration.
I hope our city council will respond back to the FCFA that this is not the time for
a raise and bonus with all the uncertainty our city and it's taxpayers will be faced
with. The MOU should be amended to not include the proposed raise and bonus.
This has nothing to do with whether it is deserving or that other depts. are
making more, it has to do with sacrifices and making those tough decisions which
we expect our city leaders to make in these challenging times.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide my comments.
Respectfully,
Art Madson
Arroyo Grande
Sent from my iPad
From: 'Brown, Tim@DIR" >
Date: May 26, 2020 at 8:54:10 AM PDT
To: Keith Storton <kstorton@arroyogrande.org>
Subject: fire dept
Good morning Keith:
Just want to express my opinion that fire dept should forgo raises at this point given
the budget.
Regards,
Tim brown
Information &Assistannce Unit
San Luis Obispo