[Special Finance & Audit Committee on June 11, 2020.]
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UH, THIS IS ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, LISA SHERRICK THROUGH THE CHAIR.
TWO OF THEM ARE VIA TELEPHONE.
I WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE FIRST CALLER MR. PHIL MARINO.
THERE WILL BE A MOMENT OF SILENCE WHILE I MAKE THE PHONE CALL.
MY NAME IS PHIL MORENO AND I'M A WEST COVINA RESIDENT AT THE PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
I MADE A PRESENTATION THAT I WILL SHORTLY RESTATE THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND EVERYBODY IN ATTENDANCE MUST AGREE.
FIRST ON ONE PREMISE, THAT PREMISE IS THAT PRESENTLY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS ANY PERCENT OF ITS CALLS ARE FOR NON-FIRE RELATED MEDICAL CALLS FOR SERVICE.
ONCE YOU COME TO THAT AGREEMENT, THE ONLY THEN IS MY IDEA VIABLE.
THE REASON THAT HIRING AN AMBULANCE SERVICE INSTEAD OF HAVING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSES SUCH CALLS IS THAT IT WILL SAVE THE CITY MONEY.
NUMBER ONE, ANYONE 65 YEARS OR OLDER AND ON MEDICARE HAS THEIR AMBULANCE BILL PAID FOR BY MEDICARE.
I NOTICED BECAUSE I AM A KAISER SENIOR ADVANTAGE MEDICARE PLAN NEVER.
AND THE LAST TIME I WAS IN AN AMBULANCE, MEDICARE PAID THE BILL, NOT MY KAISER PLAN.
NUMBER TWO, ANYONE UNDER 65, USUALLY AS A HEALTHCARE PLAN HAS PAYS FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE.
IF ANY, WESCLEAN A RESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE A MEDICAL PLAN THAT PAYS FOR AMBULANCE SERVICE, THEN WE CAN SIGN UP FOR THE WEST COVINA AMBULANCE YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION PLAN.
AND THOSE COSTS, IF I'M NOT WRONG ABOUT $70 A YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE MY IDEA OF HAVING A MEDICAL AMBULANCE RESPOND TO ALL NON-FIRE RELATED CALLS FOR SERVICE, WE'LL SEE THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, A LOT OF MONEY.
THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELSIE MESSMAN.
PLEASE GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES WHILE I GET HER ON THE LINE.
MY NAME IS ALFIE MESCLUN RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA.
I WOULD LIKE THE STAFF TO LOOK INTO ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE BROWNOUT FOUND OUT OF ONE.
I POSSIBLY CAN FIRE STATIONS WITH NO OVERTIME.
AND NUMBER TWO, THE RESIDENTS DIDN'T WANT COUNTY FIRE BEFORE, AND I DON'T THINK THEY WANT IT NOW.
NUMBER THREE, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE INFORMATION ON THE CARE AMBULANCE AND THEN LAY OFF OF 30 FIREFIGHTERS.
I DON'T THINK THE CITY HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO THOROUGHLY LOOK INTO THIS ITEM.
SO DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH THE RESIDENTS.
I DO THINK THIS IS A POSSIBLE AND WORKABLE
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IDEA.THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER I WILL READ IS FROM MS. GLORIA AND NARDA.
I WOULD LIKE THE CITY TO CONSIDER THE BROWN OUT METHOD RATHER THAN CONTRACTING OUT WITH THE LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SINCE THE WEST COVINA CITIZENS HAVE VOTED AGAINST THIS BY USING THE BROWN OUT, WHICH THE CITY MANAGER DOES NOT COMPREHEND.
THE CITY WOULD NOT HAVE TO LAY OFF ANY FIREFIGHTERS.
NEXT WE HAVE MS. THERESA COZADD FIRST.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WEST COVINA FINANCIAL CRISIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
IT HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, BUT THIS CRISIS IS AN EXPENDITURE PROBLEM THAT THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY REFUSE TO CONFRONT THE PROPOSED BUDGET DOES NOT DEAL WITH LONG RANGE EXPENDITURE ISSUES, UNFUNDED PENSIONS.
IT IS A SHORT RANGE SHORTSIGHTED BUDGET THAT RELIES ON ONE TIME FUNDS FROM UNSTATED SOURCES TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
I BELIEVE LOOKING AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS A FIRST STEP TO BEGIN TO REDUCE EXPENSES, I WOULD LIKE THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE BROWNOUT OPTION.
I ESPECIALLY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NO OVERTIME PORTION RESPECTFULLY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DEBBIE VALDEZ.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DEBBIE VALIDUS AND I AM SPEAKING FOR THE FULL SUPPORT FOR THE CITY TO CONTRACT FIRE SERVICES TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE.
FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN BEFORE THE WEST COVINA CITY COUNCIL TO SPEAK TO THE CUTS, WHICH CONTINUED TO IMPACT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
OUR DAUGHTER WAS IN A HORRIFIC TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AGO WHERE THE WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN SAVING HER LIFE.
IF NOT FOR THE RESOURCES THEY HAD IN 2020, EXCUSE ME.
IN 2012, WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME MAY HAVE BEEN TO OUR DAUGHTER.
I AM A CONCERNED RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA.
AND AS I STATED, WE HAVE BEEN BEFORE THE COUNCIL TOO MANY TIMES, SPEAKING ON THE CUTS, WHICH CONTINUED TO TAKE PLACE IN WEST COVINA.
THE CITY HAS ALREADY CUT ENGINE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP CUTTING OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE ANY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS LAID OFF NOR IS BROWNING OUT OUR STATIONS AND OPTIONS.
THE REGIONAL APPROACH, THE CITY MANAGER SPEAKS OF HIS COMMON SENSE AND IT'S EVIDENCE.
THE CITY WILL HAVE A BETTER FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVEN WITH COST SAVINGS.
THIS IS A LONGTERM FIX INSTEAD OF THE YEARLY BANDAID CREATED EVERY YEAR IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE RESIDENTS OF WEST COVINA.
PLEASE VOTE TO CONTRACT WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CARLY VALDEZ.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CARLY VALDEZ.
I AM SPEAKING ONCE AGAIN FOR THE FULL SUPPORT FOR THE CITY TO CONTRACT BY OUR SERVICES TO LA COUNTY FIRE.
I HAVE BEEN TO CITY COUNCIL MEETING AFTER CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AND I AM ANGRY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING FOR AS A CONCERNED RESIDENT OF THE CITY EVERY YEAR.
IT SEEMS WE HAVE DISCUSSED CUTTING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AFTER LISTENING TO THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, I WAS CONCERNED TO HEAR THE CITY MANAGER SAY THAT WE CANNOT MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT FIRE SERVICE MODEL BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS.
OUR FIRE SERVICES APPEAR TO BE LIMITED AT BEST.
THE CITY HAS ALREADY CUT ENGINE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP CUTTING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EXPECT THEM TO PERFORM EFFECTIVELY.
I TRULY BELIEVE IT HAS COME DOWN TO THE REALITY THAT WAS COVINA DOES NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO AFFORD THEIR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE REGIONAL APPROACH, THE CITY MANAGER SPEAKS OUT OF HIS COMMENTS SINCE, AND IT IS EVIDENT.
THE CITY WILL HAVE A BETTER FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVEN WITH COST SAVINGS.
THIS IS A LONGTERM FIX INSTEAD OF THE YEARLY BAND-AID WE TRY AND CREATE EVERY YEAR.
THIS ARGUMENT HAS CONTINUED YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH THE CITY NEVER HESITATING TO GIVE THEMSELVES OR THE POLICE FORCE RAISES AND THEREFORE MAKING MORE CUTS TO ACTUAL ESSENTIAL SERVICES WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBERS DO NOT HESITATE TO JUMP AS PHOTO OPS WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT DO NOT ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE OR CARE FOR THE COUNTLESS LIVES, BUILDINGS AND RESOURCES.
THEY HAVE SAVED INCLUDING MY OWN.
IN THE PAST, I HAVE NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE FIRES IN OUR CITY HAVE LA COUNTY FIRE ENGINES ON SCENE.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE ALREADY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO CONTAIN HOUSE FIRES IN OUR CITY, DUE TO THE CARELESS CUTS AND THOUGHTLESS RATIONALE BEHIND THE BUDGET CUTS.
HEY, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT LAYOFF OF FIREFIGHTERS, BROWNING OUTSTATIONS AND BRINGING IN PRIVATE AMBULANCE COMPANIES TO TAKE THE PLACE OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT IS OFFERING US THE LIFELINE THAT NOT ONLY HELPS THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION, BUT ALSO PROVIDES THE CITY OF WEST COVINA WITH WORLD CLASS SERVICES.
I HOPE OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCIL
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MEMBERS, AND RESIDENCY THAT THIS IS OUR ONLY OPTION.IF YOU BOTH ARE ANYTHING OTHER THAN BRINGING LA COUNTY FIRE SERVICES TO WEST COVINA, YOU WERE PUTTING THE STUBBORN OPTIONS OR VIEW OF THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
PLEASE VOTE TO CONTRACT WITH LA COUNTY FIRE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FROM GLADYS RUPA.
HI, MY NAME IS GLADYS RUPA AND I'VE BEEN A CITIZEN OF WEST COVINA FOR 17 YEARS.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT THIS EVENING ABOUT OUR SAFETY AS CITIZENS.
I'M AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD APP AND SEVERAL OF THE COMMUNITY, FACEBOOK GROUPS.
ALTHOUGH I SUPPORT OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND OUR FIREFIGHTERS, I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE UNIONS CONTROLLING THE SAFETY OF THE CITIZENS.
WE HAVE ELECTED CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO PROMISED TO KEEP US SAFE.
WHEN WE CALL NINE ONE ONE, WE EXPECT A POLICE OFFICER, A FIRE TRUCK, OR AN AMBULANCE TO SHOW UP QUICKLY AND TAKE CARE OF OUR EMERGENCIES.
INSTEAD, THE UNION SEEMED FOCUSED ON MAKING MONEY.
THE POOR POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS WHO HAVE TO DO THE JOB, DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO GET THE JOBS ON BECAUSE THESE GREEDY UNIONS AREN'T LETTING THEM TONIGHT.
WE ARE TRYING, WE ARE LEFT TRYING TO DECIDE IF WE SHOULD CUT FIRE ENGINES AND AMBULANCES.
THE GREEDY UNIONS ALSO TRIED HARD TO RAISE OUR TAXES.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CITY COUNCIL LISTENS TO THEM.
ONE OF THE FACEBOOK GROUPS I FOLLOW IS WEST COVINA FORUM.
THE LEADERS ON THIS GROUP LIKE JERRY PATRISSE AND JAY METER ARE RIGHT.
WE NEED TO GET RID OF THESE UNIONS.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE.
CAN'T TAKE OVER OUR SERVICE TO WEST COVINA AND PRIOR TO PROVIDE EVEN BETTER SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS.
THEY EVEN DO THIS BY BROWNING OUTSTATIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER FIRE STATIONS IN THE, OUR CITY, WHICH WILL HELP OUT.
WHEN THESE UNION MEMBERS LOSE THEIR JOBS.
THEY DIDN'T LISTEN TO US AND WORK ON PROTECTING PEOPLE MORE.
PLEASE DON'T VOTE TO MAKE MORE CUTS TO OUR SAFETY.
INSTEAD, VOTE TO GET RID OF THESE UNIONS AND BRING IN A FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO CARES MORE ABOUT OUR SAFETY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SAMANTHA TREEHO.
I AM SPEAKING FOR FULL SUPPORT FOR THE CITY TO CONTRACT FIRE SERVICES TO LA COUNTY, AS A CONCERNED RESIDENT OF THE CITY EVERY YEAR, IT SEEMS WE HAVE DISCUSSED CUTTING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE CITY HAS ALREADY CUT ENGINE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP CUTTING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EXPECT THEM TO PERFORM EFFECTIVELY.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT IT'S COMES DOWN TO THE REALITY THAT WEST COVINA DOES NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO AFFORD THEIR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE REGIONAL APPROACH, THE CITY MANAGER SPEAKS OF IS OF COMMON SENSE, AND IT IS EVIDENCE THAT HE WILL HAVE A BETTER FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVEN WITH COST SAVINGS.
THIS IS A LONGTERM FIX INSTEAD OF THE YEARLY BAND-AID WE TRY AND CREATE EVERY YEAR.
PLEASE VOTE TO CONTRACT WITH LA COUNTY FIRE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHERINE PEREZ.
HELLO, MY NAME IS KATHERINE PEREZ.
I AM SPEAKING FOR THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA TO CONTRACT FIRE SERVICES TO LA COUNTY FIRE.
AS A CONCERNED RESIDENT OF THE CITY EVERY YEAR, IT SEEMS WE HAVE DISCUSSED CUTTING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE CITY HAS ALREADY CUT ENGINE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP CUTTING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EXPECT THEM TO PERFORM EFFECTIVELY.
I TRULY BELIEVE IT HAS COME DOWN TO THE REALITY THAT WEST COVINA DOES NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO AFFORD THEIR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE REGIONAL APPROACH, THE CITY MANAGER SPEAKS OF IS COMMON SENSE, AND IT IS EVIDENT.
THE CITY WILL HAVE A BETTER FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVEN WITH COST SAVINGS.
THIS IS A LONGTERM FIX INSTEAD OF THE YEARLY BAND-AID.
PLEASE GO TO CONTRACT WITH LA COUNTY FIRE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SEAN GARCIA.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE A COMMENT THIS EVENING.
I GREW UP IN WEST COVINA AND WAS GONE SERVING TIME IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, AND JUST MOVED BACK TO WEST COVINA.
ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, LET'S GO, MINA IS A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY THAN THE ONE I REMEMBER GROWING UP IN.
WHEN I WAS YOUNG, IT WAS A PLACE WHERE WE COULD RIDE OUR BIKES TO THE THRIFTY'S AND GET AN ICE CREAM.
I'D PLAY HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS WITHOUT MY PARENTS OUTSIDE ALL DAY, AND FELT SAFE, ROAMING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND SELL SOMETIME AFTER DARK.
NOW I SEE A CITY WHICH IS OVERRUN BY HOMELESS, GRAFFITI, EVERYWHERE.
AND RECENTLY WE HAVE HAD MURDERS FROM WHAT I BELIEVE HAS BEEN BEING VIOLENT.
THE SOLE PURPOSE OF A CITY COUNCIL IS TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY A COMMUNITY, WHICH IS SAFE, CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MY, HOW MY CITY HAS CHANGED.
I HAVE BEGUN PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO OUR CITY OF SPENDING THEIR MONEY.
IT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE IS SAYING WE NEED TO EITHER CUT FIRE ENGINES AND POLICE OFFICERS OR TO CONTRACT WITH COUNTY FIRE.
IT SOUNDS A COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS A GOOD SERVICE.
I BELIEVE DURING LAST NIGHT'S BUDGET MEETING, THE CITY MANAGER SAID ALMOST 50 OTHER CITIES USE THE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IF THIS IS A BAD IDEA, WHY WOULD OTHER CITIES BE DOING IT? I ALSO HEARD A COMMENT LAST NIGHT BY A MAN NAMED STEVE BENNETT, WHO SAID, FIREFIGHTERS ARE JUST SAYING THAT SO THEY CAN GET RAISES.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WHO TO TRUST.
I TRUST WHAT THE FIRE CHIEF HAS TO SAY.
I'M ASSUMING HE TO BE A GOOD TO BE IN HIS POSITION.
HE MUST HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE HERE.
SO MY QUESTION TONIGHT IS FOR THE FIRE CHIEF,
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IF THE DECISION WAS TO MOVE HIM ON HOW TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS THE MOST, WHAT WOULD WE DO? ALSO? WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS? IS IT TRUE? THEY WOULD ALL GET RAISES IF THEY DO ALL GET RAISES.DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE TO PAY MORE? DO ANY FIREFIGHTERS GET FIRED? IF WE GO WITH THE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO LOSE THEIR JOBS, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO PAY MORE IN TAXES.
CHIEF, CAN YOU CLEAR UP SOME OF THIS INFORMATION AND LET US KNOW HOW THIS IMPACTS REGULAR CITIZENS LIKE ME? OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SUSAN
MY NAME IS SUSAN ENGLAND, AND I AM A LONGTERM TIME RESIDENT.
I LIVE NEAR THE FIRE STATION THAT WAS CLOSED, THEIR BIG LEAGUE DREAMS. I FEEL THE CITY HAS LONG IGNORED THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CITY.
AND IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO THE CITIZENS.
WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF HAVING TO MAKE A CHOICE BETWEEN PAYING MORE TAXES OR MAKING CUTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
ANY RECOMMENDATION TO CLOSE MORE FIRE STATIONS IS NOT WHAT WE SUPPORT.
IF THAT MEANS BRINGING IN THE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEN SO BE IT.
I HEAR SO MANY SIRENS BY MY HOUSE, AND I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF NINE ONE, ONE CALLS EVERY DAY.
CUTTING MORE FIRE STATIONS IS NOT THE ANSWER.
IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO MY FAMILY, I DON'T WANT TO WAIT.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR FOREVER FOR A FIRE CHECK TO COME TO MY HOUSE.
I DON'T CARE IF THE FIRE CHECK SAYS WEST COVINA OR COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT ON IT.
I CARE ABOUT MY FAMILY MEMBERS BEING SAFE.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE DONE FOR US, BUT I'M SORRY.
IF I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MY FAMILY BEING SAFE AND THEM GETTING RAISES.
I CHOOSE MY FAMILY BEING SAFE.
IF I HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HAVING TO PAY MORE TAXES, WHICH TAKES FOOD OFF MY TABLE OR THEM GETTING RAISES, I CHOOSE PAINLESS TAXES.
I URGE YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE CHOICES AND CHOOSE TO GO WITH THE COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE ANY MORE FIRE STATIONS OR PAYING ANY MORE TAXES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TAMMY MATHIS.
NO MORE CUTS TO THE CITIZEN SAFETY BRING IN LA COUNTY FIRE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JERRY PATCHES.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BROWNOUT OPTION EXPLORED.
HOWEVER BELIEVE NO OVERTIME IS REALISTIC.
OVERTIME CAN BE REDUCED THROUGH EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT OF STAFFING, PLANNED ABSENCES AND REDUCING EXCESSIVE UNPLANNED ABSENCES THAT RESULT IN SCHEDULED OVERTIME PRACTICES.
THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS THAT THE CITY MANAGER DID NOT INCLUDE THAT WOULD REDUCE COSTS THAT SHOULD ALSO BE EXPLORED.
FOR EXAMPLE, TIER DISPATCHING WOULD ELIMINATE THE PRACTICE OF DISPATCHING A FIRE TRUCK ENGINE ON ALL EMS CALLS.
MANY RESIDENTS VIEW THE CURRENT PRACTICE AS AN UNNECESSARY AND COSTLY SINCE RESIDENTS ONCE VOTED ON WHETHER OR NOT TO MAINTAIN A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PUT BY RESIDENTS AS THEY MUST BEFORE ANY MORE EFFORT IS TAKEN TO CONTRACT FOR COUNTY SERVICES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TERRY BAN OVER.
HI, MY NAME IS TERRY DON OVERNIGHT VANOVER AND I AM A RESIDENT OF WEST COVINA.
I'M A TEACHER AND NEW TO THE CITY PRIOR TO MOVING TO WEST COVINA.
I LIVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD CITY, A NEIGHBORING CITY, WHICH WAS SERVED BY LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AS A TEACHER, WE OFTEN HAVE INTERACTION WITH FIREFIGHTERS AS THEY TEACH FIRE SAFETY TO THE CHILDREN.
I HAVE HEARD, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT A POSITIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEY PROVIDE EXCELLENT SERVICE AND THEY ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I ALSO HAVE SEVERAL COWORKERS, FRIENDS WHO HAVE SPOUSES WHO WORK FOR LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I CAN ATTEST TO THE HIGH QUALITY PERSON WHO WAS EMPLOYED BY THEIR ORGANIZATION AS A CITIZEN.
HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO ALSO LEARN SOME INFORMATION REGARDING AFFORDABILITY.
PERHAPS THE FIRE CHIEF CAN CLARIFY SOME INFORMATION AS A TEACHER WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH PENSIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
HOW DOES THE LA COUNTY FIRE PENSION COMPARED TO THE CURRENT PENSION OFFERED BY THE CITY? ADDITIONALLY, HOW DOES THE CHANGE IN PENSION, IF ANY AFFECT THE CITY OF WEST COVINA NEXT? WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS WHO CURRENTLY WORK FOR THE CITY? DO THEY LOSE THEIR JOBS? ARE THEY ABSORBED BY LA COUNTY FIRE? DO THEY LOSE THEIR RANK OR SENIORITY? I'VE HEARD THAT THE BIG DEAL.
LASTLY, IS IT TRULY A COST SAVINGS WITHOUT REDUCING SERVICE AND OUR SAFETY? I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROSPECTS WHICH INVOLVE REDUCING SERVICE.
I AM STARTING A FAMILY AND MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS MY FAMILY SAFETY.
ANY DECISION MADE, WHICH PUTS THAT SAFETY IN JEOPARDY IN THE NAME OF COST SAVINGS IS IN MY OPINION, MORALLY WRONG.
PLEASE TAKE MY FAMILY AND OTHER FAMILIES IN WEST COVINA INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN EVALUATING TONIGHT'S INFORMATION AND MAKING ANY DECISIONS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIA DIAZ.
I AM EMAILING YOU TODAY TO ASK THAT YOU REVALUATE WEST COVINA IS BUDGET ALLOCATIONS TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IN SEARCHING FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE FOUND THAT THEY ELECT SO MANY OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE PERFORMED A LESS
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THAN SATISFACTORY JOB POLICING OUR CITY.ACCORDING TO POLICE SCORE CARD.ORG.
OUR PD HAS HAD 15 DEADLY FORCE INCIDENTS, WHICH NET, WHICH IS 98% HIGHER THAN OTHER CALIFORNIA POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN 29 CIVILIAN COMPLAINTS OF POLICE MISCONDUCT FROM 2016 TO 2018.
ONLY ONE OF EVERY 15 COMPLAINTS WERE RULED IN FAVOR OF THE CIVILIAN WORSE THAN THIS.
60% OF THE TIME WHEN AN OFFICER SUSPECTED A GUN WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT, THEY WERE WRONG.
THEY HAVE POLICIES THAT MAKE IT HARD FOR POLICE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
93% OF PEOPLE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED BY OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND EVEN THOUGH LATIN X PEOPLE ARE ROUGHLY 57% OF WEST COVINA, THE POPULATION, THEY WERE SUED BY AN EX OFFICER WHO CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE BY THAT THEY WERE FIRED HIM TESTIFYING AND BLACK OFFICERS' LAWSUIT TO WHICH THE DEPARTMENT HAD TO SETTLE OUT OF COURT.
THERE'S FOOTAGE OF WEST COVINA PD DETAINING A COUPLE FOR ROUGHLY 40 MINUTES AFTER THE OFFICERS GOT SASSY WITH THE FEMALE DRIVER FOR FILMING THE INTERACTION ON HER PHONE POLICE FUNDING IN 2018 WAS 33.0 $9 MILLION.
WELL, HEALTH FUNDING WAS ONLY 203
AND HOUSING FUNDING WAS ONLY $408,000.
THESE FIGURES PERSIST DESPITE THE HISPANIC POPULATION HOLDING ANY POVERTY RATE OF 10 POINT 62% AND ARE BLACK POPULATION HOLDING THE POVERTY RATE OF 13 POINT 45%.
MY WISH IN WRITING TO THIS COMMENT TO YOU TODAY IS THAT YOU LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND REMOVE FUNDING FROM THE WEST COVINA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND REINVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMICS, HOMELESSNESS CHANGE, CLIMATE CHANGE, JOBS, EDUCATION, MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, FAMILY SERVICES, AND TRANSPORTATION ARE ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS INVESTMENT.
MORE POLICE DOESN'T MEAN MORE SAFETY AND ACCORDING TO THE NUMBERS AND THE BLUE AND THE BULLET POINTS, IT MEANS A DISTRUST OF POLICE.
THE CITY'S BUDGET SHOULD REFLECT WHAT THE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY VALUE MOST.
AND RIGHT NOW, MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED TO REEVALUATE THIS VOLUME.
IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, PLEASE ALLOCATE FUNDS THAT WOULD BE PLACED WITHIN OUR CITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT TO OUR CITY'S COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS.
OUR LAST SPEAKER IS PETER HOWELL.
MY NAME IS PETER HOWELL AND MY HOME, AND HE PROVIDES HIS HOME ADDRESS.
I CAME HERE YEARS AGO TO TALK AGAINST CUTTING ENGINE FOUR.
AND NOW I CAN'T IMAGINE THE CITY MAKING ANY OTHER CUTS BY CONTRACTING WITH THE COUNTY FIRE.
WE WOULD NOT ONLY BE GAINING SERVICES.
OUR OWN DEPARTMENT CAN'T PROVIDE, BUT WOULD ALSO BE SAVING MONEY FOR THE CITY.
PLEASE VOTE TO CONTRACT LA COUNTY FIRE.
WHAT CITY STAFF LIKE TO COMMENT ON ANY OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? GOOD EVENING CHAIR SOLORIO.
THIS IS DAVE CARMEN, THE CITY MANAGER.
WE WOULD LIKE TO FIRST THANK ALL OF THOSE SPEAKERS THAT PHONED IN AND WROTE IN FOR THEIR COMMENTS, BUT WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS AS PART OF OUR STAFF REPORT.
SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS.
AND FOR TODAY, WE'RE STARTING WITH OUR DISCUSSION OF OPTIONS FOR FIRE SERVICE.
GOOD EVENING CHAIR, SOLORIO MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TONIGHT.
UM, ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC, AS WE TALK ABOUT OPTIONS FOR FIRE SERVICE, LIKE TO MAKE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS PANDEMIC MAKE IT MOST IMPERATIVE, THAT THE CITY IMMEDIATELY FOCUS ON ECONOMIC POLICY FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC GOOD ANTICIPATED STATE AND FEDERAL RECOVERY RESOURCES WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE ENOUGH TO CLOSE THE GAP.
THE CITY HAS BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY DILIGENTLY TO ENGAGE ALL OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN A MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION.
IT'S OUR HOPE THAT THIS ENGAGEMENT WILL FOCUS ON INTERESTS, THAT IT WILL BE COLLABORATIVE SO THAT WE MAY ACHIEVE A WIN-WIN NEGOTIATION FRAME TO DELIVER ON THE CITY'S PARAMOUNT MISSION OF SERVING THE PUBLIC.
THE TRUTH IS REVENUES HAVE PLUMMETED.
THEREFORE EXPENDITURES CAN NOT CONTINUE AT THE SAME PACE.
THE TRADITIONAL COMPETITIVE NEGOTIATION FRAMEWORKS IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES WILL ONLY MEAN A CURTAILMENT OR A DEVASTATION FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THE CITY SERVES.
THIS CITY HAS A SUBSTANTIAL CHANCE OF BEING SUBJECTED TO FURTHER CRISIS BY FAILING TO AGREE.
THIS FRAGILITY REQUIRES A MUCH DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN THE USUAL.
I'M ASKING THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS OPTIONS FOR FIRE
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SERVICE.TO BEGIN, I'LL REFER TO OUR CITY FIRE.
CHIEF CAPELLI WILL PRESENT A BRIEF STAFF REPORT AFTER THAT REPORT, YOUR CITY STAFF.
WHO'S HERE TONIGHT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS CITY MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND FIRE CHIEF.
YOU'RE GOING TO USE THAT BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE CHIEF CAPELLI
THANK YOU, AMANDA CARMONEY AND UH, MADAM CHAIR, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY STAFF, AND US CITIZENS ON VINCE CAPELLI AT FIRE CHIEF WEST GIVING A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I'M HERE TO GIVE A PRESENTATION IN REGARDS TO, UM, POSSIBLE DEPLOYMENT MODELS FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT THIS EVENING.
UM, MY OBJECTIVES IS TO GET A LITTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW.
UM, TALK ABOUT FIRE DEPARTMENT, RISK ASSESSMENT STANDARDS OF COVERAGE AND NEEDS OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REORGANIZATION BY USE OF A BROWNOUT MODEL WITHOUT OVERTIME USE REORGANIZATION BY ELIMINATION TWO FIRE ENGINES, THREE PARAMEDIC RESCUES AMBULANCES AND CONTRACT PATIENT TRANSPORT WITH CARE.
AMBULANCE THIRD MODEL WOULD BE THE CONTRACT FEE FOR SERVICE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION, DISTRICT ANNEXATION AND FIRE AND EMS SERVICES.
FIRST OFF I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT MODEL OF THE FIRE ADMINISTRATION.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A FIRE CHIEF WHO ALSO HAS THE FIRE MARSHALL.
UM, WE HAD AN ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF POSITION WAS ELIMINATED IN 2017.
UH, WE HAD A 40 HOUR TRAINING IN HIS CAPTAINS UNFILLED, MARCH, 2020 CURRENTLY HAVE A SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
WE HAVE A MANAGEMENT ALICE POSITION THAT WAS UNFILLED MAY, 2019 AND A SENIOR ACCOUNTS CLERK AS WELL AS A PART TIME OFFICE AIDE POSITION THAT WAS ELIMINATED FIBER EVENTS AND STAFF, UH, IS A DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL POSITION, WHICH HAS BEEN UNFILLED SINCE JULY OF 2018 ONE FIRE PROTECTION SPECIALIST IS CIVILIAN.
AND ONCE I HAVE A TEXAS SPECIALIST PART TIME, AS WELL AS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, THE CURRENT DEPLOYMENT MODEL AND THE OPERATIONS FIRE SUPPRESSION, WE HAVE FIVE FIRE STATIONS STATION ON ONE HOUSES, ONE ENGINE COMPANY, WHICH HAS ONE FIRE CAPTAIN ON FIRE ENGINEER AND A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC.
THERE'S ALSO A PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCE WITH TWO FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS STATION TWO HAS ONE ENGINE COMPANY, WHICH HAS ONE CAPTAIN, ONE ENGINEER, AND ONE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC.
THERE WAS A TRUCK COMPANY WITH ONE CAPTAIN, ONE ENGINEER, ONE FIREFIGHTER, AND ONE 500 PARAMEDIC, WHICH WAS MOVED TO STATION NUMBER FOUR IN AUGUST OF 2018.
THEY SET YOU OFF AS A PARAMEDIC RESCUE ISLANDS WITH TWO FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS, BUT ALSO AS OUR SHIFT COMMANDER, OUR COMMAND VEHICLE, ONE ASSISTANT CHIEF STATION THREE HOUSES, ONE ENGINE COMPANY WITH ONE FIRE CAPTAIN WHEN FIRE ENGINEER AND ONE FIREFIGHTER STATION FOUR HAD ONE ENGINE COMPANY WITH A CAPTAIN, AN ENGINEER, AND A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC.
BUT AS DATA WAS CLOSED IN 2018, CURRENTLY WE HAVE A TRUCK COMPANY, WHICH IS QUICK CAPABLE, WHICH MEANS IT HAS WATER AND HOSE ON IT WITH ONE CAPTAIN ONE'S NEER AND ONE FIREFIGHTER AND A FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDIC, WHICH WAS MOVED AT STATION FOUR FROM STATION NUMBER TWO, ALSO STATION FOUR AS A PARAMEDIC RESCUE AMBULANCE WITH TWO FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS AND STATION FIVE HAS ONE ENGINE COMPANY WITH ONE CAPTAIN, ONE ENGINEER AND ONE FIREFIGHTER.
SO SOME THINGS THAT WE DO IN THE FIRE SERVICE TO EVALUATE, UM, HOW WE DELIVER OUR RESPONSES AND HAVE OUR RESOURCES, UH, WITHIN THE FIRE SERVICE IS SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED THE STANDARDS OF RESPONSE.
AND IT'S DONE BY THE COMMISSIONER OF FIRE.
CREDITATION IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES PLACE OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND IT TAKES, UH, A TEAM TO EVALUATE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO WHERE WITH LIKE I STATED, WE DETERMINED STANDARDS OF RESPONSE FOR FIRE EMERGENCY MEDICAL HAZARD MATERIALS, TECHNICAL RESCUE, AND OTHER SPECIALTY RESPONSES.
WE WOULD DEVELOP POLICIES, PROCEDURES, DETERMINED, DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES, CONCENTRATION OF RESOURCES, OR LIABILITY OF FIXED AND MOBILE RESPONSE FORCES.
WE WOULD DO A RISK ASSESSMENT STANDARDS OF COVERAGE AND A NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
SINCE WE WERE UNABLE TO FUND A FIRE ACCREDITATION CAMPAIGN IN THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING LOCALLY BY LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAD DONE.
SO WE DETERMINED OUR RISK ASSESSMENT IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN FIRE SUPPRESSION.
LAST YEAR, 2019, WE RAN 159 CALLS FOR SERVICE FOR FIRES.
THERE WAS $4 MILLION IN CONTENTS OF PROPERTY LOSS IN 2019.
AND FOR CIVILIAN INJURIES TO NOTE IN 2020, WE'VE ALREADY HAD TWO FATALITIES DUE TO FIRE THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU AND OUR RISK ASSESSMENT.
WE HAVE ABOUT 3,500 INSPECTIONS.
WE'VE DETERMINED THAT 2,500 OF THOSE HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED FOR MANY YEARS AS LACK OF MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES
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AND PERSONNEL TO DO THOSE INSPECTIONS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.WE RUN APPROXIMATELY 6,535 CALLS FOR MEDICAL RELATED IN WEST COVINA, UH, WHICH IS, UM, LIKE MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IN NEAR THE HILLS.
WE HAVE A BRUSH WILD LAND, URBAN INTERFACE AREA WHERE OUR HOMES THAT ARE IN URBAN AREA, BUT UP RIGHT NEXT TO WILD LAND TREES, SHRUBS, GRASS, WHICH MAKES US HAVE AN URBAN INTERFACE.
WE HAVE FUELS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN BURNED FOR MANY YEARS, WHICH INCREASES THE POSSIBILITY OF A HAZARDOUS CONDITION DURING A BRUSH FIRE AND A WIND EVENT.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES THAT'S A HIGH RISK ASSESSMENT WITHIN OUR AREA.
AND IT HAS BEEN NOTED IN THE REGION THAT WE HAVE A LARGE POTENTIAL FOR A LARGE FIRE, NOT UNLIKE SOME OF THE BIG ONES OVER THE RECENT YEARS, THE CAR FIRE AND THE WOOLSEY FIRE TO REMIND YOU.
WE ALSO HAVE A RISK ASSESSMENT OF URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE INCIDENTS WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO TO A LARGE BOX STORE MALLS OR PARKING STRUCTURES THAT MAY HAVE COLLAPSED OR HAVE PEOPLE TRAPPED.
WE ARE NOT PREPARED TO MANAGE THOSE EMERGENCIES.
WE HAVE THE 10 FREEWAY AND A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN THE CITY THAT HAVE HAZARD MATERIALS.
AT THIS TIME, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO RESPOND TO THOSE AND MITIGATE THOSE EMERGENCIES AND DETERMINE THAT THAT IS A RISK WITHIN THE CITY FOR STANDARDS OF COVERAGE, FOR STANDARDS OF COVERAGE, WE WOULD DETERMINE THE SAFE AND EFFECT RESPONSE FOR US FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION, MERCY, MEDICAL SERVICE, OTHER SPECIALTY SERVICES.
WE LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY BASELINE BASED UPON RISK.
WHAT LEVEL OF SERVICE, CRITICAL PATH CAPABILITY AND SERVICE LEVEL OBJECTIVES.
AND WE EVALUATE OUR LIABILITY OF OUR RESOURCES WITH THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
WE DETERMINED THAT ENGINE COMPANY FOUR WOULD DEFINITELY NEED TO BE REINSTATED AND PLACED IN THE RESOURCE.
THE ABILITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT, WE ALSO DETERMINED THAT IN FIRE ADMINISTRATION, FIRE PREVENTION, THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A 40 HOUR ASSISTANT CHIEF, A DEPUTY FIRE MARSHALL AND A FIRE SPECTER.
SO YOU CONTINUE WITH THE FIRE PREVENTION NEEDS TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFE AND DETERMINE ANY FIRE PREVENTION ISSUES FOR THE BRUSH WILD LAND, URBAN INTERFACE, UNLIKE MANY DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE A BRUSH WILD LAND, URBAN INTERFACE DEPARTMENTS HAVE DIFFERENT FIRE ENGINES TO MANAGE THOSE EMERGENCIES.
WE HAVE NONE OF THOSE ABILITIES TO TAKE CARE OF EMERGENCY OF A BRUSH WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE.
AT THIS TIME, A TYPE THREE FIRE ENGINE WOULD BE A TYPE OF TYPE OF FIRE ENGINE AS A, AS A SHORTER WHEEL BASE AND FOUR WHEEL DRIVE AND CAN GET UP AND GET INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND PUT THE FIRES OUT QUICKLY AND STOP THEM EARLY.
A TYPE SIX PATROL VEHICLE IS A SMALLER PICKUP TRUCK TYPE VEHICLE THAT CAN ALSO GO OFF ROAD AND MITIGATE A SMALL FIRE BEFORE IT BECOMES A BIG FIRE AND ALSO A WATER TENDER.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE WATER RELIABILITY FROM HYDRANTS.
SO WE'D HAVE TO BRING IN SHUTTLE WATER IN.
WE WOULD NEED A WATER TENDER CONTINUING WITH OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
AS WE SPOKE TO ALREADY URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE IS EQUIPMENT TRAINING AND CROSS STAFF APPARATUS WOULD BE NEEDED TO PROPERLY BE AN ALL RISK FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS MATERIALS THAT ALSO NEED CROSS STAFF AFTER THAT IS TRAINING EQUIPMENT AS WELL.
THE CURRENTLY WESTERN FIRE DEPARTMENT NOR HAS THE WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT EVER HAD A TRAINING LOCATION, A PLACE FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS CONTINUE HONE THE SKILLS OF BEING A FIRE FIREMAN AND TO PRACTICE FIGHTING FIRES AS A TEAM CURRENTLY STATION FOUR'S KITCHEN IS THE DEPARTMENT'S TRAINING LOCATION AND HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR MANY YEARS, DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
WE DETERMINED BY GOING BY THE, UM, CIP PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN A BUDGET OVER MANY YEARS, THAT THERE IS ROUGHLY OVER $27 MILLION OF UNFUNDED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DONE FOR MANY YEARS.
STATION ONE, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1959 IS A TEMPORARY SHOP HAS BEEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATION ONE SINCE THEN.
AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A TEMPORARY FIRE STATION.
IT NEEDS TO BE REBUILT STATION THREE NEEDS, SOME REMODELING AS WELL.
AND THERE'S OTHER STATION GENERAL PROJECTS ALSO, AND OTHER STATION IMPROVEMENTS OF ROUGHLY $18 MILLION, INCLUDING THE $27 MILLION IS CURRENT APPARATUS THAT WE NEED TO FIRE ENGINES AND ANOTHER FIRE TRUCK AS WELL AS TO RESCUE ATLASES.
AND THAT SPOKE BEFORE WE NEED THE USE USR HAZMAT TYPE THREE TYPE SIX OF WATER TINDER APPARATUS.
WE ALSO HAVE OLD COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT WITHIN OUR FIRE STATIONS AND WITHIN OUR MOBILE AND PORTABLE RADIOS NEED TO BE UPGRADED CONTINUING.
AND SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION OF OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS EVERYBODY SHOULD BE AWARE OF OUR FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT IS EQUIPMENT THAT FIREFIGHTERS USE WHEN THEY GO INTO FIGHT FIRE OR GO TO EMERGENCY OR ARE IN A LOCATION WHERE IT'S DANGEROUS.
THEY PUT ON HIS FIREFIGHTER FIREFIGHTING, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
YOU SEE IN THE PICTURE, THERE'S A NUMBER
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OF PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT THEY USE.THERE'S BREATHING APPARATUS, HELMET, A MASK, A TURNOUT JACKET, GLOVES, TURN OUT PANTS.
AND WE USE THESE WHEN WE FIGHT A FIRE AND WE GO INTO A FIRE.
THOSE THINGS GET DIRTY AND BECOME FULL OF CANCEROUS CHEMICALS THAT OFF GAS, A FIREFIGHTER SHOULD TAKE THOSE OFF AND STORE THEM TO BE CLEANED FOR FURTHER YEARS IN THE WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE CURRENTLY HAVE MUCH OF OUR WORKFORCES TURNOUTS ARE OVER THE LIMIT OF THE STANDARDS, WHICH IS 10 YEARS.
MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE ONE FIREFIGHTER THAT HAS FIRST SET.
THE BLACK SET ON THE LEFT IS 11 YEARS OLD.
THAT IS HIS FIRST SET THAT HE WOULD USE.
IF YOU WAS TO RESPOND TO A FIRE.
THE SECOND SET ON THE RIGHT, THE YELLOW SET IS 17 YEARS OLD, AND THAT WOULD BE THIS FIREFIGHTERS BACKUP SET.
IF THE FIRST ONE GOT DIRTY, THE FIRST THAT HE WAS ISSUED WHEN HE GOT HIRED MANY YEARS AGO, AND IT WAS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WAS DONATED TO THE WEST, GIVING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FROM ORANGE COUNTY FIRE FLIRTY, AND IT STILL SAYS ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY ON THE BACK.
THESE ARE THE CHOICES, AND THIS IS A REGULAR PROBLEMS IN THE WESTERN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS HAD CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
FOR MANY YEARS, WE LOOKED AT SOME COMPARISON TO OTHER LOCAL CITIES.
AND IN THIS SLIDE, THE TOP CHART SHOWS CITIES THAT HAVE EXTRA REVENUE SOURCE, AN INCREASED SALES TAX, A USER'S UTILITY TAX, A SEWER, A TRASH TAX.
WE LOOKED AT THAT THERE'S ONLY THREE, TWO OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE BOTH FIRE AND POLICE THAT ARE LOCAL SERVICES.
WE ALSO HAVE THE PALLETS VERDI'S, WHICH CONTRACTS IS WITH LA COUNTY AND THEY ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE IDENTIFIED THAT THE COST PER CAPITA, THAT THE CITY PAYS FOR THEIR FIRE SERVICE.
AND THOSE OTHER THREE CITIES ARE MUCH MORE THAN WEST CAZINA.
MATTER OF FACT, ON THE RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COST PER CAPITA NATIONALLY IS $348 IN CALIFORNIA.
AND AS STATED, WEST COVINA IS $192 AND 92 CENTS CONTINUING IN THE BOTTOM.
AND THE BOTTOM GRAPH, WE IDENTIFIED CITIES THAT HAVE BOTH FIRE AND POLICE SERVICE THAT ARE LOCALLY.
WE LOOKED AT THAT THESE OTHER CITIES HAVE THE SAME OR NEAR POPULATION OF WEST COVINA, AND THEY DEFINITELY OUTRANK US.
AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY SPEND FOR THEIR FIRE SERVICE, AS WELL AS HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS THEY HAVE FOR POPULATION.
THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS ONE FIREFIGHTER FOR EVERY THOUSAND FIREFIGHTERS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE WEST COVINA FORCE IS ONE FIREFIGHTER FOR 1,541 FIRE PERSON POP POPULATION.
SO AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO DISCUSS THE THREE MODELS.
AND THE FIRST MODEL IS THE BROWNOUT MODEL.
AND WHILE DISCUSSING THIS, I'M GONNA DISCUSS THAT HOW MANY STATIONS W HOW'S STATION WILL BE DETERMINED TO BE BOUND OUT THE EFFECT ON THE SERVICE, THE SHIFTS THAT ARE AFFECTED HOW MUTUAL AID IS RELATED TO A MODEL AND THE EFFECT ON OVERTIME, THE ORGANIZATION BY USE OF BROWNOUT MODEL WITHOUT OVERTIME USE THIS MODEL MEANS THAT WHEN SOMEBODY HAS A DAY OFF AND VACATION DAY, THEY'RE SICK, MAYBE THEY'RE ON A LEAVE OF ABSENCE FOR AN INJURY OR OF SOME TYPE THAT WE WOULD NOT BACK FILL THAT POSITION.
WE ONLY FEEL A TOTAL OF 22 PERSONS ON DAY ON A DAY TO FILL ALL OUR APPARATUS.
WE HAVE THEM ALL READILY AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY AND ALL RESPONSES.
THIS MODEL WOULD SAY THAT IF ONE PERSON CALLS OFF SICK OR IS ON VACATION OR ANY LEAVE, WE WILL NOT REFILL THAT SPOT WITH ANOTHER MEMBER FROM ANOTHER, ANOTHER SHIFT ON OVERTIME THAT IN FACT WOULD SHUT DOWN THAT APPARATUS AND THE OTHER MEMBERS MOVE TO ANOTHER LOCATION.
HENCE BROWNING OUT THAT FIRE STATION FOR THAT DAY, WE WOULD DETERMINE IN ORDER OF WHICH STATIONS WERE BROWNOUT BY THE LEAST BUSIEST STATIONS, AND THEN MOVE UP THE STATION.
WE HAVE FOUND OUT DURING THIS TIME THAT THE LEAVE OCCURS, USUALLY THE WHOLE SHIFT, 24 HOURS, THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR MULTIPLE UNITS BROWNED OUT DURING ANY ONE DAY.
IF WE HAD TWO CAPTAINS THAT WERE SICK OR TWO ENGINEERS, I WOULD SICK OR ON VACATION, THEN THAT WOULD BE TWO DIFFERENT APPARATUS.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE SHUT DOWN AND THE OTHER MEMBERS WOULD BE MOVED TO OTHER LOCATIONS.
IN FACT, BROWNING OUT MORE THAN ONE STATION, AS YOU CAN SEE IN WEST COVINA, WE HAVE FIVE FIRE DISTRICTS.
THE BLUE DISTRICT IS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN DISTRICT ONE IS, UH, THE BLUE DISTRICT
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STATION TWO IS THE GREEN DISTRICT.STATION THREE WOULD BE THE RED DISTRICT STATION FOUR, THE PURPLE AND FIVE BEING THE ORANGE DISTRICT.
SO AS YOU STAY IN THE BROWN AD MODEL, IF A CAPTAIN ON ANY OF THE STATIONS WERE GONE, WE WOULD TAKE FROM STATION FIVE FIRST.
AND WE WOULD BACKFILL THE SPOT.
THAT'S EMPTY WITH THE CAPTAIN ON STATION FIVE, THE STATION 5:00 PM, OUR RELATIVELY SLOW STATION AND THE OTHER MEMBERS, THE ENGINEER AND FIREFIGHTER WOULD MOVE AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ON THE OTHER UNITS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF A PATIENT, ONCE ENGINEER CALLED IN SICK AND STATION, TWO'S ENGINEER WOULD CALL IN SICK.
WE WOULD MOVE ONE ENGINEER FROM STATION FIVE, AND THEN WE PROBABLY WOULD SHUT DOWN STATION THREE AND MOVE THE ENGINEER STATION TWO AND MOVE THE OTHER PERSONNEL TO OTHER APPARATUS AND SHUT DOWN STATION THREE AND FIVE.
WITH THIS, THERE WOULD BE NO RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO CALLS FOR SERVICE.
IF THEY'RE SHUT DOWN, BEING OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND NOT HAVING A REGIONAL CROWS DELAY IN RESPONSE TIMES WOULD OCCUR BECAUSE STATION WOULD HAVE TO GO TO OTHER AREAS THAT ARE FARTHER OUT OF THEIR DISTRICT.
IF THERE WAS A FIRE, ANY OF THESE DISTRICTS THAT ARE BROWNED OUT, THE FIRE WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GET MUCH LARGER AND MOVE BEYOND.
IT'S CAPABLE OF BEING MITIGATED.
AS SMALL MEDICAL PATIENTS WOULD NOT GET TREATED, AND IT WOULD BE A DELAY IN TRANSPORT.
HOW DID IT CAUSE WOULD CAUSE INCREASED DESTRUCTION? IF WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND PERSONNEL TO KEEP, KEEP PEOPLE FROM GETTING HURT, THE POTENTIAL FOR MUTUAL AID WOULD BE DELAYED DUE TO CALL LAG AND INCREASE REQUESTS CANNOT BE FILLED.
THE MORE AND MORE CALLS WE HAVE AND THE MORE REQUESTS FOR MUTUAL AID, OUR NEIGHBORING AGENCIES CANNOT COME AND HELP, WHICH WE WOULD CALL UPON LA COUNTY FIRE AND LAVERNE FIRE, WHICH IS OUR LOCAL AREA, B MUTUAL AID PARTNERS.
THEY ARE NOT THERE TO USE, USE THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND WHEN OUR UNITS ARE BUSY, LIABILITY CLAIMS COULD, COULD BE INCREASED TO THE CITY AS WELL.
THE PROS OF THIS IS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET WILL NOT BE SPENT ON OVERTIME SINCE WE HAVE A CASH FLOW PROBLEM STARTING DAY ONE IN THE FISCAL YEAR AND CLOSELY WATCHING TO SEE IF WE CAN BACKFILL.
WE MAY START BACKFILLING AS WE HAVE BUDGETED A SMALL AMOUNT OF OVERTIME.
AND AGAIN, THIS DOES NOT FIX THE NEEDS PROBLEM, THE RESOURCE PROBLEM, OR THE RESPONSE PROBLEMS. SO THE BALLOT MODEL DOES NOT MONITOR THAT THIS MODEL WILL CAUSE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS THAT ARE RESIDENTS AND IS A DANGER TO FIREFIGHTERS.
THIS MODEL IS NOT VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR A MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THE NEXT MODEL IS A PRIVATE AMBULANCE TRANSPORT MODEL.
ON THIS MODEL, WE'LL DISCUSS HOW 30 LAYOFFS WOULD TAKE PLACE, HOW WE WOULD MOVE 18 MEDICS SITUATIONS REGARDING BIDDING AND LA KAYLEE LA COUNTY DHS.
UM, THERE WAS LA COUNTY DHS RESPONSE AREAS AND WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE, AND WHAT SERVICES WOULD BE PROVIDED BY CARE IN THIS MODEL, THE ORGANIZATION BY ELIMINATION OF TWO FIRE ENGINES AND THREE PARAMEDIC RESCUE ILLNESSES AND CONTRACT PATIENT TRANSPORT WITH CARE AMBULANCE SERVICE, AND THIS MODEL, WE WOULD TAKE TWO ENGINE COMPANIES WITH THE PERSONNEL.
THEY WILL BE STAFFED WITH FOUR PERSONNEL.
SO WE'D ADD ON FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS ON EACH OF THESE APPARATUS, THE TRUCK COMPANY, WHICH HAS FOUR PERSONNEL WILL REMAIN FOR PERSONNEL.
HOWEVER, BOTH OF THEM WILL BE FIREFIGHTER PARAMEDICS TO, INTO COMPANIES.
THREE PERSONNEL WILL BE ELIMINATED, WHICH IS 12 PERSONNEL BECAUSE SIX WILL BE RETAINED AND MOVE TO THE OTHER APPARATUS.
THE THREE S RESCUE ALEX'S WITH TWO PERSONNEL WILL BE ELIMINATED FOR 1218, AND IT TOLD US 30 PERSONNEL, YOU KNOW, LAID OFF AS STATED THE TOTAL OF 30 LAYOFF.
THE TOTAL DAILY STAFFING WOULD BE 12.
WE NEED 21 FIRE PERSONNEL AS NEEDED TO RESPOND TO A STRUCTURE FIRE.
WE ALSO NEED PERSONNEL BE THERE IN TIME TO HELP THE FIREFIGHTERS DO THEIR JOB AS THE DELAY IN RESPONSES AND NOT GET THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THERE TO AFFECT THE RESCUE.
IF NEEDED CONTRACTING WITH PATIENT TRANSPORT CARE, ALLEN'S INCORPORATED.
THERE'S A FEE FOR SERVICE LEASE MODEL WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THEM PROVIDE THE AMBULANCE SERVICE AND WE WOULD PAY THEM A FEE AND WE WOULD RETAIN OUR BILLING RIGHTS TO THAT AND KEEP ALL PATIENT TRANSPORT FEES.
THE SECOND MODEL IS IT PASSED THROUGH A MODEL WITH CARE AMBULANCE
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TO WHERE THEY WOULD DO EVERYTHING, AND THEY WOULD PAY US EVERYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES, ALLOWABLE CHARGES FOR BASIC LIFE SUPPORT.SO ANY TRANSPORT THAT WE WOULD DO THAT WAS A PERMIT TRANSPORT, OR OUR PARAMEDICS WOULD GO WITH CARE, AMBULANCE AND FOLLOW UP TO THE HOSPITAL, WHICH WOULD MEAN AN ENGINE COMPANY OR THE TRUCK COMING WOULD BE FOLLOWING UP TO THAT HOSPITAL AND NOT BE AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO A CALL.
WE WOULD GET PAID THE DIFFERENCE OF THE BLS AND ALS CALL.
AND AGAIN, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE FIVE STATIONS IN WEST COVINA, WE WOULD HAVE A ENGINE COMPANY WITH FOUR PERSONNEL AT STATION ONE AND ENGINE COMING IN FOUR PERSONNEL AT STATION TWO AND ENGINE COMING AT FOUR PERSONNEL AT STATION FOUR.
AND WE WOULD CLOSING STATION THREE IS INTO COMPANY STATION FIVE AS A COMPANY AND SHUTTING DOWN THE RESCUE TRANSPORT ALLEN'S IS WITH TWO PARAMEDICS ON THEM ON STATION ONE, TWO, AND FOUR, LAYING OFF 30 PERSONNEL, THE PRIVATE AMBULANCE TRANSPORT MODEL.
THERE'LL BE NO RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO CALLS FOR SERVICE.
ALL THREE UNITS WITHIN THE CITY COULD BE FOLLOWING UP WITH CARE.
AMBULANCE ON ALS CALLS TO, TO TWO HOSPITALS OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY.
WE REGULARLY TRANSPORT TO POMONA VALLEY IN OUR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, KAISER BALDWIN PARK, AND LA COUNTY USC.
IF THAT WAS THE CASE, THERE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY NO UNITS WITHIN THE CITY TO RESPOND TO ANY CALL FOR SERVICE FOR UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME.
THERE'LL BE A TREMENDOUS DELAY.
IN RESPONSE TIMES FIRES WILL BE LARGER.
MEDICAL PATIENTS WILL NOT GET TREATED.
HAZARD CALLS WILL CAUSE INCREASED DESTRUCTION.
POTENTIAL NEED TO LAY WILL BE DELAYED DUE TO CALL LAG.
AND AN INCREASE REQUESTS CANNOT BE FILLED.
LIABILITY CLAIMS IN THE CITY WILL INCREASE.
THERE'LL BE A LOSS OF PATIENT TRANSPORT REVENUE, AND IT BE DELAYS IN TRANSPORT OF CRITICAL IRRITATIONS PROSE.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BUDGET WILL NOT BE SPENT ON OVERTIME.
OUR RESPONSE NEEDS OUR APPARATUS, OUR APPARATUS NEEDS AND OUR OTHER EQUIPMENT NEEDS.
THIS MODEL WILL COST DATA SITUATIONS THROUGH RESIDENTS AS A DANGER TO FIREFIGHTERS.
THIS MODEL IS NOT VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS MODEL WE WOULD DISCUSS WITH STATIONS ARE ELIMINATED THE EFFECT ON THE SERVICE BY THE COUNTY, THE CITY.
AND WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE COST SAVINGS AND PENSION COSTS AND AN OVERTIME OBLIGATION CONTRACT FEE FOR SERVICE TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, ANNEXATION OF FIRE AND EMS SERVICES, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT WITH REVIT APPARATUS, EQUIPMENT PERSONNEL, TRAINING STATION MAINTENANCE AT FEE FOR SERVICE AGREEMENT.
ALL RISK INCIDENTS WILL HAVE IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY OF THE ENTIRE LOS ANGELES COUNTY RESOURCES.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY ASSUMES ALL LIABILITY FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION AND PREVENTION SERVICES.
ALL OVERTIME COSTS TO BE PAID BY LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
ALL CURRENT WESTERN UNION FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMBERS WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO TRANSITION TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
AS SOON AS ALL FUTURE RETIREMENT COSTS, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1920.
THEY HAVE 175 STATIONS, 3000 FIREFIGHTERS.
THEY RUN 7,000 FIRES PER YEAR AND ROUGHLY 320,000 MEDICAL CALLS.
THEY SERVE 59 CITIES WITHIN THEIR SPIRIT OF INTEREST IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY.
AND IT PROVIDES SERVICE FOR OVER 4 MILLION RESIDENTS.
THEY ARE A CLASS ONE DEPARTMENT THERE.
THEY HAVE A FULLY STAFF HEALTH AND HAZMAT DIVISION.
THEY HAVE FULLY STAFFED, URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE THAT IS READY TO GO AT ALL TIMES AND FULLY STAFF WHILE IN DIVISION AND AIR DIVISION WITH EIGHT HELICOPTERS, SWIFT WATER RESCUE, TEAM PREVENTION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM, THEY SERVICE.
AS WE STATED FIT, AS I STAYED AT 59 CITIES, THE CITIES IN THE RED ARE ONES THAT ARE ADJACENT OR NEAR WEST COVINA.
AND A LOT OF TIMES COUNTY FIRE MODEL, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF FIRE STATIONS THAT SURROUND THE CITY OF WEST COVINA IN THE CITY OF WEST.
COVINA IS A ISLAND AROUND THAT IS SURROUNDED BY LA COUNTY FIRE LA COUNTY FIRE.
IF WE DID THIS MODEL, WE WOULD SHUT DOWN STATION ONE AND STATION FIVE REDISTRICT, ALL LOCATIONS GET RID OF REDUNDANT SERVICE BETWEEN LA COUNTY AND WE'VE DONE THE SERVICE IN WEST COVINA AND WE SHARE AND RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES ALL RISK IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT ANY LAG WITH OUR KNEE, WAIT AN HOUR, WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT FOR ANY OTHER TYPE OF RESOURCES FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS IMMEDIATELY, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A NUMBER OF LA COUNTY FIRE STATIONS THAT ARE A LOT CLOSER TO WEST COVINA AREAS, AS WELL AS SOME AREAS IN LA COUNTY THAT
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WAS GIVING THE STATIONS ARE CLOSER.THE REDISTRICTING WOULD SHARE THE BURDEN, ALL THESE CALLS.
AND AS I STATED, DECREASE THE REDUNDANCY WITH THIS, UM, THE LOS ALAMOS COUNTY FIRE MODEL HERE, I'M GOING TO SHOW WHAT THEY SEND TO DIFFERENT RESPONSES WEST COMING AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE A RESIDENTIAL FIRE.
WE SENT FOUR FIRE ENGINES, ONE TRUCK, ONE ASSISTANT CHIEF, AND TWO RESCUE AMBULANCES LEAVING ONE RESCUE AMBULANCE IN THE CITY.
IF THEY'RE NOT ALREADY ON THEIR CALL IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, THEY SEND FOUR FIRE ENGINES, ONE TRUCK, ONE, UH, ONE EMERGENCY SERVICE TRUCK, PERMANENT SQUAD, AND A BATTALION CHIEF.
IF THE FIRE IS A LITTLE BIT LARGER AND THAT RESIDENTIAL FIRE NEEDS MORE RESOURCES, THE WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN RESPOND THAT LAST RESPITE UNIT, IF IT IS AVAILABLE.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON THE AVAILABILITY OF OTHER SURROUNDING AGENCIES BY CALLING THEM ON THE PHONE AND OUR DISPATCH CENTER, A SECOND ALARM AS WE CALL IT.
WHEN WE ASK FOR OTHER RESOURCES AND THE COUNTY WOULD IMMEDIATELY HAVE THREE ENGINES, A TRUCK COMPANY HAS A MATERIALS, TASK FORCE, URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK FORCE, A LIGHTENED AIR UNIT, BATTALION CHIEF.
THOSE ARE TEAMS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, SUPPORT UNITS THAT ARE AUTOMATICALLY PART OF THE PACKAGE INCOME IMMEDIATELY.
IF WE HAVE A WILD LAND INCIDENT, SEE WHAT'S CONVENIENT CAN SEND FOUR ENGINES, ONE TRUCK AND ASSISTANT CHIEF, AND TWO RESCUES.
IF WE HAVE A WILDLAND INCIDENT LA COUNTY CONSENT, AS YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF RESOURCES THAT THE LESCHI AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DO NOT HAVE, INCLUDING HELICOPTERS, THE SUPER SCOOPERS AND AIRCRAFT, THEY WOULD COME IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT ANY LAG TIME.
IF THIS WHILE ON FIRE IS LARGE, AS STATED EARLIER, THE WESTERN UNION FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS ONE RESCUE AMBULANCE TO COME ON THEIR SECOND ALARM AND WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON AVAILABILITY OF OTHER SURROUNDING AGENCIES.
A SECOND ALARM BOD LAND WOULD AUTOMATICALLY RESPOND A NUMBER OF UNITS IMMEDIATELY WITH NO LAG TIME TO HELP MITIGATE THE EMERGENCY SAVE LIVES AND PROPERTY IT COMMERCIAL FIRE WEST CONVENIENT HAS A NUMBER OF STRIP MALLS, LARGE TILT-UP MALLS AND MANY LOCATIONS WHERE A COMMERCIAL FIRE CAN TAKE PLACE.
AND JUST LIKE THE FIRST TWO WEST COVINA SENSE, FOUR FIRE ENGINES, ONE TRUCK, ONE ASSISTANT CHIEF TWO RESCUES LA COUNTY ON A COMMERCIAL FIRE WITHIN FIVE FIRE ENGINES, TWO TRUCKS, ONE PERMIT SQUAD, AN EST, AND A BATTALION TWO BATTALION CHIEFS.
AND AGAIN, THE SECOND ALARM WOULD HAVE ONE RESCUE AVAILABLE FROM WEST COVINA AND DEPENDING ON AVAILABILITY, SURROUNDED AGENCIES AND A SECOND ALARM AGAIN HAS A NUMBER OF RESOURCES READILY AVAILABLE WITH NO LAG TIME TO ASSIST IN MITIGATING NUMBERS TO SEE.
SO THE PROS AND CONS OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE MODEL, THE ONLY CON LIST THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE, WE'D HAVE TO BE DISBANDED CITY OF WEST COVINA, THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND WE WOULD NO LONGER HAVE OUR OWN LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
HOWEVER, THE PROS WOULD DECREASE REDUNDANT SERVICE, ENHANCED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF WEST COVINA.
THERE'LL BE INCREASED SERVICE DEPLOYMENT FOR LESS COSTS, INCREASED AVAILABLE RESOURCES WITHOUT ANY DELAY, INDIRECT COSTS AND CITY BUDGET FOR FIRE SERVICES ELIMINATED, THERE'LL BE NO FURTHER INCREASE OF UNFUNDED LIABILITY COSTS.
POTENTIAL SAVINGS CITY BUDGET IS APPROXIMATELY $50 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS.
AND THIS WOULD ALSO WOULD ELIMINATE THE $27 MILLION NEEDED TO BRING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT UP TO MINIMUM STANDARDS.
ELIMINATED ALSO NOT STATED HERE IS LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT COMES AUTOMATICALLY WITH WHAT IS A TIER DISPATCHING FOR MEDICAL RESPONSES TO WHERE THEY WOULD SEND THE APPROPRIATE UNITS FROM THE DISPATCH CENTER.
SOMETHING WEST CONVENIENT DOES NOT PROVIDE.
HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF 10 YEARS OF WEST COVINA VERSUS LOS ANGELES COUNTY, THE PROPOSED 2021 WEST COVINA BUDGET AND THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT WITH LA COUNTY FIRE $17 MILLION.
AND WE MARCHED THAT OUT OVER 10 YEARS WITH A 3% ANNUAL INCREASE FOR WEST COVINA AND A 4% POTENTIAL INCREASE FOR WEST COVINA.
IT SHOULD NOTE THAT IN MANY OF THE CITIES AROUND 4% IS NOT THE ANNUAL INCREASE.
IT COULD BE MANY CITIES HAVE LESS THAN 1% INCREASE IN LA COUNTY.
IT SHOWS WHAT OUR BUDGET SHOULD BE.
IF WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL BE $23 MILLION IN THE FIRST YEAR.
IF YOU COME DOWN TO YEAR 10 FISCAL YEAR 29 30, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE SPENDING $26 MILLION OF THEIR OWN BUDGET BUDGET AND HAVE A $24 MILLION AGREEMENT
[00:55:01]
COSTS WITH LA COUNTY FIRE.AND WE NEED $32 MILLION AT THIS, AT THIS BUDGET.
NO, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT BAILEY COUNTY FIRE FIXES OUR NEEDS.
IT INCREASES OUR RESOURCES AND IT FIXES OUR REPAIRS THAT WE NEED IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
AND ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS CAPELLI YES.
THIS GOES BACK TO A COLOR THAT I WAS IN EARLIER.
CAN YOU VERIFY, OR DO YOU KNOW, I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, HOW MANY FIRE CALLS THAT WE DO HAVE CURRENTLY RECORDED? I DON'T KNOW, OFFHAND.
I JUST KNOW FOR THE NUMBER FOR 2019 FOR FIRE-RELATED REQUESTS WAS THAT THEY WAS FIRE-RELATED TOO.
NOW WE HAVE MORE CALLS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED AS FIRE-RELATED CALLS, BUT ENDED UP NOT BEING A FIRE THERE AT SOME SORT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MITIGATE.
AND IN LISTENING TO QUITE A FEW OF THE CALLERS THAT CALLED IN, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO VERIFY SOMETHING MANY OF THEM STATED THAT FIRE STATION OR HAS BEEN CLOSED.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT PLEASE? FIRE STATION NUMBER FOUR CURRENTLY IS NOT CLOSED.
WE SHUT DOWN AND BROWNED OUT PERMANENTLY ENGINE NUMBER FOUR, AND WE MOVED OUR TRUCK COMPANY TO THAT LOCATION AND IT HAS WATER AND HOSE ON IT TO WHICH IT'S ABLE TO RESPOND AS A FIRE ENGINE.
HOWEVER, IF WE HAVE A FIRE, IT ALSO HAS TO DOUBLE AS THE TRUCK COMPANY FOR THE CITY'S RESOURCES.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION IN REFERENCE TO THE CONTRACT WITH LA COUNTY.
HAVE YOU, HAS IT BEEN DISCUSSED AS FAR AS WHAT TYPE OF A TERM OR LIMIT OF THE CONTRACT BEFORE IT'S RENEGOTIATED? THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
IF I COULD SPEAK TO THAT, THE JOINING OF THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT WOULD REQUIRE A NUMBER OF STEPS FOR THAT TRANSITIONING TO A FEE FOR SERVICE MODEL AND ANNEXATION INTO THE DISTRICT.
UM, CITY WOULD HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF PENSION TRANSITIONS OF ANNUAL COST INCREASE CAPS OF THE NEED FOR CAPITAL REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR TO GET, UH, FACILITIES, UM, UP TO THE STANDARD OF THE LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH REGARD TO THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT, THE FEE FOR SERVICE MODEL THAT THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT USES COMES WITH A INITIAL 10 YEAR TERM.
AND THAT CONTRACT PROVIDES FOR COST INCREASES IN LINE WITH CPI, TYPICALLY COST TO PROVIDE FIRE SERVICES INCREASES ANNUALLY.
THIS IS NO DIFFERENT FOR THE FEE FOR SERVICE MODEL, UM, OR FOR A CITY THAT RUNS ITS OWN MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO IN THE CONTRACT, THEY ADDRESS THIS QUESTION OF TIME TERM AND CAPS ON THE ANNUAL PAYMENT CAPS.
THE INTENTION IS THAT OF THE 58 OR 59 CITIES THAT CONTRACT WITHIN THE COUNTY FOR THIS, THERE WOULD BE UNIFORMITY ACROSS ALL THOSE CONTRACTS AND THE CONTRACT THAT THEY'VE PRESENTED TO ALL THE CITIES.
THERE'S ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX CITIES.
NOW, CONSIDERING THIS MOVE LAVERNE, MANHATTAN REDONDO BEACH, THEY GAVE ME OVER IN WEST COVINA.
ALL THE CITIES GET TREATED THE SAME, BUT THEIR INTENTION IN THE CONTRACT WOULD BE THAT THERE'D BE A 4% PAYMENT CAP IN PLACE FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS.
IT WOULD ONLY APPLY TO THE CITY'S ANNUAL FEE PAYMENT, WHICH IS SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND OVERHEAD COSTS.
IT WOULD NOT APPLY TO ANY ADDITIONAL COSTS FOR THE THINGS I MENTIONED, WHICH WOULD BE CONVERSION COSTS OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN IN THE SIXTH YEAR OF THE AGREEMENT, THE PAYMENT CAP BECOMES AN AVERAGE OF THE PRECEDING FOUR YEARS AGREEMENT, BUT THAT THE CONTRACT ITSELF IS, IS UNIFORM ACROSS THE ENTIRE
[01:00:01]
CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.HAS THE COUNTY ALREADY PROVIDED A BED OTHER THAN COST YET COUNTY? THIS IS AGAIN, THIS IS DAVE CARMEN, THE CITY MANAGER, THE COUNTY HAS PROVIDED, UM, AN INITIAL COST INDICATION FOR WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO WEST COVINA.
UM, WHAT WE STILL DON'T HAVE QUITE YET IS THE COST OF THE CONVERSIONS.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING QUITE DILIGENTLY AND QUITE RAPIDLY ASSESSING EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND EVERY STATION.
WHAT'S THE CONDITION OF THE ROOF.
WHAT'S THE CONDITION OF THE PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
WHAT'S THE CONDITION OF THE PUMPER ENGINES AND THE LADDER TRUCK, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND THAT NUMBER, UM, WE DON'T KNOW YET WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, BUT WE'RE EXPECTING IT WILL BE, UM, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE NOT TO THE STANDARDS OF, OF THE COUNTY CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
THEY'VE ALSO INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO CROSS WALK THAT CONVERSION OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW YET WHAT IT IS, IF IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS AND THEY CROSSWALKED IT OVER THREE FISCAL YEARS, WE'D HAVE TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL ABOUT $300,000 A YEAR.
UM, AND I, I HESITATE TO SPECULATE BECAUSE, UM, WE NEED A CERTAIN NUMBER FROM THEM BEFORE I CAN ANSWER THAT COMPLETELY AND FULLY.
WHAT ABOUT PENSION TRANSITION AGAIN? THIS IS DAVE CARMONEY CITY MANAGER, UM, PENSION LIABILITY.
WE ALL KNOW MAKES UP A LARGE PORTION OF A, OF A CITY'S BUDGET AND ANY PUBLIC AGENCY'S BUDGET AND THE UNFUNDED LIABILITIES OF PENSION.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST STRESSORS ON A, ON A PUBLIC AGENCIES, FINANCIAL DECISIONS, UM, IN THE, IN THE CONTEXT OF ANNEX INTO THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, UH, SWORN CITY EMPLOYEE, ONE OF OUR SWORN FIREFIGHTERS TRANSFERRING TO THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT WOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF THE COUNTY SYSTEM, LOS ANGELES COUNTY EMPLOYEES, RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION LIST, SARAH, LITERALLY ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH, FOLLOWING THE TRANSFER OF THEIR SERVICE TO THE, TO THE DISTRICT.
UM, THEY'VE INDICATED INITIALLY THAT THEY WOULD TRANSFER ALL OF OUR, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES, THAT EMPLOYEE WOULD LEAVE HIS OR HER RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTIONS ON DEPOSIT WITH CALPERS AND THEN ESTABLISH RECIPROCITY WITH MASERA.
THE RECIPROCITY WOULD ALLOW A PERSON TO MOVE FROM ONE RETIREMENT SYSTEM TO THE OTHER, THAT THE RETIREMENT LIABILITY THAT HAD BEEN ACCRUED BY THE CITY EMPLOYEE DURING THEIR TIME AS A CITY EMPLOYEE WOULD REMAIN AS A CITY LIABILITY.
IT WOULD NOT BE TRANSFERRED OVER TO THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, BUT THAT THE DISTRICT WOULD THEN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE, THEIR NEW EMPLOYEE FOR THE TIME THAT PERSON REMAINS UNDER THEIR EMPLOYMENT.
WE RECENTLY ENTERED A PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS.
MY QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE FUNDS THAT WE JUST TRANSFERRED OVER? IS THAT TRANSFERRED ALSO, OR IS THE CITY OF WEST COVINA SO RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE PAYMENTS? IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY AND VALIDATE, OKAY, COLLEEN, THIS IS ROBIN BYRD FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UM, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, WE HAVE AN ISSUE OF THE PENSION OBLIGATION BONDS AS OF YET.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
UM, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES SINCE COVID-19 WITH THE COURTS BEING CLOSED AND HAS DELAYED SOME OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT IS WHEN WE ISSUE THOSE BONDS, THAT MONEY GETS ISSUED TO CALPERS, AND THEN WE MAKE INTEREST IN PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS ON THOSE BONDS FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME, UM, THAT THEY ARE AMORTIZING IT AT CA CALPERS CURRENTLY.
UM, I FORGET THE OTHER PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
SO HAVING SAID THAT ROBIN, WOULD IT BE BETTER NOT TO GO FORWARD IF THE LA COUNTY FIRE FIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ON THE TABLE AND I'M, I'M GUESSING I'M READING BETWEEN THE LINES THAT IF WE DID A PENSION OBLIGATION BOND, THEN WE MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE PAYMENTS.
THIS IS A QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW, WOULD IT BE BETTER NOT TO DO THAT? I DON'T THINK SO.
UM, WE OWE THOSE OBLIGATIONS AS OF TODAY
[01:05:01]
WHATEVER'S ACCRUED AND GOING FORWARD AS LONG AS THERE ARE OUR EMPLOYEES.SO WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IS ISSUING THOSE BONDS.
AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, IT'S AT A LOWER INTEREST RATE, SO IT WOULD BE SAVINGS TO THE CITY.
I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR PRECISE ISSUE.
IF I COULD PLEASE, FOR A MOMENT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, WE ARE ON THE HOOK FOR THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY FOR THE PENSIONS BOND WAS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT WE GO TO THE COUNTY OR NOT, WE HAVE TO PAY THAT.
UH, IT DOESN'T THE COUNTY TRANSACTION DOESN'T CHANGE IT AT ALL.
THAT'S RIGHT, JIM, I TH I THINK THAT, UM, WHAT I JUST ALLUDED TO, IF I WASN'T CLEAR, I APOLOGIZE.
I WAS JUST HOPING MAYBE THEY WOULD TAKE IT ALL WISHFUL THINKING.
SO THERE WAS A COMMENT FROM ONE OF THE CALLERS ASKING ABOUT, AND MAYBE CHASE, YOU WENT OVER THIS, I APOLOGIZE.
OR DAVE, UM, THE STATUS OF THE FIREFIGHTERS.
I HAVE HEARD THAT WHEN YOU GO TO COUNTY, CORRECT ME, IF I'M WRONG, THAT THIS PARTICULAR OFFER IS OFFERING TO TAKE ALL THE FIREFIGHTERS THAT WANTED TO GO, IS THAT CORRECT? GIVE GETTING A FIRE CHIEF VINCENT CAPELLI.
ALL FIREFIGHTERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO GO AGAIN OFF OF SMELLY COUNTY TO GO TO TRANSLOAD TO THAT LOCATION.
SO THERE WOULD BE MINIMAL LOSS OF JOBS TO OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
OUR FIREFIGHTERS WOULD NOT HAVE ANY LOSS OF JOBS EVEN BETTER.
UM, IF I COULD EXPAND ON THAT JUST BRIEFLY, AGAIN, THIS IS DAVE CARMEN CITY MANAGER, THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST OR THE LARGEST FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND THE REASON THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE ON ALL OF THE FIREFIGHTERS IS THAT THEY CURRENTLY PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE ENTIRE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES AND 58 CITIES IN THE COUNTY.
AND THEN THERE'S ONE CITY IN ORANGE COUNTY AS WELL, GIVEN THEIR SIZE AND THEIR NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
AND THEY'VE GOT AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF NORTH OF 1.2 BILLION.
THEY EMPLOY ABOUT 4,300 PEOPLE.
UM, AN ORGANIZATION THAT SIZE HAS NEED OF FIREFIGHTERS AND, AND DOES CONTINUOUS RECRUITMENT.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE PUT FORWARD WITH RESPECT TO WEST COVINA IS THAT THEY COULD PUT THOSE PEOPLE, UM, TO USE.
THERE WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE SOME TRANSITION ISSUES IN TERMS OF BACKGROUNDING AND TRAINING TO THE COUNTY SYSTEM.
UM, WE, WE BELIEVE OUR MEMBERS OF OUR DEPARTMENT WOULD ALL BE ABLE TO BECOME EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S ANOTHER CHARACTER, GLORIA.
I HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST SAID, DAVE.
I ACTUALLY PERSONALLY WENT THROUGH SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT WITH THE COUNTY SHERIFFS WHERE I WAS EMPLOYED AND IT WAS NOT TRUE IN OUR CASE THAT EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE, UH, WAS ULTIMATELY ACCEPTED BY THE COUNTY.
UH, THEY HAD ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES DUE TO, UH, THEIR, THEIR REVIEW AND THEY IN EFFECT WERE TERMINATED BY THE SHERIFFS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN ABSOLUTE IS MY POINT.
UH, I THINK IT CERTAINLY THAT MO MOSTLY TRUE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
UM, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE CHAIR, THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, UM, MR. GOODRICH, I BELIEVE YOU'RE CORRECT.
UM, THE COUNTY HAS ITS OWN STANDARDS AND IS, UH, OBVIOUSLY AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY.
UM, THEY WOULD NEED THE BACKGROUND, ANYONE THAT COMES TO WORK FOR THEM, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE, UM, OF THOSE ISSUES.
THEY HAVE A FITNESS FOR DUTY STANDARDS.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN DIRECT CONVERSATION WITH THE LA COUNTY FIRE CHIEF AND, UM, I'M NOT ABEL, NOR IS HE TO GIVE AN ABSOLUTE PROMISE OF A JOB TO ANYONE WHO'S A MEMBER OF ANY ONE OF THE SIX CITIES THAT IS NOW CONSIDERING A FEE FOR SERVICE CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY.
BUT CERTAINLY IT WOULD BE HIS DESIRE TO BRING ON ALL OF THOSE THAT MEET THEIR STANDARDS.
I WANTED TO PIGGYBACK OFF THIS TOPIC RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO LET'S SAY THIS MODEL IS CHOSEN WHERE ESSENTIALLY TERMINATING
[01:10:01]
THEM, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT WOULD NO LONGER BE CITY OF WEST COVINA EMPLOYEES.HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT OUR CASHFLOW HAVING TO PAY OUT ALL THOSE LAST CHECKS? ONCE THROUGH THE CHAIR, I'M GOING TO ASK OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR TO SPEAK TO THAT ONE.
THIS IS ROBIN BERG FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UM, WE DID LOOK AT, UM, THOSE CASH OUTS AND ALTHOUGH, UM, I'M, I'M NOT POSITIVE HOW ALL OF THIS WORKS, BUT IT WOULD BE AROUND, UM, PAYING OUT ALL OF THEIR ACCRUE ACCRUALS FOR VACATION AND, UM, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE COMPENSABLE, I BELIEVE IT'S AROUND $400,000 THROUGH THE CHAIR.
I THINK THE FIRE CHIEF WOULD LIKE TO, UM, EXPAND ON THAT ANSWER.
THE BASIC PREMISE HERE IS THAT WE WOULD BE CONCLUDING THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE PEOPLE AS CITY OF WEST COVINA EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN THEY WOULD TRANSITION IN, BUT CHIEF, IF YOU'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS, PLEASE, PLEASE SPEAK TO IT.
NOW ON THE TRANSFER OF THE EMPLOYEES, UM, ON MANY OF THE TRANSFERS OF EMPLOYEES OF, UH, THE PAST TRANSITIONS OR ANNEXATIONS, THE EMPLOYEES THAT MAY HAVE NOT GONE OVER THOSE AHEAD, GROSSLY BACKGROUND PROBLEMS OR THOSE THAT HAD MEDICAL ISSUES THAT WERE SOMETIMES FOUND DURING A SMALL MEDICAL EXAM THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
AND, UH, IN SOME CASES ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO INCREASE THE SAVED THE LIFE OF THE EMPLOYEE.
CAUSE THEY FOUND ISSUES LIKE CANCER THAT DID NOT EXIST THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FOUND PRIOR TO THAT.
BUT, UH, TRADITIONALLY EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE WILL GET, WILL TRANSFER OVER.
AND SECONDLY, AND ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT, I BELIEVE SOME OF THE BENEFITS WILL HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED LA COUNTY.
SO THE EMPLOYEE IS LOOKING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE BENEFITS, UH, VACATION LEAVE AT LA COUNTY.
I AM THE VICE CHAIR OF THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR CHIEF CAPELLI OR THE CERTAIN MANAGER.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THE ERIC COUNTY FIRE MODEL IS SO MUCH, OBVIOUSLY BETTER THAN THE OTHER TWO OPTIONS.
WHY HAVEN'T WE CONSIDER ADOPTING THAT MODEL IN THE PAST? THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, I'M GOING TO THROUGH THE CHAIR ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THAT TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
I THINK, UM, THEN THE ANSWER TO THAT IS THAT THE, THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS CURRENT PANDEMIC, ONE OF THEM IS THAT IT IS BROUGHT INTO SHARP, CLEAR, CRISP FOCUS, THE NEED FOR THE CITY TO LOOK AT OPTIONS AND SERVICE PROVISION, UM, NOT JUST IN FIRE SERVICE, BUT IN EVERYTHING WE DO WELL, I'LL TAKE A SMALL AND INNOCUOUS UNRELATED EXAMPLE.
WE JUST PUT OUT THE, DID THE TREE TRIMMING FOR THE CITY.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO KEEP ON A FIVE YEAR CYCLE ON A PREVENTATIVE BASIS.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE WE REDID IT AND WE TRANSITIONED IT TO AN EIGHT YEAR CYCLE INSTEAD OF A FIVE CAN WE ONLY CHASE BROKEN LIMBS? WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS WITH RESPECT TO ANIMAL CONTROL? WE WENT TO, UM, INLAND INLAND VALLEY, UM, HUMANE SOCIETY.
AND WE WANTED TO TRY AND, UM, GET A BETTER PRICE AND GET BETTER SERVICE THAN WE WERE GETTING FROM LA COUNTY.
SUDDENLY WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND DOING ANOTHER COMPARISON THERE, UH, WITH RESPECT TO EVERY SINGLE SERVICE WE'RE DOING, WE'RE SUDDENLY EXPLORING IDEAS THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE EXPLORED YEARS AGO THAT MAKE GOOD BUSINESS SENSE AND ENABLE US TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS AND AVOID WHAT, WHAT COULD BE A COLLAPSE OF GOVERNMENT IN ANY ONE OF THESE AREAS.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO POLICE SERVICES, WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS NOW WITH SOME OF OUR NEARBY CITIES, UM, MAKE SENSE FOR EVERY SINGLE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THIS AREA AND RUN ITS OWN INDEPENDENT JAIL.
CAUSE IT MAKES SENSE FOR EVERY LITTLE CITY IN THIS AREA TO RUN ITS OWN DISPATCH CENTER AND DISPATCH ITS OWN CALLS, OR CAN WE ACHIEVE SOME ECONOMIES BY WORKING TOGETHER AND BY WORKING REGIONALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF THINGS ALL AT ONCE.
AND CERTAINLY THIS IS ONE OF THOSE, I DON'T KNOW HISTORICALLY WHY THE CITY DIDN'T DO IT.
I KNOW THERE WAS, UM, A LOT OF LOVE AND REMAINS A LOT OF DEEP RESPECT FOR THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S ABOUT THE DOLLARS OF IT ALL IN THIS MOMENT THAT I THINK IS FORCING US TO LOOK AT OPTIONS IN THE PROVISION OF SERVICES.
[01:15:01]
YOU, CITY MANAGER.THIS IS TYPICALLY, AND AGAIN, AND I APOLOGIZE IF I CUT OFF AND HAVE THE SPEAKER EARLIER, I JUST HAVE TWO MINUTES, TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AND THE LATE 1990S, THIS WAS ACTUALLY PUT TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA TO MOVE TO COUNTY AND THE VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED IT DOWN AND WANTED TO KEEP OUR OWN DEPARTMENT ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.
NOW, UH, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE WITH LA COUNTY THAT SHOWED IT WAS GOING TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN MAINTAINING OUR OWN SERVICES.
AND SO THE REASON IT HASN'T CHANGED IS BECAUSE IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN MORE EXPENSIVE TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY, WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR OWN DEPARTMENT.
UH, I JUST HAVE TWO MORE QUICK QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, WHEN THE CHIEF KIMBERLY WAS TALKING ABOUT HOW WE MAY BE SAVING $50 MILLION OVER A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS IN THE FUTURE, UH, I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW IS THAT NUMBER CALCULATED? IS THAT SOMETHING VERIFY OR CONFIRM THE BUY AND OTHER PROPERTY? UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, UH, COULD THERE BE ANY POTENTIAL SURPRISES? THE 50 MILLION SAVINGS MAY NOT, MAY NOT COME ABOUT.
THIS IS FIRE CHIEF VINCE CAPELLI.
THE $50 MILLION ESTIMATE CAME, CAME THROUGH THE SAYING THAT THERE'S ROUGHLY, UM, FROM WHAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO SPEND AT THIS TIME IS ROUGHLY $6 MILLION LESS THAN WHAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING BY GOING TO ELLIOT COUNTY COMPOUND THAT OVER 10 YEARS WITH THE, UM, UH, COST INCREASE PER YEAR.
UH, THE ROUGH ROUGH ROUGH ESTIMATE IS SOMEWHERE AROUND $50 MILLION THAT WOULD NOT BE SPENT NORMALLY ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE ALSO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, BUDGET HAS HAD TO HAVE AN INFLUX OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO TAKE OF STATION REPAIRS, APPARATUS PURCHASE, UM, PAY FOR OVERTIME FOR PERSONNEL, UH, STAFFING ISSUES, RETENTION ISSUES.
AND SO THOSE THINGS COME UP EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND THEN THE DEPARTMENT HAS TO SPEND MORE MONEY THAT WASN'T IDENTIFIED HERE.
WE KNOW WILL NO LONGER HAVE THOSE PROBLEMS ANYMORE WITH A SURPRISE ATTACK.
I'M NOT SOME MONEY WOULD HAVE TO BE PUT INTO THE BUDGET.
UH, THIS IS TYPICALLY, AND AGAIN, ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU, LET'S SAY IF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIME, FOR SOME REASON GOES WORSE AFTER WE ADOPT THE ERIC COUNTY FIRE SERVICES MODEL, UH, LESS, UH, RANDOM SCENARIO.
IF WE GET A LITIGATION OR LAWSUIT FROM SOME RESIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE DETERIORATING SURFACE LEVEL IS THE CITY OF MUSCATINE IS STILL GOING TO BE LIABLE FOR THAT OR WHETHER IT BE, UH, WHETHER IT BE THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES THAT WILL BE ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR THE LITIGATION AND LAWSUITS, BECAUSE WE ARE NOT AT THE MODEL.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
I THINK THE INTENTION IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY PROVIDES THAT THE AGREEMENT FOR THE INITIAL TENURE TERM WOULD THEN AUTOMATICALLY BE RENEWED FOR ONE YEAR PERIOD SHOULD EITHER PARTY, UM, DECIDE TO CONCLUDE THAT RELATIONSHIP.
UM, PRIOR TO THE NINTH YEAR OF THE 10 YEAR TERM, THE FIRE DISTRICT OR THE CITY COULD CONCLUDE THAT RELATIONSHIP BY GIVING AT LEAST ONE YEAR'S NOTICE TO THE OTHER SIDE.
UM, I'M NOT REMEMBERING A CITY THAT HAS CONCLUDED THAT RELATIONSHIP ONCE THEY JOINED.
AND SO I DON'T THINK YOU'D GO INTO THIS PLANNING TO FAIL.
THIS IS A VERY GOOD DEPARTMENT AND THEY PROVIDE EXCELLENT SERVICE.
UM, ONE OF THE ISSUES THE CONTRACT CITIES ALWAYS DEAL WITH IS THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE SAY AT THE BARGAINING TABLE.
UM, IN FACT, PERHAPS EVEN THE CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT ITSELF, DOESN'T BECAUSE IT'S HANDLED OUT OF A DIFFERENT COUNTY OFFICE, BUT THERE ARE DEFINITELY IN THE AGREEMENT, UM, ANNUAL COST INCREASED CAPS BUILT IN AS WELL, SO THAT THE CITY HAS THAT CERTAINTY AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT.
I, I'M NOT SURE IF I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE ARE NOT CERTAIN WHETHER WE WILL BE LIABLE FOR LITIGATION OR YOU THINK THAT MOST LIKELY THAN NOT
[01:20:04]
ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT, ANY, UM, LITIGATION THAT TAKES PLACE IN REGARDS TO ANY FIRE EMS SERVICES AT LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES IS FALLS ON THE BACKS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND THE CITY WOULD BE HELD NOT LIABLE FOR ANY OF THAT.ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, DOES AN ANALYSIS OF OUR RESPONSES AND DOES AN ANALYSIS OF THE COVERAGE WITH THE REGIONALIZATION TO WHERE WE REDISTRICT ALL THE LOCATIONS.
AND IT IS NOTED THAT WE CAN REACH ALL LOCATIONS IN THE CITY UNDER THE NECESSARY TIMES AS THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE STANDARDS.
SO THEY ALREADY FEEL THAT THEY CAN MEET IT BY THE CURRENT STANDARDS WELL AND ABOVE.
AND THERE IS A 90%, APPROXIMATELY 90% OF THE FIRE STATIONS LIKE COUNTY CAN EXCUSE ME, RESTATE THAT, THAT 90% OF THE CITIZENS IN WEST COVINA CONCURRENTLY BE SATISFIED WITH THOSE TIMEFRAMES BY THE CURRENT LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT EXIST.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE KEEPING THREE WITHIN WEST COVINA.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING, PUSH IT UP.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK, OR I GUESS IT'S A QUESTION, BUT MAYBE IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT.
THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT THE COUNTY IS GOING TO CHARGE US, UH, TO UPGRADE OUR FACILITIES AND UPGRADE OUR EQUIPMENT AND UPGRADE OUR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND THE CHEAPEST PART OF HIS, UH, UH, SLIDESHOW STATED THAT THAT STUFF IS IN BAD SHAPE.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF MONEY.
AND, AND MY POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE WITH THIS IS, IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO SAVE ANY MONEY THERE, THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE DOING ANYWAY WITH OUR, UH, WHETHER WE HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF THE COUNTY HAS THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I, I I'VE BEEN CONCERNED, UH, FOR YEARS ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE CITY HASN'T TAKEN STEPS TO, UH, UH, MODERNIZE THE EQUIPMENT.
SO, AND THE FACILITIES AND THE, UH, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
SO I, I, I'M JUST, IT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION THAT, UH, THAT THAT'S CASH OUT THE DOOR AND WE SHOULD BE DOING IT ANYWAY.
UH, THE, UM, AND THE COUNTY PART OF IT'S, IT'S NOT A REASON TO GO TO COUNTY AND YOU GET THAT DONE.
UH, THE, UH, UH, THROUGH THE CHAIR, IF I MAY ANSWER, I, I APPRECIATE THAT MAY WELL HAVE BEEN A STATEMENT, BUT I'D LIKE TO TREAT IT AS A QUESTION AND ANSWER AS BEST I CAN.
UM, THE TRANSITIONING TO A FEE FOR SERVICE ARRANGEMENT WITH THIS CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, UM, HAS A NUMBER OF STEPS IN IT.
A NUMBER OF MAJOR STEPS BEFORE THAT ANNEXATION COULD BE APPROVED BY LOCALLY FORMATION COMMISSION CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERED BY THE LA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT PENSION TRANSITION.
WE'VE TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT ANNUAL COST INCREASED CAPS WITH QUESTION OF CAPITAL REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR IS, IS CRITICAL.
WHEN, WHEN THE CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT SUCCEEDS, I WAS ALMOST SAID TAKES OVER, BUT WHEN IT SUCCEEDS THE MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY AND THE DISTRICT ARE REQUIRED TO NEGOTIATE A SUCCESSION PLAN FOR ANY OF THE FIRE EQUIPMENT OR CAPITAL TO ENSURE, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE QUESTIONS OF OWNERSHIP AND MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT NEEDS ARE ADDRESSED.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS INITIAL FEASIBILITY STUDY.
SO THEY ARE EVALUATING THE CONDITION AND USEFUL LIFE OF THE CITY'S FIRE APPARATUS AND ITS CAPITAL FACILITIES.
I CAN TELL YOU, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT, YOU KNOW, FIRE STATION ONE ISN'T ON ANYBODY'S LIST OF BEING A MODEL IN TERMS OF IT'S A FITNESS FOR DUTY AS A FACILITY THAT THE DISTRICT PROPOSES A PLAN FOR TRANSITIONING, UM, RESPONSIBILITY AND COST TO THE CITY.
SO THIS COULD INCLUDE EITHER THE CITY BEING ASKED TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT FACILITIES OR REPAIRS, OR HAVING THE DISTRICT TAKE ON THIS PIECE ITSELF.
AND THEN, SO WE ARE ASKING THEM THESE SAME QUESTIONS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE, UM, UNDERSTOOD AND STUDIED AND ARE BEING ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW, BUT I DON'T HAVE DEFINITIVE ANSWERS FOR YOU TONIGHT.
UM, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL ANSWERS, BUT THAT'S ONE CRITICAL PIECE OF TRANSITION I HAVEN'T FINISHED WITH YET.
I WROTE HER AN EMAIL EARLIER TODAY WHERE I, I ASKED, UH, THAT, THAT QUESTION AND THE, THE, THE FOLLOWUP QUESTION TO THE SAME ONE IS, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE COUNTY PLAN IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE TWO OF OUR STATIONS AND PROVIDE,
[01:25:01]
UH, USE THREE OF OUR EXISTING STATIONS AND ELIMINATE TWO OF THEM.UH, A WHILE THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF A POSSIBLE LOSS OF SERVICES RELATIVE TO, UH, UH, THE BROWN OUT OR AMBULANCE.
UH, BUT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF LOSS OF SERVICES RELATIVE TO OUR LOSS OF TWO STATIONS.
AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT I'M ASKING ABOUT IS, UH, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE COUNTY STATIONS AREN'T AS CLOSE TO THE AREAS OF THE CITY THAT OUR STATIONS WERE INSIDE THE CITY.
SO THERE'S SOME LOSS OF SERVICES THERE.
UH, AND LEMME, UH, THERE WAS A SPECIFIC COMMENT ABOUT ELIMINATING STATION ONE.
WELL, ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THEIR STATION WHEN OBVIOUSLY ARE GOING TO HAVE A, A SLOWER RESPONSE.
SO I, I, THAT WAS DISTURBED BY THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION OF THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE THAT W GOING TO THE COUNTY, UH, DOES NOT INVOLVE, UH, EVERYTHING STAYING NORMAL.
IT ISN'T A, DIMINUATION LIKE ALL LIKE THE OTHER OPTIONS WORK.
UH, AND I, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF THE PRECISE CHANGE, HOW MUCH, IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WHAT IS THE LOSS OF SERVICE AND OPTION A OPTION B AND OPTION C AND A COMPARISON OF THOSE LOSSES OF SERVICES.
UH, I THINK THAT DETAIL NEEDS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE.
UH, THE OTHER PART OF IT IS THE CASH PART.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A DIRECT COST COMPARISON OF HOW MUCH IT COSTS US TO RUN THOSE THREE STATIONS VERSUS HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST THE COUNTY TO RUN THOSE THREE STATIONS.
AND IN OTHER WORDS, ARE THEY ACTUALLY CHEAPER FOR THE THREE STATIONS, OR ARE THEY MORE EXPENSIVE? I, I, I HAVEN'T, THOSE NUMBERS AREN'T AVAILABLE, SO I CAN'T COMMENT, BUT AT LEAST THOSE THAT ANALYSIS NEEDS TO BE MADE A DIRECT COST COMPARISONS.
AND THEN, UH, IT WAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER, BUT I WANT TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT IT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE QUITE A FEW CONTINUING COSTS, UH, PRIOR COSTS, EVEN AFTER WE, UH, AFTER WE CONTRACT WITH THE COUNTY, UH, THEY MENTIONED, WE MENTIONED PENSIONS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A CONTINUATION OF MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR ALL OF THE, UH, PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY LEFT THE DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S CONTINUATION OF OTHER POST EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT THE DEPARTMENT, UH, THINGS LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRIALS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE TOO, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAVE ALL THE MONEY IF WE'RE GOING TO STILL HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY REGARDLESS.
SO I THINK ALL THOSE NUMBERS BEYOND THAT NEED TO BE ON THE TABLE.
AND, UH, IT'S, I'M ASKING FOR INFORMATION THAT WASN'T MADE AVAILABLE TONIGHT.
I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT, HER, THOSE QUESTIONS FIRST, AND THEN ASK THE CHIEF TO ELABORATE ON THE MAJOR PORTIONS OF IT.
IF WE, IF WE STEP BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE FIRE SERVICE AND EMS NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS TO DO A PLAN OF RISK ANALYSIS, UH, FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL MASTER PLANNING.
WE'D LOOK AT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE AT RISK IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN COMPARED TO NATIONAL STANDARDS, WHAT ARE ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF RISK WITH RESPECT TO THE COST THAT PENSION LIABILITY, THE RETIREE BENEFITS THAT HAVE BEEN BARGAINED AND PROMISED THOSE WOULD EXIST FOR THE CITY AND CONTINUE FOR THE CITY UNDER EITHER SCENARIO? I DON'T IMAGINE ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT WANTS TO PICK UP WEST COVINA BARGAIN BENEFITS GOING FORWARD.
THOSE WOULD REMAIN WITH THE CITY UNDER, UNDER EITHER CASE.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK THE CHIEF NOW TO SPEAK TO THE QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT, UM, COVERAGE AND RESPONSE TIME STANDARDS, MADAM CHAIR, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, CHIEF PELLEY, UM, TO SPEAK ON, UH, MR. GRUBER SAID, NO, IN FACT, ACTUALLY I'M INTO YOUR STATEMENT OF CLOTHING TO FIRE STATION, STAY IN WEST COVINA FIRE.
THERE IS A TREMENDOUSLY INCREASED LAG IN RESPONSES AND A INCREASE AND TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR, UM, INJURY TO FIREFIGHTERS AND THE CIVILIANS AND LOSS OF PROPERTY AS THERE WILL NOT BE RESOURCE RESPONSE AND REGIONALIZATION, AND ACTUALLY IN THE LA COUNTY, THOUGH, YOU STATED WE'RE SHUTTING DOWN TWO STATIONS WITHIN WEST COVINA, BUT WE'RE ALSO GAINING 175 MORE STATIONS, ALL THE RESOURCES THAT COME WITH THAT, ALL THE ALL RISK RESOURCES THAT COME WITH THAT.
AND THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE CITY OF WEST COMMUNITY THAT CAN BE HANDLED BY THE CURRENT WEST, THE CURRENT LOS ANGELES COUNTY
[01:30:01]
FOOTPRINT OF RESOURCES THAT SURROUND US.AND IN FACT, THE CITY OF WEST COVINA WILL BE THEN REDISTRICT DURING ANNEXATION.
AND THERE'LL BE AREAS OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA THAT WOULD HAVE NORMALLY SEEN A WEST INDIANA FIRE ENGINE WHEN IT WERE ON FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEY WILL SEE LA COUNTY FIRE ENGINE BECAUSE THEY ARE CLOSER AS THERE WOULD BE SOME AREAS WHERE WEST COVINA FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO, BUT ARE MUCH CLOSER TO THAT RESPONSE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WITHOUT ANNEXATION.
SO, IN FACT, YOUR STATEMENT, UM, WOULD, WOULD ACTUALLY WOULD ACTUALLY STATE THAT CLOSING TO FIRE STATION AND MAXINE WILL TREMENDOUSLY INCREASE RESOURCE AVAILABILITY, DECREASE RESPONSE TIMES AND ENHANCED THE RESOURCE AVAILABILITY THROUGHOUT THE WEST COVINA AND THROUGH ALL THE CITIZENS TREMENDOUSLY.
AND THAT IS EASILY, EASILY IDENTIFIED.
I, THAT JUST, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME AT ALL.
STATION ONE IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
THE, TO ME, THE RESPONSE TIME FOR PEOPLE IN THAT AREA HAS TO GO DOWN.
UH, AND I DON'T SEE HOW YOU CAN SAY IT'S GOING TO GO UP.
IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
UH, THE UN, LET ME, LET ME CARRY IT A STEP FURTHER.
YOU ARGUED RATHER VOCIFEROUSLY AGAINST BROWN OUT, BECAUSE IF YOU CLOSE THE STATION IN THE CITY, THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA WILL HAVE A SLOWER RESPONSE TIME.
AND SO I'M GOING TO SAY LES OUT STATION ONE, RIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROPOSAL TO ELIMINATE, UH, GET RID OF IT ANYWAY AND SEND IT TO THE COUNTY.
I CAN'T SEE ANY CHANGE IN RESPONSE TIME BETWEEN BROWN OUT AND CLOSING IT WITH THE COUNTY.
UH, IT'S, IT'S THE SAME SITUATION.
UH, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE MAP, UH, THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH STATION ONE, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, THE LOSS IN RESPONSE LAWSON RESPONSE TIME IS IDENTICAL IN THE TWO SITUATIONS.
UH, SO I'M, I'M DISAGREEING WITH YOUR STATEMENT, SIR.
I, UM, I I'M, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO BE CAREFUL WITH NUMBERS AND, UH, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ARGUMENT WAS A DISTURBING ME BECAUSE I FELT IT WAS NOT CORRECT.
UH, IT'S TRUE THAT, UH, THAT THE COUNTY HAS RESOURCES, UH, OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT PART OF YOUR ARGUMENT.
BUT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE RESPONSE TIME ARGUMENT THAT YOU MADE RELATIVE TO THE BROWNOUT IS EXACTLY THE SAME ARGUMENT WITH RESPECT TO GOING TO THE COUNTY WHEN WE CALL THE STATION ONE.
UH, AND I, I JUST THINK THERE WAS A FALSE COMPARISON BEING MARRIED THERE, AND I, I, WHAT I'M STRESSING IS THE NEED FOR THIS TO BE LAID OUT ON A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON, UH, IN, IN SOME DETAIL, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR IN THE EMAIL.
AND THAT'S STILL WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.
AND I DON'T THINK, UH, WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE, UH, UH, I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE AN OBJECTIVE AND THAT'S IT.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, THROUGH THE CHAIR, THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE, CARMONEY WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS AT THIS MOMENT IS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
AND THE CITY OF WEST COVINA ARE ACTIVELY CONSIDERING AN ALTERNATE PROPOSAL.
ONE IN WHICH THE DISTRICT WOULD PROVIDE STRUCTURAL FIRE PROTECTION, WEST COVINA, UTILIZING THREE STATIONS.
THESE DISCUSSIONS ARE IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES.
IT'S COMING INTO FOCUS PRETTY RAPIDLY.
ULTIMATELY IT WILL REQUIRE CONFIRMATION OF ADEQUATE SERVICE AND STAFFING LEVELS, AS WELL AS QUANTIFYING.
ALL THE COSTS IS WE'VE TALKED A BIT EARLIER TONIGHT.
UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE TWO PARTIES WOULD NEED TO REACH AGREEMENT ON A CONTRACT IN WHICH, UM, IF ALL THOSE THINGS LINE UP WITH COVINA WOULD BECOME A FEE FOR SERVICE CITY.
I'M GOING TO ASK THE CHIEF TO EXPAND.
THANK YOU, MADAM SHERIFF, OUR CHIEF CAPELLI, UM, IN RESPECT TO THE COMMENTS BY, UM, THE COMMITTEE MEMBER.
IN FACT, IF WE, UM, STAY WESTERN UNION FIRE AND WE SHUT DOWN, OR IF WE ELIMINATE RESOURCES, SHUT DOWN STATIONS, OR USE THE BROWN OUT MODEL, WE STILL, AT THAT TIME, WE'LL HAVE MISSING RESOURCES TO RESPOND TO CALLS.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER RESOURCES ON THE CALLS.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE ANNEXATION WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, WE WOULD CLOSE TWO FIRE STATIONS AND GAIN 175 FIRE STATIONS AND ALL THE RESOURCES THAT COME WITH IT, WHERE THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE THROUGH THE COMPUTER, AIDED DISPATCH FOR ANY CALLS FOR SERVICE, DO THE PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINTS, THE DISPATCH CENTERS, AND THOSE UNITS WILL IMMEDIATELY BE RESPONDING TO ANY CALLS FOR SERVICE, WITH NO DELAY FOR SHUTTING DOWN THE TWO FIRE DEPARTMENT, TWO STATIONS IN
[01:35:01]
WEST COVINA, BROWNING OUT, OR ELIMINATE THE RESOURCES WHEN WE RESPOND TO THOSE CALLS.AND WE HAVE ELIMINATED ALL RESOURCES AVAILABLE WITHIN WEST CONVENER TO OUR DISPATCH CENTER.
WE'D HAVE TO THEN GET ON THE PHONE AND START CALLING OTHER DISPATCH CENTERS TO SEE IF THE UNITS ARE AVAILABLE.
THE LAG TIME RESPONSE TIME IS ASTRONOMICAL, ASTRONOMICAL IN SOME DISTRICTS, IN SOME CASES WHEN IT'S BUSY AND THAT MUTUAL AID IS WHAT IT'S CALLED WILL BE COMPLETELY DELAYED.
AND THE RESOURCES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO THE VICTIMS, THE PROPERTIES THAT NEED FIRES PUT OUT IN ITALIAN MATTER, THOUGH, WILL THEY RESPOND AT SOME TIME? YES, BUT NOT.
WHEN YOU ARE ONE, ONE ORGANIZATION WHERE THERE IS NO LAG TIME, THERE'S NO DELAY.
AND ALL THOSE OTHER RESOURCES THAT WEST COVINA DID, IT DOES NOT HAVE AUTOMATICALLY COME WITH THE PACKAGE.
SO WE WOULD CLOSE TO GAIN 175 VERSUS CLOSING TWO AND HAVING NOTHING AVAILABLE.
I'M SORRY, DAVE, I'M CALLING ROSATI CITY TREASURER.
I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
DO YOU KNOW IN REFERENCE TO MR. GRITCHES QUESTION, HOW CLOSE ARE THE NEXT COUNTY FIRE STATIONS TO STATION ONE? AND DO YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE COULD BE REDISTRICTING, WHICH MAKES SENSE, SO IT COULD BRING FIRE STATIONS CLOSER.
WHAT WOULD THE RESPONSE TIME GIVEN THE FACT THAT WOULD THAT IMPEDE ON RESPONSE TIME? IF STATION ONE IS CLOSED OR ARE THE COUNTY STATIONS CLOSE ENOUGH TO STILL KEEP WITHIN THE GUIDELINES? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, CALLING YOU THROUGH THE CHAIR.
IF I MAY ANSWER THIS AS CITY MANAGER GAVE CARMONEY THAT CONSULTED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT CURRENTLY STAFFED 24 STATIONS WITHIN FIVE MILES OF WEST COVINA IS BORDER.
THEY'VE GOT US SURROUNDED THOSE STATIONS.
HOW'S A TOTAL OF 37 FIRE APPARATUS AND 115 UNIFORM PERSONNEL.
THE CONSOLIDATED DISTRICTS WOULD BE ABLE TO DRAW UPON A TOTAL OF 29 FIRE STATIONS, 45 FIRE APPARATUS, AND A DAILY STAFF OF 137 UNIFORMED PERSONNEL TO RESPOND TO INCIDENTS.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND FOCUS ON AS THIS GETS CONSIDERED IS THAT THE DEVELOPED PORTIONS OF WEST COVINA, IF YOU DRAW RADIUSES AROUND STATIONS AND YOU LOOK AT THE RESPONSE TIMES THAT ARE ACCEPTABLE, WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF LEVELS OF RISK.
UM, WE THINK THAT THE SERVICE LEVEL WOULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE.
AND FOR THAT REASON, WE THINK THIS IS A QUITE FINE OPTION.
I'M GOING TO ASK THE CHIEF TO CONTINUE IF I'VE FORGOTTEN ANYTHING ON THIS SUBJECT.
UM, CAN I ASK A QUESTION REALLY QUICK, COLEEN ROSATI, CITY TREASURER.
SO DO YOU KNOW CHIEF, WHAT IS THE DISTANCE? LET'S JUST SAY, UM, SOMETHING HAPPENED AT FIRE STATION ONE.
WHAT IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN FOUR TO ONE IS THAT WITHIN FIVE MILES, TWO MILES.
AND WHAT IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THREE, WHICH IS OVER ON POINTY TO STATION ONE, IF YOU KNOW A FIRE CHIEF, SINCE CAPELLI HERE, UM, I'VE BROUGHT UP THE SLIDE THAT I USE THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF FIRE STATIONS THAT A CITY MANAGER CARMONEY MENTIONED, THE NUMBER OF PERSONNEL THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE TO RESPOND WITH THEIR RESOURCES WITHIN WEST COVINA.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I'M STATIONED ONE, NOT BEING IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY AND MOSTLY TO THE COMPLETE LEFT SIDE OF OUR CITY HAS PLENTY OF COVERAGE FROM A NUMBER OF FIRE STATIONS, 87, 26.
AND THE TIMEFRAME FOR THOSE UNITS TO RESPOND WOULD BE DECREASED THAN OUR OWN LOCATIONS.
SO CURRENTLY, AS WE SIT RIGHT NOW, IF WE HAD A FIRE IN THE NORTH END OF THE CITY OR A MEDICAL AID AND NORTH END, THE CITY AND OTHER UNITS, WEREN'T AVAILABLE STATION FIVE FROM NOGALES AND SHADOW OAK WOULD HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH THE CITY ALL THE WAY UP TO LET'S SAY, PUNT AND GLENDORA TO RUN A CALL WHERE AN, A REGIONALIZED AND REDUCING REDUCTION OF THE REDUNDANT SERVICES, A NUMBER OF FIRE STATIONS, 29, 48, ONE 50 TO ONE 54 COULD BE THERE MITIGATE THE EMERGENCY AND AFFECT, SAVE A LIFE, DECREASE THE LOSS IN FIRE, MUCH, MUCH AMOUNT OF TIME, LESS THAN IF STATION FIVE OR STATION FOUR.
CAN YOU RESPOND TO THE CALL? HOPE THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
IF WE DO NOT GO COUNTY, WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF STATION ONE, CONTINUING TO STAY OPEN GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT NEEDS EXTENSIVE REPAIRS, THAT
[01:40:01]
WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD.UM, VINCE CAPELLA FIRE CHIEF WAS COMING.
UM, IN FACT, AT THIS TIME, UM, STATION ONE, UH, AS I STATED EARLIER, WAS BUILT IN 1959.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A TEMPORARY SHOP AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE CURRENTLY IN THERE NOW ON ACTUALLY, WE SHOULD NOT BE HAVING ANY PERSONNEL IN THAT STATION AT ALL.
IT ACTUALLY, UM, WE SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT GETTING THE FIREFIGHTERS OUT OF THERE AT THIS TIME.
IT DOES NOT MEET ANY, UM, SEISMIC, UM, TESTING.
THERE WAS A REPORT DONE BY THE CITY IN 2007 THAT STATED THAT IF THERE WAS AN EARTHQUAKE, THE WALLS WOULD COLLAPSE ONTO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND ONTO THE EQUIPMENT, AND THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RESPOND OUT.
SO ACTUALLY STATIONED ONE, AND IN FACT SHOULD BE NOT UTILIZED AS A FIRE STATION EVEN CURRENTLY TODAY.
AND THERE WOULD NOT BE REVENUE SOURCE TO, UH, IN THE BUDGET TO REBUILD THAT STATION AT THIS TIME OR ANY TIME SOON.
UM, IF I MAY ASK ANOTHER QUESTION, CALLING RESIDING CITY TREASURER, MOUNTAINS, HANA IN REFERENCE TO THE BROWN ACT, THAT BROWN ACT, SORRY, BROWN OUT.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT WHEN FIREFIGHTERS GO ON VACATION OR OUT SICK, THAT IT IS A POSSIBILITY OR A LIKELIHOOD THAT A STATION WOULD BE BROWNED OUT OR CLOSED, AND THOSE FIREFIGHTERS THERE WOULD THEN BE TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER STATION, CORRECT? FIRE CHIEF VINCE CAPELLA HERE.
UH, WHICHEVER STATION THAT SOMEBODY IS WORKING AT, AND IF THERE'S ONE INDIVIDUAL THAT'S MISSING, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT UNIT IN SERVICE AS YOU NEED A COMPLEMENT OF PERSONNEL TO RESPOND.
AND THOSE UNITS, THOSE PERSONNEL WERE MOVED TO OTHER RESOURCES.
SO HAVING SAID THAT IF A FIREFIGHTER'S ON VACATION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, LIKE THREE WEEKS, WOULD THAT FIRE STATION BE CLOSED FOR THREE WEEKS? AND THOSE FIREFIGHTERS TRANSFERRED TO THE OTHER STATION ON A BROWN OUT, OKAY.
IF A FIREMAN TAKES THREE WEEKS OFF ON VACATION, UM, WHICH WOULD BE ROUGHLY, UM, FIVE SHIFTS OFF, UH, THAT STATION WOULD BE CLOSED FOR THREE CONTINUOUS WEEKS DURING THE SHIFT THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL WAS ON THE NEXT DAY OR TWO DAYS LATER.
CAUSE WE WORKED TWO DAYS ON, UM, THE NEXT SHIFT THAT COMES ON MAY NOT HAVE SOMEBODY OFFER THEN THAT FIRE ENGINE MAY COME BACK AND SERVICE FOR THE FOUR DAYS THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL IS GONE.
AND THEN BACK OUT OF SERVICE, WHEN THAT PERSON SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN SERVICE, SHE'D HAVE BEEN ON DUTY.
SO IT COULD, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING AN OPEN AND CLOSE, OPEN, CLOSE SITUATION, FIRE CHIEF, AND IT'S CALLED HERE, THAT'S CORRECT.
IT COULD OPEN AND CLOSE ON THE CLOTHES, DEPENDING IF ON THE OTHER DAYS A DIFFERENT INDIVIDUAL WASN'T OFFER ANY OTHER TYPE OF LEAVE VACATION, UH, INJURY ON DUTY BEREAVEMENT OR WHICHEVER.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, AND LET'S JUST SAY THAT THIS PERSON, OUR PREDATOR GOES ON VACATION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME AND THE FIRE STATION IS CLOSED.
WHAT WOULD THAT DO TO THE SERVICES FOR THAT COMMUNITY AND THAT AREA OF THE CITY FIRE CHIEF HAS PROPEL HERE.
AS, AS I STATED EARLIER, THAT IF THERE'S NO RESOURCE TO RESPOND IN THAT AREA, AS OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'D HAVE TO RELY ON THE OTHER STATIONS FOR THEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR OWN MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT IS STATION FIVE, UH, WAS BROWNED OUT FOR A PARTICULAR DAY AND THEN STATIONED FOR IT WAS ON ANOTHER MEDICAL CALL ALREADY.
WE'D HAVE TO RELY ON PATIENT ONE, TWO, AND THREE TO RESPOND TO THOSE CALLS.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, THOUGH THAT COULD HAPPEN TODAY, UH, IT WOULD HAPPEN ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE THAT'D BE THAT RESOURCE SEEMS IF I WOULD COME BACK AND SERVE AS THEY WERE ON A CALL, IF THEY'RE OUT COMPLETELY, IT'D BE FOR THE WHOLE SHIFT, I WOULD LIKE TO JUMP IN.
THIS IS CHEERFUL LOREAL TO JUST GIVE A COURTESY TIME CHECK, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ONLY SCHEDULED TILL EIGHT.
I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION WHENEVER I CAN POP THAT IN THERE.
MY LAST ONE, I PROMISE, UM, THE CARE AMBULANCE SERVICE CURRENTLY WE OFFER AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY ONE OF THE CALLERS THAT WE HAVE AMBULANCE SUBSCRIPTION ACCOUNT.
IF WE WENT TO CARE AMBULANCE, WOULD THAT SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE CONTINUE TO BE OFFERED TO OUR RESIDENTS?
[01:45:03]
PAULINE ROSATI CITY TREASURER.THANK YOU, MR. ZANI AS FIRE CHIEF IS CAPELLI AS WE STATED IN THE, IN THE POWERPOINT THAT THERE'S TWO POTENTIAL MODELS WHERE THE AGREEMENT WITH CARE AMBULANCE THERE'S ONE THAT'S CALLED THE PASS THROUGH MODEL, WHERE THEY HANDLE ALL BILLING AND ALL THE SERVICES IS HANDLED BY THEIR DEPARTMENT BY THEIR AGENCY.
AND WE WOULD JUST GET ANY FUNDS OR REVENUE THAT TAKES PLATE, TOOK PLACE TO A PATIENT TRANSPORT FOR ANY ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT PARAMEDIC, CALL ABOVE AND BEYOND THE COUNTY FEES.
ON THE SECOND MODEL WHERE IT'S A LEASE MODEL, UH, THE CITY WOULD RETAIN ITS, UM, BILLING AND, AND WE WOULD JUST PAY FOR THE SERVICE FROM, FROM CARE AMBULANCE, UH, RETAINING ALL THE FUNDS FOR THE REVENUES FOR, UM, PATIENT TRANSPORTS FROM INSURANCES AND, UH, FOR PAYMENT FROM THE PATIENT AT THAT, FOR THAT SERVICE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO A SUBSCRIPTION.
A SUBSCRIPTION PLAN COULD BE CONTINUED BECAUSE THE, THE MONEY WOULD BE COMING BACK TO THE CITY AND WE CAN OPTION ON, ON NOT CHARGING THE PATIENT.
IF THE CARE AMBULANCE IS CHARGING THE PATIENT FOR THE TRANSPORT, THEY WOULD STILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, TO RECOUP THEIR FEES IN A PASTORAL MODEL.
SO MY ONE QUESTION IS KIND OF ASSUMING THE LA COUNTY OPTION, IT'S A FEE FOR SERVICE.
SO I'M ASSUMING WE'RE GOING TO GET A BILL EVERY MONTH AND IT'S GOING TO BE BASED ON TIME SHEETS BY EACH INDIVIDUAL, UH, FIREFIGHTERS OR TEAM MEMBER.
SO IS THERE A POTENTIAL THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE OVERTIME BUILT INTO THAT INVOICE? AND SO US AS RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY CITY COUNCIL, IT'LL BE LESS TRANSPARENT THAT THERE IS OVERTIME BUILT INTO THAT INVOICE AS THEY WON'T BE RECORDED AS A SEPARATE LINE ITEM LIKE WE CURRENTLY DO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, NO, THERE IS NO INCURRED COSTS BY THE CITY.
THERE IS A CHARGE THAT IS IN THE CONTRACT FOR THAT UNIT THAT APPARATUS THE PERSONNEL, THE TURN OUT EQUIPMENT AND ALL TOOLS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THAT APPARATUS.
IF THE COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE A PERSONNEL, LET'S SAY THAT THEY DO NOT STAFF, A REGULAR STAFF FIREFIGHTER ON ONE OF THE ENGINES, AND THAT IS BACKFIELD BY OVERTIME.
FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE CITY IS NOT GET CHARGED ANYTHING MORE THAN THE COST FOR ONE FIRES IN THERE.
AND IF THAT SPOT IS FILLED AT OVERTIME EVERY DAY IS IT'S THE INNER 65 YEARS STARING 65 DAYS.
THE COST IS ON THE BURDEN OF LA COUNTY AND NOTHING COMES FROM WEST COVINA ABOVE THE COST FOR THAT ACTUAL APPARATUS.
I THINK THE INVOICE AND INVOICE IS DONE MONTHLY.
I THOUGHT EARLIER IT WAS SAID THAT THE COUNTY BILLS BASED ON THEIR ACTUAL COST TO ME, THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO HAVE A DETAILED INFO INVOICE OF WHAT THEIR ACTUAL COST IS.
ONE WOULD HAVE A PUMPER ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC SQUAD.
ONE WOULD HAVE A PUMPER ENGINE AND A PARAMEDIC SQUAD.
UM, THERE'D BE SOME STAFFING ASSIGNED TO OTHER DUTIES, FIRE PREVENTION, STAFFING.
UM, IT COMES TO A ANNUAL BILL OF NOT QUITE 17 POINT $1 MILLION.
THEY DEFINE, UM, HOW THOSE WOULD BE STAFFED.
THREE PERSONS WOULD STAFF EACH POST POSITION THROUGH THEIR EIGHT SHIFT BCSC SHIFT.
UM, AND THEN THE CITY WOULD BE BILLED MONTHLY.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT THE KIND OF SERVICE THAT I THINK WAS JUST MOST IMMEDIATELY BEING DESCRIBED.
IT'S A, IT'S AN ANNUAL CONTRACT THAT'S INVOICED MONTHLY.
ARE WE ANTICIPATING TO RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS DRAFT CONTRACT OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO GO THERE? ALRIGHT, SO CHAIR, MADAM CHAIR, A FIRE CHIEF INSTABILITY.
I BELIEVE WE COULD SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMITTEE.
THE DRAFT CONTRACT, UH, HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE CITY AND WE COULD SHARE IT WITH THE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE.
THIS IS COUNCIL MEMBER SHUMAKER.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SHARING THAT DRAFT AGREEMENT.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THERE MAY BE CHANGES THAT THE COUNCIL
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WANTS TO THEIR AGREEMENTS.SO IS NOW THE TIME TO SHARE IT BEFORE THE COUNCIL HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT AND WE'VE ENTERED INTO ANY NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THE AGREEMENT OR EVEN MADE A DECISION ON IF WE'RE GOING THIS WAY.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY.
AND IT IS UNDER REVIEW IN THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WE SPEAK.
AND I KNOW THERE WILL BE SOME CHANGES TO IT.
UM, AS WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS, UM, I AM HAPPY TO MAKE THAT PUBLIC, ONCE IT'S COMPLETED THAT PROCESS, BUT, UM, IT HAS NOT, UM, FOUND ITS WAY OUT OF THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE JUST YET.
I KIND OF WANT TO MAKE ONE FINAL COMMENT.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY WE RECEIVED QUITE A BIT OF INFORMATION TODAY, SO WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THE CHIEF'S PRESENTATION.
UM, I'M NOT TRULY UNDERSTANDING WHAT OUR ROLE IS AT THIS POINT FOR THE COMMITTEE.
I NOTICED AS BEING PRESENTED AT THIS POINT, UM, AS MR.
UH, SO I'M ASSUMING THAT'S SITTING STOCK, THAT'S GOING TO GO BACK AND PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND PRESENT TO US AGAIN AT A LATER DATE.
UM, AND LESLIE, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DEFER MAYBE THROUGH OUR CITY MANAGER, IF MAYBE WE COULD ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PROVIDE US MAYBE SOME INSURANCE, WHETHER THIS TYPE OF ANALYSIS, IF IT COMES DOWN TO THAT, UM, AND REVIEWED TO BE POTENTIALLY PERFORMED BY THIS FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE WOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE IN SCOPE OF OUR DUTIES, UM, AS ANY DECISION WE WOULD POTENTIALLY MAKE, WE'LL BE HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED.
UM, I THINK WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE CITY AND THIS COMMITTEE IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY AND ALL APPLICABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS.
THIS IS CITY MANAGER, DAVE CARMONEY, AS I MENTIONED AT THE OUTSET, THE CITY IS WORKING THROUGH A QUITE DIFFICULT TIME AND THINGS ARE COMING INTO PRETTY SHARP FOCUS PRETTY QUICKLY.
ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT REVENUES HAVE PLUMMETED AND EXPENDITURES CAN NOT CONTINUE AT THE SAME PAY.
SO WHATEVER PACKAGE OF SERVICES THE CITY HAS HAD PREVIOUSLY OR MIGHT DESIRE TO HAVE, WE'VE GOT TO GET SOMETHING IN ALIGNMENT VERY QUICKLY TO AVOID, UM, UNACCEPTABLE CUTS IN SERVICE AND, AND LOSS OF LIFE FOR THE PUBLIC THAT WE SERVE.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S AN ATYPICAL PANDEMIC AND AN ATYPICAL TIME IN GOVERNMENT.
UM, AS FAR AS WE CAN, BEFORE MAKING DECISION, I CAN TELL YOU IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CASH FLOW, WHICH IS SOMETHING THIS COMMITTEE HAS SEEN, UM, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT FUND BALANCE, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CASH FLOW AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING NEGATIVE CASH IN THE GENERAL FUND.
SOME ONE POINT $9 MILLION BY SEPTEMBER.
SO TONIGHT I'VE ASKED THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS OPTIONS.
AND I THINK IT'S WELL WITHIN YOUR PURVIEW.
IT'S NOT JUST AN AUDIT COMMITTEE, IT'S A, IT'S A FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE FOR YOU TO RECEIVE A REPORT.
AND IF YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF ANY OF THESE OPTIONS, IF YOU HAVE A PREFERRED OPTION, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD APPRECIATE, I WOULD WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW NOW.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DAYS WE KNOW NOW IS WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WIN-WIN, WE'RE TRYING TO DELIVER THE CITY'S MISSION OF SERVING THE PUBLIC, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE TIME TO STUDY THIS FOR A YEAR BECAUSE WHAT WE'VE KNOWN, UM, TO THIS POINT, UM, PROBABLY ISN'T GOING TO BE POSSIBLE.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD WELCOME, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE A VOTE OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE WITH A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, CARMONEY THIS IS COLLEEN ROSATI CITY TREASURER.
UM, IN LISTENING TO THE CALLERS THAT CALLED IN, IT SEEMS THE MAJORITY IS LOOKING TO GO COUNTY.
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A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, SHOEMAKER STATED THERE WAS A VOTE AND THE RESIDENTS DECIDED THAT THEY PREFERRED TO KEEP THEIR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT ON A PERSONAL NOTE.UM, I AM TRULY IN AWE OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND I THINK THEY'VE DONE A REMARKABLE JOB GIVEN THE OBSTACLES THAT THEY'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH.
I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T REALIZE THE DISARRAY THAT MOST OF THE STATIONS ARE IN THE QUALITY OF THE EQUIPMENT.
THE QUALITY OF THE INSTANCE STRUCTURE, UM, MANY OF THE BUILDINGS ARE LITERALLY FALLING DOWN AROUND THEIR EARS.
AND THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT UP STATION ONE BECAUSE GOING FORWARD IT MAY BE THAT THAT STATION IS, AND I HOPE I'M NOT SPEAKING OUT OF TURN 10 DOWNS AND CLOSED FOR SAFETY REASONS FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS.
AND THAT'S NOT FAIR AS THIS COMMITTEE AND THE COMMUNITY TO WANT TO JEOPARDIZE THEIR LIVES IN DOING SO BY COMING TO WORK.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION SINCE YOU'RE ASKING FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ONE OF THE THREE THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED, IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE COMMUNITY BASED ON THE PHONE CALLS WANTS TO SEE A COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT, OR AT LEAST MORE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COUNCIL DOES LOOK AT THIS OPTION FOR LA COUNTY IN THE FUTURE OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO IF WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SECOND SYSTEMICALLY AND I'LL LET A SECOND, MAYBE WE HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE, PLEASE.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A ROLL CALL VOTE.
CAN I JUST CLARIFY, IS THIS THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COUNCIL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY SOMETHING WE'RE DISCUSSING OR IS THIS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE THAT WE GO TO COUNTY
I'M CALLING ROSATI CITY TREASURER.
I THINK THE DIRECTION THAT THIS IS GOING IN IS TO GO TO COUNTY.
I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD LIKE TO CHAM GRAVITY.
I'D LIKE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE MOTION AS STATED, UH, AS I'VE STATED EARLIER, I THINK THERE'S INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION ON THE TABLE TO MAKE A VALID JUDGMENT.
UH, I'M REMINDED OF A SPEECH I MADE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL THAT LAST FALL, WHEN I SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T AFFORD THAT THE RAISES THAT THEY WERE VOTING ON.
AND I WAS OF COURSE PROVEN, RIGHT.
UH, WHEN THERE WAS A NEED, A DESIRE TO RUSH FORWARD ANY WAY, NOT EVEN TAKE ANOTHER LOOK, UH, I, I'M NOT, UH, TO SPEAK TO WHAT, UH, THE CITY MANAGER OF CRIME.
AND HE SAID, UH, NO, I DON'T THINK IT TAKES A YEAR TO, UH, WORK UP THE NUMBERS OF THE ACTUAL PERSONS OF, AND THE EXPECTED, UH, UH, SERVICE AVAILABILITIES OF THE, UH, OF THE TWO OPTIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY BROWN OUT VERSUS A COUNTY.
UH, I, UH, I DON'T THINK THAT INFORMATION'S AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW AND I, I I'M DISTURBED ABOUT IT, UH, THAT WE'RE, AGAIN, JUST JUMPING IN KIND OF SEAT OF THE PANTS DECISION-MAKING WITHOUT HAVING, UH, A FULL ESPECIALLY COST INFORMATION ANALYSIS OF I'M ESPECIALLY DISTURBED ABOUT THE PART THAT WE'RE, UH, AS, UH, UH, MISS ROSATI SAID, WELL, BUILDING ONE, FALLING DOWN, UH, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIX ALL OF THE REPAIRS THAT COUNTY'S GONNA MAKE US DO THAT.
AND THAT THEY ACTUALLY, I GUESS THEY'RE GONNA, UH, NOT EVEN USE BUILDING ONE, SO WE SHOULDN'T USE IT EITHER.
BUT MY POINT IS THAT WE SHOULD KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST BEFORE WE DO IT.
AND I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION WITHOUT THAT INFORMATION.
SO IF AT THE MOTION STANDS AS IT IS, I'M GOING TO VOTE.
WELL, MR.
AND I'M SURE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL BE DUE DILIGENCE AND LOOKING AT THE CONTRACT, THAT'S GOING TO BE PROPOSED THAT THEY WILL LOOK AT ALL THOSE THINGS.
I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL, THE COST ANALYSIS, THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT,
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IF WE'RE GOING TO BE SUED OR NOT ALL THESE QUESTIONS THAT ALL OF YOU ASKED HAD HAVE SOLIDITY, BUT AS THE CITY MANAGER HAS MENTIONED, UM, THERE IS SOMEWHAT OF AN URGENCY BECAUSE OF THE DISARRAY AND UNFORTUNATELY THE DETERIORATION OF OUR FIRE STATION AND THE EQUIPMENT OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS.I REALLY DON'T LIKE TO LOSE OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MY CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CITY AND THE SAFETY OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS.
UM, AND I'M SURE AGAIN, COUNCIL SHOEMAKER AND, UH, COUNCILMAN CASTELLANO WE'LL DO DUE DILIGENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT A PROPER CONTRACT IS IN PLACE BEFORE A FINAL APPROVAL IS MADE.
IF THAT WERE PART OF YOUR MOTION, THEN I WOULD AGREE WITH IT.
BUT THAT, ISN'T WHAT YOU SAID IN YOUR MOTION.
YOU SAID YOU WANT TO, YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE GO COUNTY PERIOD AND THAT, OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU, MR. BURBAGE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO WAIT FOR ME TO RESTATE THAT, I WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO FINE.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT THE CITY COUNCIL LOOK AT THE LA COUNTY PROPOSAL FOR CITY FIRE, I'M SORRY, FOR WEST COVINA FIRE AND DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE IN THE CONTRACT AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE ITEMS OF CONCERN OF THIS COMMITTEE, THE COSTS, THE LONGTERM CONTRACT, THE LIABILITY FOR LAWSUITS.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT I NEED TO PUT IN THEY'VE MANAGED SERVICE CHANGES.
SO I'M MAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESPONSE TIME ISSUE WITH THE ELIMINATION STAGE.
UM, THE POLICE AND MAINTENANCE, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE JEN, OR YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO PUT IN THERE? THAT'S JUST A DIRECT COST COMPARISON OF WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, COMPARED TO WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST THEM THE COUNTY THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN.
SO IF WE COULD ADD THAT TO THAT MOTION AND THAT RECOMMENDATION THAT YOUR CITY MANAGER AND CONFIDENT THAT THE COUNCIL WILL BE PRUDENT WITH OUR REQUESTS AND DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
GOOD EVENING, MRS. ASSISTANT CITY CLERK, LISA SHERRICK.
I WOULD LIKE TO, AS I WAS TAKING NOTES, UM, KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT I RECEIVED, I WAS ABLE TO WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING THAT WAS BEING SAID.
UM, YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL LOOK AT THE LA COUNTY PROPOSAL OR WEST COVINA FIRE AND DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.
LOOK AT THEIR COSTS, LONGTERM SERVICES, LIABILITIES, SERVICE, CHARGES, FLEET, AND MAINTENANCE, AND A DIRECT COST COMPARISON.
SHE LUCKED OUT THE PART ABOUT, UH, US SERVICES COMPARISON.
I'M SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOSS OF STATION ONE.
UM, IN ADDITION, LISA, UM, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO INCLUDE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR RETENTION.
AND I HAVE A SECOND BY DAVID LYNN.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
DID THE CHAIR I'LL TAKE A ORAL VOTE.
NO COLEEN RESIDING HOLLY MIZANI JESSICA SHOEMAKER.
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I BELIEVE THE ROLE OF THIS COMMITTEE IS TO MAKE AN ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION, NOT RECOMMEND WHAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE LOOKING AT, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE WILL ALREADY BE LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS.UM, SO I WAS RECALLING YOU BACK AND YOU GIVE A VOTE.
UM, I MOVED TO THE FINANCE AND AUDIT AUDIT COMMITTEE.
RECOMMEND THE COUNTY FIRE AS AN OPTION TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
AND ONE OF THINGS, DONNA CHIA.
ARE YOU THERE? ANYBODY EVER PHONE NUMBER? CAN WE GET HER ON THE PHONE? LOOKS LIKE SHE'S TRYING TO COME BACK.
SHE IS THAT YOU? THAT WAS CALLING ROSATI.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
NOW DID YOU NEED ME TO MAKE THE MOTION AGAIN? NO, WE'RE GOOD.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER MOTIONS? NO.
THERE ARE NO OTHER MOTIONS ON THE TABLE.
DID THE CITY MANAGER WANTS TO PROVIDE US ANY OTHER INSTRUCTION BEFORE WE ADJOURN THIS MEETING? THANK YOU.
I THINK I HAVE A SENSE OF THE COMMITTEE.
I DID HEAR SOME CONVERSATION, UM, THAT SOME OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WOULD PREFER A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL WITHOUT TELLING THE CITY COUNCIL HOW TO PROCEED.
I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE COMMITTEE IF YOU WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER VOTE ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT THAT'S ENTIRELY YOUR CALL.
THE HESITATION THAT I HEARD WAS, UM, I THINK FROM ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL MEMBER THAT THE COMMITTEE DIDN'T NEED TO TELL THE COUNCIL HOW TO DO ITS JOB IN EFFECT, BUT THAT THEY, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE WAS GOING TO BE TOWARD THE REST OF THE, OF THE THREE OPTIONS, UM, ENTIRELY UP TO THE COMMITTEE AS TO HOW YOU WISH TO PROCEED.
AT THIS POINT, YOUR OPTIONS ARE REALLY MYRIAD UNDERSTOOD WITH ANYBODY ON THE COMMITTEE.
ONE TO ENTER A MOTION, TO RECOMMEND THE CITY MOVING FORWARD WITH LA COUNTY.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT THE FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE RECOMMEND THE COUNTY FIRE OPTION.
THIS IS COLEEN ROSATI, THE TREASURER.
YEAH, WE HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE.
I THAT'S BECAUSE YOU MAKE HER,
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UM, I WILL BE ABSTAINING.THEN THIS WILL ACTUALLY BE A BOAT THAT WE TAKE ON THE COUNCIL LEVEL.
AND SO WE NEED TO, UM, BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AT THE FOUR YESES.
ANY OTHER MOTIONS, DAVE CRIMINY.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN PUTTING IN A LOT HOURS AND ATTENDING A LOT OF MEETINGS ON THE CITY'S BEHALF.
I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.