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Pomona Update
August 7, 2012
Monday night August 6th the Pomona City Council voted 5-2 (Mayor Rothman and Councilman Rodriguez supported us and voted NO) to approve a plan to move E-181 to 185’s, temporarily close E-185 and work to consolidate resources at a new FS 182. The plan is the Fire Department Plan submitted to the City of Pomona to save approximately 2 million dollars per year in their contract, the amount Pomona is short to pay their bill for service.
The plan is the same short term plan we have been faced with for the past year, and have managed to stall it and get long term revenue stabilization on the table and now a real possibility. We had hoped the long term plan would be realized sooner rather than later, but it is taking longer than expected in large part due to the County Bureaucracy for approvals.
This vote was expected and is nothing new in a Council ordered parallel track on long term solutions and short term needs for Pomona’s funding shortfall. September 15th is the date that the City of Pomona will be unable to pay for their Fire and Paramedic services at current staffing levels. If no other short term solutions are in place, then the staffing reduction plan will be implemented in a temporary fashion until the revenue can be stabilized.
Local 1014 will be working on both short term solutions and the long term solution that centers on a property tax shift mechanism combined with true annexation of Pomona to make them a District City. This will eliminate the Fee for Service Contract mechanism now in place which contains volatility in poor economic times. If this solution works in Pomona it may work for all current Fee for Service Contract Cities we serve and any future cities we may service.
In the short term, if the reductions in service occur and movement of the equipment occurs, we will be meeting with the Fire Chief to ensure that all member rights and MOU terms for our members are adhered to strictly, and in fact we have already been negotiating an agreement to give a “first right of refusal” to allow those displaced to return to the positions if reopening occurs in a one year or less time period. These details will be covered if we get to the point where this is inevitable. We are not done yet with the short term proposals. We will keep you informed.
The Department is about 2 to 3 weeks away from securing a Consultant to guide and help negotiate the Concept Local 1014 has come up with and put on the table. This is key to a successful finish for long term funding stabilization and restoration of staffing in Pomona and for other Cities as well.
For now, don’t feed rumors, call us for information and please inform us anytime a Chief Officer or an Elected Official enters the station to discuss or act upon the issue. The elected officials have other motives for being there and the Chief Officers may not have all the facts or a complete update in the context of the whole. Some have called it checking their boxes before 5 pm. Please contact Dave Lopez, Lew Currier or Andy Doyle at the Union hall or e-mail us at info@local1014.org with questions, concerns or suggestions.
Thank you and we will continue to press forward and leverage the actions necessary from the Department and the Elected Officials to get the long term solutions in place. It’s about time to end the madness in all of these cities.
Local 1014 Executive Board
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