By Jessica A. York
The Vallejo Times Herald
VALLEJO, Calif. — On Monday, three days before the end of Vallejo’s fiscal year, planned police department layoffs as well as a fire station closure were still up in the air.
At least publicly.
Interim City Manager Bob Adams, left to implement the city’s 2010-2011 fiscal year budget, starting July 1, was not available for comment.
Police Chief Robert Nichelini spelled out a plan this month to cut his department’s K-9 program and SWAT team, designed to provide savings worth several officers’ jobs. But department officials could not confirm this move, and Nichelini, like Adams, also was unavailable Monday.
Further, department spokesman Lt. Abel Tenorio said police have not yet received layoff notifications.
Meanwhile, city fire officials revealed that the Glen Cove station may be closed this week, and the Fifth Street station reopened, to enhance the thinning department’s response times. The latter station was shuttered two years ago, about the time the city filed for bankruptcy.
Earlier this month, the City Council voted 4-3 to approve the spending plan and its budget-balancing police and fire cutbacks.
Lt. Tenorio declined to release names of officers scheduled, by rank, to be laid off, other than Officer Jared Jaksch, who was laid off in January and then re-hired soon afterward. He said Jaksch knew he would be at the top of the list for dismissals when he returned to the force.
City Human Resources Director Debora Boutté said she had no information on the specifics of the officer layoffs, which are to reduce the department from 104 positions — with 95 filled — to 92.
“I have not been given any instructions on any layoffs at this point in time,” Boutté said. “I do not know where we are in that process. So, no letters have gone out, (and) I don’t know how many will. I believe that is still being worked out.”
The closure of a fire station, which could eventually mean the loss of city-provided medical services, also is not finalized.
Interim Fire Chief Doug Robertson said Monday the department has a “whole package of closure” ideas laid out, including plans for a station closure and company rearrangements. “We’re in the process of working out the logistics of the other closure,” Robertson said.
In a parallel step, the department will reopen the Fifth Street station in South Vallejo, Robertson said. He said that is expected to help improve the department’s average response time to seven minutes 90 percent of the time.
Such an improvement will maintain a revenue-sharing agreement with Medic Ambulance and nearby cities.
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