Lewiston Tribune
PULLMAN, Idaho — Pullman Fire Chief Mike Heston will have to carve almost $100,000 out of his budget this year to cover retroactive pay increases included in a new union contract.
The previous contract expired at the end of 2011. The Pullman City Council unanimously approved the 2012-2015 contract with the firefighters’ union Tuesday. It includes a 2.5 percent retroactive increase for 2012, as well as 3 percent increases in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
The union also agreed to move to a less expensive health insurance plan, which will offset the city’s cost somewhat.
City Supervisor Mark Workman said the net cost of the retroactive increases will be about $98,000 this year. That will be offset by other savings within the fire department’s budget.
Heston said some of the money will come from a $50 increase in basic life support ambulance fees that the council also approved Tuesday, along with a $3 increase in the per-mile transportation fee and increases in the inter-facility ambulance transport fee.
A number of fire inspection permit fees were raised as well, but that will only bring in an extra $1,500 per year.
Additional savings will come from leaving a vacant training officer position open, Heston said. It’s also possible that Fire Station No. 2 at the north end of town could be left vacant on days when the department is understaffed, to avoid overtime costs.
Heston said he’ll bring those recommendations to the council at a future date.
In other business:
The council heard that Police Chief Gary Jenkins intends to shift an open position from the patrol division to the Quad Cities Drug Task Force.
The department currently has two vacancies, Jenkins said, including a College Hill officer and a regular patrol officer. After reviewing the department needs, he said, an officer will be moved into the patrol position and the vacancy will shift to the drug task force. However, a police department detective will still act as liaison and share information with the task force.
“I still think it’s important to contribute to a regional task force, but right now we’re having to prioritize vacancies,” Jenkins said.
Councilors authorized city staff to move ahead with an architectural design contract regarding planned improvements at Reaney Park. The improvements - which include a 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot spray area for small children, disabled access improvements to the dive pool and renovations to the park restroom - could go out for bid this winter.
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