EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Called Meeting
Tuesday,
December 1, 1998
4:00 PM
City Hall
Conference Room
Board Members Present: Chairman Tim Sherrod, Roy Campbell, Josh Herring, and Earl Williams
Staff Present: Bruce Woods Executive Director, Scerrell Suber EMS Director, Tommy Layton E-911 Director, Joe Cole Captain, Charles Anderson Fire Chief, Donna Scott Claims Administrator, Kimberly Riddle Administrative Assistant, Leah Moore Accounting Manager, Emily Phillips Accountant, and Don Atkinson Information Systems.
From the City of Thomasville: Tom Berry City Manager
From the news media: Mark Brannan and Laura Cassells
Others Present: Twink Monahan County Insurance Manager and Mike Stephenson County Manager
Chairman Sherrod called the meeting to order.
A motion was made by Mayor Campbell to approve the minutes from the meeting of November 24, 1998. Commissioner Earl Williams seconded the motion and the minutes will stand approved.
Commissioner Josh Herring entered the meeting at 4:15 PM.
Health Insurance
Third Party Administrator Tasks:
Executive Director Bruce Woods briefly outlined the past conversations and information pertaining to the handling of healthcare with the City and County. Chairman Sherrrod stated that North American Insurance Company does not have third party credentials. Mayor Campbell stated that he firmly feels another broker should be retrieved instead of North American if they would not accept the city as a third party administrator. City Manger Tom Berry stated the North American would work with the reinsure. He recommended splitting the Brokerage Company. Chairman Sherrod had concerns about the splitting of the Brokerage Company and if it could indeed be done and if the cost would be higher. Tom Berry suggested that Bruce Woods recruit an analyst to access the situation from a third party objective view and perhaps give us more vital and definite information to base a decision on for the healthcare. Bruce Woods made the suggestion to stay with the current company until after the first of the year and then make the transition. Tom Berry stated that the insurance company has given the approval to have employees from separate organizations stay under their plan for the time being. Employees of the city would stay under the reinsure plan. Tom Berry added that any new employees that come aboard could be covered under the city or county plan without any problems. A motion was made by Mayor Campbell stated that all City and County employees coming into the new department would continue to receive health care insurance benefits from their perspective former place of employment (city or county) . All new employees hired by the department in 1999 would be provided health care benefits from a provider (city or county) determined by the Executive Director until a third party can be decided upon. Josh Herring seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Executive Director Bruce Woods spoke to the Board in reference to changing from the Fire Pack to the Fire Authority and having legislature approve the change and the County Legal Counsel write the bill per Chairman Sherrod. Chairman Sherrrod requested that Bruce Woods schedule a meeting with City Attorney Wil Sanders and County Attorney Bruce Warren to meet with the board members again.
Review of the Budget:
Bruce Woods outlined the following topics for discussion in reference to the proposed 1999 budget:
· (12) new Firefighter positions
· Funding for Contract Services
· Budget changes in current staff
· Salary increases reflecting completion of paramedic classes in December 1999 for (4) Firefighters
· Firefighter certification increases for EMS staff in completing fire certification training in 1999.
Chairman Sherrod asked about the contract services. Bruce Woods explained the services involved and how the $27,000. 00 will be utilized. After discussion it was determined that Contract Services would be decreased to $6,855.00 for telephone service.
Bruce Woods presented the budget amount for the new position of Finance Coordinator to be in-house for payroll, accounts payable and receivable and other financial bookkeeping purposes. A motion was made by Commissioner Josh Herring to approve the position and Mayor Campbell seconded the motion. The motion was passed and the board stated that the new position salary could not exceed $20,000.00 per year.
Mayor Campbell stated that the city can continue to perform payroll duties for the new department at this time until a decision has been made on the software program that will be used and allow time for the system to be set up for operation. Therefore the $6,435.00 for payroll services was deleted from the budget.
In reference to Emergency Services it was approved in the budget that $2,400.00 be given to the (10) paramedics for incentive salary. Incentive salary will be paid to firefighters and paramedics equally at a rate of $200.00 per month upon completion of fire fighting school or paramedic school.
Chairman Sherrod asked Scerrell Suber, EMS Director if the (PRN) employees will be utilized. Scerrell Suber stated that the (12) new staff members would not be able to cover positions until they are fully cross-trained and placed. In the event of a staff shortage the (PRN) employees can cover the position. After the (12) new employees are hired and cross trained, the (PRN) employees will no longer be utilized.
Bruce Woods explained the budgeted salary amount for the (12) new positions on a one-year basis. He added that two current Appointee Firefighters salaries have been changed to reflect that of the other appointees. This change will cause a decrease in salary for one employee.
Chairman Sherrod suggested that the number of new employees be decreased. It was determined that budgeting for (12) new employees would not correctly reflect the proposed budget amounts due to the fact that not all (12) will be hired and trained for at least six months into 1999. The Board agreed that the budget will include (6) new positions verses the (12) proposed positions. This would decrease the proposed budget by an additional $229,320.00 including the decrease in cost of benefits.
Chairman Sherrod suggested going back to the County Commissioners and requesting additional monies for the operating budget. Commissioner Josh Herring agreed to ask commissioners for more funding.
Chairman Sherrod questioned the proposed salary amount for the new position of Mapping Technician. E-911 Director Tommy Layton stated that he felt the proposed $22,000.00 for Mapping Technician was not a sufficient salary due to other duties the technician performs. Tom Berry stated that City Engineer Steve Sykes would review the mapping responsibilities with Bruce Woods in the near future. Mayor Campbell suggests that the Mapping Technician position could be shared between the city and county. This would enable a salary increase for the position if the position were utilized equally between the two. It was decided that the position would stay at $22,000.00 at this time.
Commissioner Josh Herring and City Manager Tom Berry left the room at this time.
The E-911 uniforms were discussed. It was decided that the amount for uniforms would be decreased to $3,500.00.
Josh Herring and Tom Berry returned to the meeting.
Mayor Campbell made a motion in reference to lowering the funding of E-911 uniforms by $1,000.00. Commissioner Earl Williams seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Chairman Sherrod questioned if the budget included revenues for county employees and new employees that are not on a current pension plan. Executive Director Bruce Woods explained that contained in the budget was funding for current City of Thomasville firefighters who are vested at 4.5% and all other employees (including non-vested city employees and all other employees) are funded at 3%. Commissioner Earl Williams made the suggestion that Bruce Woods be responsible for going back and identifying any other budget cuts that may be made at this point.
Don Atkinson with Information Systems entered the meeting at this time.
Other Issues
Discussed:
Fire Chief Anderson suggested exploring the possibility of charging a $250.00 fee for fire services to the insurance companies per call. Chairman Sherrod suggested exploring the possibility at a later date.
Chairman Sherrod made a motion to ratify the proposed 1999 budget on December 7, 1998 at 4:30 PM Commissioner Earl Williams seconded the motion. Motion passed.
The next scheduled budget meeting will be December 7, 1998 at 4:30 PM in the City Hall Conference Room.
On motion of Chairman Sherrod and seconded by Mayor Campbell the meeting was adjourned.