[00:00:01]
I'M GOING TO CALL THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 2023-31 TO ORDER.
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M GOING TO HAVE, UH, COUNCILMAN JOHNSON LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.HOORAH! ROLL CALL, MISS JONES.
COUNCILMAN FOSTER IS ON THE PHONE.
THANK YOU. WE'VE GOT ONLY ONE ITEM FOR OF BUSINESS, AND I'LL DEFER TO MISS SHERMAN.
[BUSINESS]
THANK YOU. MAYOR.I APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S WILLINGNESS AND ABILITY TO COME TOGETHER FOR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT WITH THEM.
AND WE'VE BEEN, UH, INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT IN OUR ABILITY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN, UH, NEW MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT. SO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ABOUT 18 VACANCIES.
THE FIRST STEP IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND A PARAMEDIC INCENTIVE INCREASE THE CURRENT INCREASE, OR EXCUSE ME, THE CURRENT INCENTIVE IS $5,500 A YEAR, PAID OUT BI WEEKLY.
IT WOULD BE PAID OUT BASED ON YEARS OF SERVICE.
THE EMPLOYEES, THOSE NON PARAMEDICS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, WOULD RECEIVE THE LUMP SUM OF $5,000 IN ONE PAYMENT AND THAT WOULD BE IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
THE EMPLOYEES WHO'VE BEEN WITH US FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS WOULD HAVE THAT SPLIT, AND THAT SPLIT WOULD BE $2,500 IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, AND THE OTHER $2,500 IN THE FIRST PAYCHECK OF MARCH OF 2024.
UM, ALSO, THERE'S CRITERIA IN THERE.
UM, THEY'RE STARTING TO DO SIGN ON BONUSES AS WELL.
AND WE JUST REALLY WANT TO POSITION OURSELVES IN THE RIGHT SPOT.
SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING A $5,000 HIRING BONUS I'VE INCLUDED IN YOUR AGENDA PACKET AS, AS IF THE MATH WORKED OUT THAT WE PAID THE ENTIRE HIRING BONUS ALL IN THIS FISCAL YEAR FOR ALL OF THE CURRENT VACANCIES.
SO I PUT THAT AS THE FULL AMOUNT.
THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY HOW IT WOULD PLAY OUT, BECAUSE, UM, HIRING BONUSES ARE NOT ONLY CONTINGENT ON WHEN YOU HIRE AND FILL THE POSITION, BUT ALSO WE END UP WITH CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS WITH THOSE FOLKS, AND THEY'RE PAID AT CERTAIN POINTS IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT OVER A COUPLE YEAR PERIOD.
SO ALL TOTAL, THE IF I INCLUDE THAT AS A FULL AMOUNT, THE TOTAL VALUE OF THESE INCREASES FOR THESE ONE TIME PAYMENTS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR IS AROUND $840,000. UM, AND THE FUNDING I'M PROPOSING USING FOR THAT IS THE UNSPENT GENERAL FUND DOLLARS AT THE END OF THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, RIGHT NOW HAVE ABOUT $4.6 MILLION THAT WOULD FALL BACK INTO UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE.
SO I'M RECOMMENDING USING THOSE FUNDS AS THE SOURCE TO PAY THIS ONE TIME ITEM.
SO THAT THAT, IN A NUTSHELL, IS THE ITEM.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, COUNCIL. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN. FOSTER.
YOU DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? YES, I HAVE A QUESTION.
A. THE SHERMAN DOING THE RESEARCH OF THIS.
WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE, UM, INCENTIVE FOR THE PARAMEDICS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU LOOKED AT? LOOKED INTO THAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE AN AVERAGE.
[00:05:03]
I COULD CERTAINLY HAVE CHIEF COME UP AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE EXAMPLES WE'VE SEEN, IF YOU'D LIKE THAT.YEAH. LET'S HAVE THE CHIEF COME UP.
OKAY. THE CHIEF. THE CHIEF MIGHT HAVE IT.
THANK ALL OF YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT.
AND CONSIDERING THIS, UM, AN ANSWER TO THAT COUNCIL MEMBER IS RIGHT NOW, WE'RE SEEING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 7500 AND UP TO $10,000 AS AN AVERAGE.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT ARE AT ABOUT 12.5.
AND THEN THEY THEY ROLL IT BACK DEPENDING ON CERTAIN QUALIFICATIONS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE'VE, UH, I DON'T HAVE AN AVERAGE OF THAT MYSELF, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE ARE FAR BEHIND EVERYBODY ELSE, NOT JUST WITH THE PAY PART OF IT, BUT WITH THE INCENTIVE PART FOR THE MEDIC.
THE PARAMEDIC PART IS WHERE WE'RE REALLY SUFFERING IS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE CAUSING THE CURRENT MEDICS THAT WE HAVE ON THESE UNITS TO, TO ACTUALLY JUST LIVE ON THESE UNITS.
AND IT'S NOTHING BUT PURE BURNOUT FOR THEM.
SO WE'RE HOPING BETWEEN THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THAT'LL HELP THEM A LITTLE BIT OBVIOUSLY.
COUNCILMAN. FOSTER. OKAY, CHIEF.
UM. ARE WE ARE WE LOSING? IT SEEMS LIKE WE GOT LESS PARAMEDICS THAN EMT.
ARE WE LOSING PARAMEDICS AT A RAPID RATE OR FROM RETIREMENT OR JUST MOVING ON? I CAN'T ANSWER EXACTLY HOW MANY WE HAVE LOST BECAUSE OF THE PAY, BUT IT'S MY FEELING THAT THERE ARE THAT WE HAVE LOST.
BUT I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN EXACT NUMBER ON THAT THAT'S BEING RESEARCHED.
MAYBE THE UNION HAS A BETTER NUMBER ON THAT, BUT I DO NOT.
AND IF I MAY, THERE'S ONE THING THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO TO CLEAR UP.
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN REFERENCED AS JUST ENGINE MEDICS IN THE PAST AND.
THEY'RE ON AN ENGINE. THEY'RE A PARAMEDIC.
THAT'S TRUE. THEY ARE ENGINE MEDICS.
BUT WHAT'S NOT SEEN IN THE BACKGROUND THAT MOST OF US DON'T SEE.
AND I SIT IN THE OFFICE, I DON'T REALLY SEE THIS.
I'M JUST AWARE OF IT FROM MY PAST.
HISTORY IS WHEN AN ENGINE AND A RESCUE PULLS OUT OF THE FIRE STATION TO GO TO A CALL, IF THAT CALL INVOLVES TRANSPORT TO THE HOSPITAL, THAT TRANSPORT ORGANIZATION, IN THIS CASE, BREVARD COUNTY, WHICH DOES EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO PROVIDE A GREAT LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO THIS IS NOT ON THEM. IT'S ALL IN THE FACILITY, THE RECEIVING FACILITY OR THE HOSPITAL.
THEY TURN AROUND, THEY TRANSPORT THAT PATIENT TO THE RECEIVING FACILITY.
WE CAN HAVE ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO 60 MINUTE WALL TIME.
WAIT, THAT MEANS THAT THE THESE MEDICS ARE SITTING THERE.
WELL, WHILE THAT'S HAPPENING, OUR GUYS, OUR WOMEN ARE OUT THERE RUNNING TWO AND THREE CALLS DURING THAT 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR, DEPENDING ON THE CALL LOAD AND THE TIME OF DAY AND THE DAY OF THE WEEK.
SO YEAH, THEY MIGHT BE JUST ENGINE MEDICS, BUT THEY'RE DOING FAR MORE TREATMENT AND TOUCHING OF PATIENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THE WALL TIME AT THE HOSPITAL OR THE RECEIVING FACILITY.
SO THIS THIS IS GOING TO HELP WITH THOSE ISSUES ALSO.
THE EMT FIREFIGHTER, RIGHT? I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
I'M SORRY. CAN YOU CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? COUNCILMAN FOSTER HE'S.
LOSING A PARAMEDIC FIREFIGHTER IS IS, UH, CRUCIAL TO OUR FIRE MISSION.
FIRE RESCUE MISSION VERSUS AN EMT.
I MEAN, WHAT'S WHAT'S THE MOTIVATION TO GET YOUR FIREFIGHTERS FROM EMT TO PARAMEDICS? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE'RE HOPEFUL ALSO THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UH, WE'VE ASKED FOR AND WE'VE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY $50,000 PER YEAR TO PUT OUR INTERNAL PEOPLE THROUGH THE PROCESS. THAT'S ABOUT SEVEN PEOPLE.
BUT THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE APPROACHED US AND SAID, HEY, WHEN CAN I GET INTO A CLASS? SO YES, THAT WILL HELP US INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY TO GET THIS, GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF.
[00:10:02]
OKAY. COUNCILMAN.THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR. ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CHIEF.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO COME AND SPEAK FOR THIS ITEM OR AGAINST THIS ITEM? BRIAN LOCAL 2446.
I CAN ANSWER A LITTLE BIT OF THE QUESTION.
SO, MR. FOSTER, WITH REGARDS TO DEPARTURE, IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE 26 PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT, MANY OF WHICH ARE MEDICS OR WERE PEOPLE STARTING INTO THEIR MEDIC EDUCATION.
UM, WE HAVE CURRENTLY, I BELIEVE IT'S 7 OR 8 WHO ARE IN THE POTENTIAL OF DEPARTING OUR CITY.
MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE ARE ALSO MEDICS.
AS THE DISTRICT CHIEF ALSO WITH THE DEPARTMENT, EACH TIME WE LOSE A PARAMEDIC, WHICH WE'RE ALREADY AT A CRITICAL STAFFING PART FOR, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FIRE MEDICS FOR US TO DO STAFFING A LOT OF DAYS.
AND AS CHIEF STOVER DID MENTION, WE'RE ENDING UP HAVING TO PUT THE SAME FIRE MEDICS THAT WE DO HAVE, THE MINIMAL THAT WE HAVE ON SQUADS, WHICH ARE A GOOD THING FOR CARE FOR THE CITIZENS.
BUT THOSE MEDICS ARE LIVING A DAILY GRIND ON THOSE SQUAD UNITS, RUNNING UP TO 20 CALLS A SHIFT.
SO EACH TIME WE DO LOSE SOMEBODY TO DEPARTURE FROM PAY AND ALSO THE LACK OF THE INCENTIVE ON THE MEDIC SIDE FOR PAY, UM, IT'S A CRITICAL PIECE 100%. UM, AS A DISTRICT CHIEF, I DO STAFFING.
SO I WATCH IT AND IT AFFECTS US DAILY.
WHERE, WHERE WHERE ARE THEY? THOSE THAT HAVE LEFT.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE THEY'VE GONE.
SO THAT'S A BIG DISCUSSION WHEN WE WE KEEP GOING BACK.
AND I ORIGINALLY WAS HAVING THEM WRITE LETTERS OF WHY THEY LEFT.
UM, I MEAN, IF WE HAVE TO GET DEEPER INTO THAT, SO MANY HAVE GONE BACK.
SOME ARE FROM DOWN SOUTH, SOME ARE FROM THE ORLANDO AREA, SOME ARE.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP RECENTLY ARE MOVING BACK TO FAMILY.
SO ONE, ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT CAME UP RECENTLY, HE HE POTENTIALLY IS MOVING BACK TO FAMILY BECAUSE HE CAN'T LIVE IN THE CITY TO RENT AN APARTMENT IN THE CITY, WHICH WE PRESENTED RECENTLY. IT'S $1,800 FOR RENT.
THEY DON'T QUALIFY OUR BASE PAY AT 42.
SO THESE PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH MOM AND DAD.
I MEAN, AND WE ALL KNOW WE TALK ABOUT IT'S FINANCE.
EVERYTHING IS SO MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
BUT, UM, MEDIC I MEAN, I'LL JUST SOUND OFF WHAT HE SAID.
AND I KNOW SUZANNE IS ALSO HIGHLY AWARE OF ALL OF THIS, YOU KNOW, IN DISCUSSIONS.
AND THE BUDGET IS THE BUDGET, AND WE ALL HAVE TO WORK WITH INSIDE THAT.
BUT, UM, I HOPE I ANSWER THE QUESTION.
I MEAN, IT'S CRITICAL WE'RE I JUST WANTED TO KNOW MORE GEOGRAPHICALLY, MORE OR LESS WHERE WHERE ARE THEY GOING? ARE THEY STAYING WITH WITHIN OUR COUNTY? ARE THEY GOING TO OUR ORANGE COUNTY? SO WE WE ARE LOSING THEM.
WHAT HAPPENS IS AS A FIREFIGHTER NOWADAYS, IF THEY GO TO THE MEDIC WORLD, RIGHT.
WE HAD OUR FIRST ROUND OF PEOPLE TO GO TO PARAMEDIC SCHOOL.
WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE WHO JUST BECAME PARAMEDICS WHO ARE GOING TO LEAVE US.
RIGHT. AND THAT, SADLY, IS WHAT HAPPENED TO BREVARD COUNTY FIRE RESCUE.
THEIR HISTORY IS THESE FIREFIGHTERS, THEY COME IN, THEY GET EDUCATED, AND THEN THEY START TO SEE.
AND NOWADAYS, SOCIAL MEDIA EVERY DAY, IF YOU'RE ON THIS THING, IT'S CALLED A LIST.
IT POSTS EVERY DAY, A NEW HIRING.
AND IT'S THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN MAKE HERE.
THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN MAKE HERE.
SO THE NEWS, IT MOVES SO FAST.
AND PEOPLE AT THAT AGE, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT NUMBER.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AND SIGNING BONUSES.
THESE ARE LIKE SHE SAID IT'S SO COMPETITIVE NOW IN THE FIRE INDUSTRY.
WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS THAT WE'RE BECOMING A TRAINING GROUND FOR OTHERS.
WE ARE AND WE WILL BECOME THAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE IDEA HERE IS.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF BEING PROACTIVE.
SO WE BECOME LITERALLY A DESTINATION BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE ARE THE LARGEST CITY.
AND YOU SAY IT ALL THE TIME, GREATEST CITY.
I MEAN, WE ARE WE'RE AT A NUMBER THAT LIKE, I'VE BEEN HERE 23 YEARS, WE'RE AT ANOTHER.
LIKE, IT'S CRAZY TO THINK OF CALLS WHEN I RAN WHEN I WAS HERE.
[00:15:02]
UM, AND IT IS FRUSTRATING AS A DISTRICT CHIEF.AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE UNION AS WELL.
BUT AS A DISTRICT CHIEF, I LIVE WITH THESE PEOPLE.
AND THEN WATCH THEM LEAVE, AND ALL I CAN DO IS WISH THEM GOOD LUCK.
YOU KNOW, UM, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.
WE PUT TIME AND ENERGY, UM, ON HIS PART.
I KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WORKED UP SOMETHING FOR US WHERE EACH TIME WE LOSE A PERSON, THE INVESTMENT INTO A FIREFIGHTER AT THIS POINT IS AROUND $100,000 IF WE LOSE THAT PERSON.
IT'S ACTUALLY A LEGITIMATE, UH, TRAINING COURSE.
LIKE WHEN I GOT HIRED ORIGINALLY, IT WAS TWO WEEKS.
THAT'S NOT REALLY ENOUGH TIME TO TRAIN SOMEBODY TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
SO EVERYTHING IS MOVING IN A GOOD DIRECTION FOR TRAINING, BUT NOW WE'RE GIVING THEM GOOD TRAINING, AND THEN THEY'RE OFFERED THE MEDIC PROGRAM, AND THEN WE'RE LOSING AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT WE BECOME A TRAINING AND THEN THEY WILL LEAVE US SADLY.
AND THAT THAT IS A CONCERN, I APPRECIATE THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? WELL THANK YOU, SIR.
ANYONE ELSE WISH TO COME AND SPEAK? JOHN MULLARKEY, VICE PRESIDENT, LOCAL 2446.
YOU KNOW, OUR STEPS GET MOVED UP, BUT I KNOW THROUGH BUDGET AND IT COULDN'T WORK OUT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO LET, UM, YOU GUYS KNOW, JUST ADDING THIS LITTLE BIT BRINGS US UP TO WHERE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE LOWEST PAID CITY EMPLOYEE, BECAUSE CURRENTLY OUR FIREFIGHTERS RIGHT NOW ARE 15.
WHAT IS IT, $15.13 AN HOUR BASED ON THEIR HOURLY RATE, BASED ON A 53 HOUR WORKWEEK.
AND, YOU KNOW, TAKING KELLY DAYS OUT OF THAT THERE, I THINK IT GOES UP TO LIKE $15.75 AN HOUR.
SO WITH THIS BONUS, IT BRINGS THEM UP TO, YOU KNOW, THE $17 AN HOUR MARK.
SO IF THAT PUTS IT IN ANY KIND OF PERSPECTIVE.
SO UM, AND ALSO, UM, MISS SHERMAN IS ALSO COMING UP.
WE'RE GOING THROUGH CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
AND UM, IT WAS TOLD TO US, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
SO, UM, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
SO WE WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS AND THANK YOU.
AND PLEASE BUILD US IN FIRE STATIONS BECAUSE WE NEED THEM.
IT'S, UM, YOU GUYS SEE THE TRAFFIC OUT THERE AND HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO GET TO THESE CALLS.
IT'S JUST GETTING IT'S GETTING WORSE.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS THINKING FORWARD AND HAVING THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN AND, UM APPRECIATE IT.
ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? SEEING NONE. I THINK WE SHOULD, UH.
SO MOVED. SECOND, GOT A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN JOHNSON, SECONDED BY, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR OF FELIX.
NOT NOTHING REALLY AT ALL, MAYOR, OTHER THAN WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, A FEW YEARS BACK, UM, AND US BEING, WELL, STAFF AND THE DEPARTMENT COMING TO US AS QUICK AS THEY DID HELPED US GET, UM, BACK ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
I'LL BE BACK. YEAH. YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE.
YES, SIR. THAT'S ALL. COUNCILMAN JOHNSON.
DEPUTY MAYOR. MAYOR, I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO ADD, EXCEPT, YOU KNOW, I'M DEFINITELY SUPPORTING THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT'S BEEN SAID, UH, THE NEED IS THERE.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT. THIS IS WAY TOO IMPORTANT TO NOT TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF IT RIGHT AWAY.
SO, UH, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS, SO I'M GOING TO LET COUNCILMAN FOSTER.
I CAN'T MAKE A VISUAL OF HIM, BUT I WANT HIM TO.
ARE YOU GOING TO WEIGH IN? UH, COUNCILMAN FOSTER? YES, MAYOR.
UM, THE REASON WHY I ASKED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE THE PARAMEDICS AND SENATE AND WHY IT'S CRUCIAL TO KEEP OUR, UH, FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE EMTS TO MOVE THEM UP TO PARAMEDICS.
I THINK THE TESTIMONY FROM THE FIREFIGHTERS UNION AND THE FIRE CHIEF, UH, HIGHLIGHTS THAT, UM, THE REASON WHY I WENT INTO THAT, UH, QUESTION IS BECAUSE FOR THE FIRE MEDICS INCIDENT, IT'S, UH, 12,500.
I DON'T KNOW IF MRS SHERMAN HAS IT IN THE BUDGET TO INCREASE THAT TO 13,500 AT AN EXTRA $1,000 FOR THE PARAMEDIC AND SENATE. UM, THAT'S THAT'S MY THINKING.
[00:20:05]
FOR ANOTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT.UH, THIS IS A SENATE TO KEEP THEM HERE, ESPECIALLY OUR FIRE MEDICS.
YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THEM AT ALL.
ESPECIALLY AFTER WE TRAIN THEM TO GET THEM TO THAT LEVEL OF MEDICAL EXPERTISE.
UM, THEY ARE CRUCIAL IN THE SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, I WOULD SUPPORT THE MOTION AS IS, BUT I WANT TO KNOW IF WE CAN INCREASE THE, UH, THE PARAMEDIC INCENTIVE TO 13.5.
I GUESS THAT'S A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
SO I YOU KNOW, WE DID GO THROUGH SOME NEGOTIATIONS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU WOULD BE TO, UM, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO ADOPT THESE AND APPROVE OF THESE PARTICULAR INCENTIVE CHANGES TODAY, LET US SEE HOW THE IMPLEMENTATION ACTUALLY GOES.
IF WE FIND THAT WE ARE NOT, IF WE FIND THAT OUR PAY IS IS TOO FAR OUT OF WHACK WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, AND EVEN THESE INCENTIVES DON'T ACTUALLY GET US WHERE WE NEED TO BE, THEN WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU.
BUT MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS ENOUGH TO TO GET US THROUGH THIS TIME SO WE CAN DO OUR CONTRACT.
NEGOTIATIONS HAVE A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PAY BY OCTOBER 1ST.
OKAY, THAT THAT'S A GOOD PLAN TO ME.
DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS? COUNCILWOMAN FOSTER.
I THINK THE COMMENTS FROM BRIAN GENT WERE SPOT ON.
SO I THINK THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO COUNCILMAN FOSTER'S POINT.
UH, THAT'LL BE PART OF THE ONGOING NEGOTIATION, WHICH IS PART OF IT.
BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A GOOD STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS TO SAVE LIVES.
RIGHT. AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO SAVE LIVES IF WE DON'T HAVE THE THE MORALE OR WE DON'T HAVE THE PERSONNEL THAT ARE GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND TAKE THAT INITIATIVE AND DO THIS JOB.
SO I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
AND I'M I'M QUITE FRANKLY, I'M PLEASED THAT WE'RE WE'RE TAKING THAT INITIATIVE TO KEEP OUR, OUR MEN AND WOMEN AT A POSITION WHERE THEY COULD AFFORD TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTY.
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING I.
SO AT THIS TIME, THAT'S THE ONLY, UH, ITEM ON THIS SPECIAL MEETING.
AND, MISS, BEFORE I CONCLUDE, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, OUR HR DIRECTOR, LAURA, IS HERE,
AND AND I THINK YOU GOT YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.