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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Findlay Fire Dept. to evaluate operations
Diamond Mine Direct
By JOY BROWN

STAFF WRITER

Tired of layoff threats and not content to coast for the next three years using extra income tax money, the Findlay Fire Department told City Council on Tuesday it will form a committee to study long-term department efficiencies.

In a letter, Fire Chief Tom Lonyo said he is forming a "Long-Term Operations and Planning Committee" that will examine everything from the department's administrative structure to its equipment expenses.

"In my opinion, business as usual will merely result in another tax request when this ballot issue expires," Lonyo said of the three-year, quarter-percent income tax increase passed Nov. 3. "I would consider that a failure to the constituents to whom we serve."

Lonyo is the second city administrator this week to emphasize a desire not to return to the voters with a tax renewal request.

Service Director Bruce Hardy also said he thinks the city must find ways to permanently live with a smaller budget.

The additional income tax is expected to generate about $3.5 million annually, with $600,000 of that being set aside yearly for flood control studies and projects.

But administrators are reiterating the purpose of the tax hike is to ease the city through the economic recession. The increase is meant to be temporary, they said.

Considering that the fire and police departments have repeatedly faced the threat of layoffs in the past year, the firefighters' announcement Tuesday was viewed as sensible.

"It sounds like a good idea," Police Chief Greg Horne said after the meeting. He said he may follow Lonyo's footsteps in forming a similar committee for the police department, which is the city's largest and costliest.

The fire department, however, has not had as much financial breathing room this year as the police force.

Findlay police in August received a $940,510 state grant that will enable the city to avoid 13 police layoffs through 2010. City Council's Appropriations Committee in December is expected to suggest council approve $313,503 in matching funds required for that grant.

But the fire department was facing 18 firefighter layoffs and the closing of Fire Station 4 on the east side had the income tax issue not passed.

Lonyo called the tax increase "a much needed lifeline" that is preventing "catastrophic cuts" to the fire department's operating budget.

"It was not long ago that five-plus years was considered long-term planning," Lonyo wrote. "That changed in September of 2008, when the department's long-term planning turned into 'the next 90 days.' The city has struggled repeatedly since that time just trying to maintain the current level of services and staffing for the fire department."

Administrators say they recognize the city cannot continue to rely solely on bailouts in the form of state and federal grants to continue operating.

Lonyo said his committee will create "benchmarks" over the next three years "which will measure our success and failures."

The committee will include the three battalion chiefs, nine department members "with varying years of experience and backgrounds," and 2nd Ward Councilman Randy Van Dyne because of his "experience in safety and first response and as a seated member of the Ohio State Emergency Response Commission."

Separately Tuesday, council gave the first of three readings to legislation that will change the city's tax code to include the quarter-percent increase, and will seek proposals from local companies to offer fitness testing for city employees.

Workers who qualify will receive fitness stipends from the city, which are part of an incentives program set to begin in January that is meant to save on health insurance costs.

The city will offer $500 to insured employees who meet pre-determined fitness criteria involving cholesterol, body fat, cardiovascular fitness and health knowledge.

Employees will be given information on healthy living and will have to take a quiz to prove they've read the material to receive the stipend.

Auditor Robert Sprague said the testing will cost between $100 and $150 annually per employee.

Separately, Safety Director Jim Barker said the Work Opportunity Rehabilitation Center, now in its fifth week of operation in the old Parker Lumber building west of the county jail, is running smoothly and has had more residents than expected.

Barker said there are now 47 residents in the work-release program for prisoners, and "everyone is paying" their $25 per day fee. More beds were added because the program expects to have more than 50 residents starting next week, he said.

"Our goal was to start with 35. We passed that the second week of operation," said Barker. That number is the city's "break even" financial number, he said.

Only men are accepted into the program, but Barker said the city "has looked at the possibility of adding females in the spring."

Brown: 419-427-8496,

Send an e-mail to Joy Brown


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11 Comments (2 pages)

Latest comments listed first.
Mike wrote:
Stipends for City Employees?
“ What the hell is this? Fitness stipends for insured City employees that meet certain fitness criteria? The city of Findlay wants to spend $100-$150 annually for testing of each insured employee, and if they meet a certain criteria and pass a test, wham bam there's your $500 stipend! Is this a smart use of our tax dollars? This is a sham! Already you can see that passing the latest tax increase was a mistake! ”
Thursday, November 19, 2009 1:41:33 PM
toots wrote:
why are we beating up on the working class?
“ City workers and fire fighters are the ones actually working. Let's look at Administration, office workers and city council. What are their losses? Is council, who already have paying jobs, still getting the perks, insurance and the like? How about getting some average joes in there, volunteers, to go over the budget? I bet those of us LIVING on a bare bones budget could find the money they need! ”
Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:04:03 PM
clem wrote:
city workers
“ im sure they start their days round 6am or so. and if your saying that they r sitting at wolfies around 9am isnt that just about time for a break. after all arent most breaks aproximately every 2-3 hrs. i do believe so. get off their backs. they are working men and women just like the rest of us and deserve a break also. beings they are out on the street working they dont have the luxury of sitting in a break room with vending machines and coffee pots. so a convenience store seems to be the next best option to me. ”
Thursday, November 19, 2009 10:27:26 AM
JOJO wrote:
City Workers
“ Thanks City Worker for setting us straight. I too used to be one of those bitter, jealous and envious people that downed our city workers. You have opened my eyes to what you guys have to do...working on holidays...getting up before the crack of dawn...outside in the cold. How about we all look at ourselves first and see how efficient we are when it come to OUR job. Thank a city worker next time you see one...I will! ”
Thursday, November 19, 2009 5:55:18 AM
Tim Hassan wrote:
city worker
“ I feel compelled to clarify a few things for you. I am a 25+ year member of the Findlay Fire Department, I am part of the committee that crafted the Firefighters concessions last spring, and to make this as crystal clear for you as I possibly can, through the end of the year, the Firefighters each will accrue 72 hours of furlough time off in lieu of pay. Now Im no math major, but 72 hours divided by 8 hours is equal to nine unpaid furlough days. In the last contract, city officials offered members with less than 7 years employment step reductions to 5 years effectively increasing their pay, this was conceded. City Council recently approved fitness stipends of $500 and $1000, similar to the one the fire department has had for several years, and included spouses of city employees excluding those of bargaining unit members. The Firefighters conceded those stipends for 2009 (and spouses aren't included in our deal, by the way). On the occasions when a Fire Officer is off duty, somebody fills in to perform the additional duties, and responsibilities of the Officer. The additional pay, but not the duties and responsibilities, was conceded. Mandated Officer Development training for promotional consideration was conceded. Several other benefits have been forgone, but for the sake of brevity, it is safe to say that short of base pay and insurance almost all benefits were conceded. To me, in addition to the contract losses experienced during the last negotiations, that is all pretty significant. How dare you say the Firefighters have been immune?

Lest you forget, weve been there on the sub-zero Christmas mornings when you called for help to vacuum water out of the living room of the house when a water line in the street broke, or to shut the sprinklers off in a frozen system in an empty building. Weve been there to keep people out of downed power lines during major storms until barricades could be delivered, etc, etc, etc

I certainly wouldn't presume to speak for everyone, but I commend the job you do clearing the streets so we can do our jobs. I always try to offer you a cup of coffee when you are clearing our approaches during icy and snowy weather. About a month ago at an accident on Crystal Ave, the guy in the street sweeper did a super job helping to clean up an oil spill. You have been there for us as well, and it is appreciated. Rather than be factitious with the individuals whining about your breaks, it may behoove you to explain how city policy mandates that you stop near your worksite during breaks, that it is not a donut run. If Wolfies is close, then so be it.

Its unfortunate that you, presumably not a member of one of the three city bargaining units, take such a dim view of those who bargained for the wage increases, which were traditionally passed along to you. Since the grass on our side of the fence is so much greener, as you seem to believe, I invite you to come fill one of our eight unfilled positions, assuming they are ever filled, and walk a mile in our gear.
 ”
Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:16:52 AM
Private Citizen wrote:
Ungrateful
“ You all are acting very ungrateful. As City worker says yeah why don't you stop in and give him your address. Make sure you also give it to the fire dept. Yes these guys do make pretty good money for doing little work. But are they questioned how much they make when its 2:45am on Christmas morning with 4 inches of snow on the ground and your house is on fire. Did I mention that your trapped inside and they rescue you? These men and women put their lives on the line to save yours. Im really not here to argue the facts of what is happening, I just want to say remember not everyone makes a whole lot of money. City workers have a pretty good paying job. Id say a lot better paying job then mine. I make $8 and hour and Im the one who comes to save your life also. In the 10 years I've been doing this in Findlay we have never been paid good. So don't be so ungrateful be happy you have a job. ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 8:59:14 PM
Charles wrote:
Misled?
“ There were articles in the paper indicating that the CIT tax passage would only benefit the fire dept. right off the bat. The city said the other layoffs would occur regardless until at least Feb. when the tax money started to come in. I don't feel the city misled anyone. Same goes for the county and the sheriff layoffs. The sheriff also said that passage of the sales tax would only cut back on the number of layoffs. He said that layoffs would still happen. These taxes don't solve any of the county/city financial problems, they only help bridge the gap. ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 8:15:45 PM
city worker wrote:
wasting money
“ Us city workers, like everyone else, have suffered a lot this past year. Unlike the fire dept., which is still getting their 4% raise in January-after crying the blues to the public about how bad their department was money wise, those in other departments took 8 days without pay to help reduce the city debt, and try and keep some our fellow employees keep their jobs. Those of us who plow your street, fix your water line breaks, keep your sewers flowing smoothly, traffic lights working, and all the other things you take for granted are not getting a raise this year, did not get one last year, and surely won't get one next year. With the forlough days we had to take, we lost even more money, apparently to fund the fire dept.'s raise. And you have the guts to say we cannot stop and grab a cup of coffee? Wolfies is a fine carryout, and ran by very nice people. We are allowed a 10 minute break, and if we are on that end of town, we stop there. We are not wasting your tax dollars, we are grabbing something to drink. I'm guessing you don't work outdoors, in all kinds of weather, or late into the night when a water line breaks, or a sewer plugs, or the snow is falling like crazy. We work, and when we get a chance for a break, we grab something, then get back to the job. And since you seem to go by Wolfie's everyday, stop in and introduce yourself. And, give us your address. So when your water isn't flowing, your toilet isn't flushing, your road is drifting, and it's 2:45 AM on Christmas morning, we can be sure to help you out. And we won't even stop to get a cup of coffee before heading your way-we promise. ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 6:45:35 PM
DB wrote:
Taxes
“ After being misled by the city into thinking the pool would open and no one would be laid off if we approved the tax increase, they better start to address issues such as the coffee and doughnut runs during work hours before cutting more people. ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 3:47:54 PM
Tim wrote:
Wasting City time and money
“ I would like to know what time City workers start in the morning. On any given day at around 9:00, you see 4 to 6 city trucks at Wolfe's carry out.

Can they not get their coffee and donuts before they get to work in the morning, and not waste The City's time and wear and tear on the trucks to do this.

With all the talk about the City trying to cut back, I beleive this needs to be looked into..... ”
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 2:39:09 PM
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After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

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