Thursday, April 13, 2006
(Audio Replays of the meeting are available upon request)
A special called meeting of the Wake County Fire Commission was held on Thursday, April 13, 2006, 4 p.m., in the Wake County Commons Building, Carya Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina.
CALL MEETING TO ORDER
Ms. Suggs called the meeting to order.
The following members were present: Mr. Dewey Poole, Chief Tom Vaughn, Senator Vernon Malone, Chief Mark Haraway, Ms. Ann Suggs, Mr. Billy Myrick, Mr. Michael Fletcher, Mr. Rob McGraw, and Chief Tony Mauldin
Members absent were: Chief Scott McCollum, Ms. Sue-Lynn Hinson, Commissioner Harold Webb, Mr. Lucius Jones, Chief Paul Dunwell, Chief Mike Cooper, Chief Rodney Privette and Chief Chris Wilson
Mr. Billy Myrick gave an invocation.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Mr. Myrick made a motion to approve the agenda, which was seconded by Mr. Poole. The motion passed unanimously.
REGULAR agenda
COMPENSATION SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT
Captain David Price gave an update on the market study and proposed pay adjustment guidelines. He recapped the presentation given at the last meeting. Captain Price fielded questions regarding the compensation plan and the proposed adjustments.
Chief Vaughan made a motion to approve the market study pay adjustment proposal with the stipulation that the committee explore the possibility of eliminating the probationary firefighter position. Mr. Myrick seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Ray Echevarria presented a proposal for guidelines regarding pay adjustments within the compensation plan. The proposal outlined guidelines for departments to give pay adjustments to employees to correct salary inequity issue or for employee responsibility changes. The proposal was sent back to committee for further review.
STAFFING COMMITTEE
Chief Haraway presented a report from the benefits assessment. The assessment identified those departments not participating in the VFIS life insurance benefits. The staffing committee recommended that the Commission make it a priority to allocate the funds to add the non-participating departments to the existing accidental death and injury insurance program with the 24/7 rider coverage at an estimated cost of $75,000 per year. Mr. Poole made a motion to adopt the recommendation with the understanding that the budget committee work to find the additional funding needed, seconded by Mr. Myrick. The motion passed unanimously.
APPARATUS COMMITTEE
No report.
FACILITY COMMittee
Mr. Myrick reported that the facility committee recommends that Bay Leaf Fire Department be allocated up to $50,000 toward design and planning of a renovation of Bay Leaf Station #1. Chief Vaughan made the motion, seconded by Mr. Poole. The motion carried.
Chief Vaughan reported on the committee’s work on new proposed station locations. The committee has received several requests and will be reporting at a later date.
Mr. Poole gave an update on the committee’s work regarding Durham Highway Station #2. Mr. Poole has spoken with representatives from the City of Raleigh Fire Department and has requested to meet with Durham Highway to review the station situation. The committee recommends that the station be considered closed for County funding purposes and be considered a City of Raleigh Fire Station, since the Raleigh Fire Department occupies the station with two staffed companies. It is the committee’s opinion that no County funding be provided towards this station. Chief Vaughan made a motion to accept the committee’s recommendation that Durham Highway Station #2 be considered closed for budget purposes and no funding be allocated towards it. Mr. Myrick seconded the motion. Clarification was made that this station would not be considered in other committees’ work, such as apparatus replacement, staffing, etc. The motion carried unanimously. This situation will be revisited as needed if additional information comes forward.
PART-TIME FIRE CHIEF COMPENSATION
Mr. Poole gave a report on his letter requesting the staffing committee review part-time Fire Chief compensation. The letter requests the committee work to examine and standardize compensation for part-time Fire Chiefs. Part of their work will be to define what distinguishes a part-time Fire Chief from a full-time Fire Chief. A report will be forthcoming.
budget committee
Chief Vaughan reported that the committee was working to develop the coming year’s budget proposal and will bring a report in coming months.
A discussion was held regarding the use of Homeland Security Funding and other grant sources. Chief Vaughan requested that a list be provided of Emergency Management resources. This list would be used to assess the equipment available and needed throughout the county. Chief Vaughan expressed the need to have this type of equipment (i.e., cots, etc.) distributed throughout the County, as compared to be centrally located in one warehouse.
Pay Adjustment Guidelines
Mr. Billy Myrick requested the Fire Commission reconsider the pay adjustment issue. After discussion, Mr. Myrick made a motion that Eastern Wake Fire/Rescue be allowed to make a salary adjustment for one employee as needed as long as the change does not increase the department’s personnel budget and that the staffing committee proceed with development of a policy for salary adjustments. Senator Malone seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS
Ms. Suggs reminded everyone of the upcoming apparatus display on April 27, 2006, and encouraged everyone to attend.
Mr. Poole inquired regarding County Commissioner appointee to the Fire Commission. Ms. Suggs will contact the Chairman of the County Commissioner to identify this Commission’s County Commissioner’s appointee.
Adjournment
The next regular meeting of the Wake County Fire Commission is scheduled for Thursday, May 4, 2006.