June 14, 2010
Friday Huntington City Hall Closure, Budget Revisions Lead Discussion During Work Session
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) - No one’s going to convince some council members that closing City Hall on Friday has a potential value to constituents.
Although the work session contained numerous pauses and tongues held in check, the administration members and council members often minced words (and sometimes not) to leave room for a kiss and make up we’re sorry about lack of communication accord.
Still, council member Jim Ritter placed an assortment of issues on the table: “The budget does not reflect what we passed,” he said, specifically referring to no street resurfacing, no contingency fund, and a “rumor” about shutting down a fire station.
Answering the questions, director of administration and finance, Brandi Jacobs-Jones, stated that , “No discussion has been held of closing a fire station.” She stated the “rumor” to which councilman Ritter referred was incorrect. “Yes, there are operational and personal changes [in the Fire Department],” Ms. Jacobs-Jones said. One of those proposed changes would assign two fire fighters to inspection and compliance.
Councilman Russ Houck inquired about another “rumor” – would there be any cutback to emergency services and were the jobs of 14-16 firefighters in jeopardy.
“That’s news to me,” Jacobs-Jones stressed. “Council thought it important to fully fund the police and fire departments.”
After she told Houck, “I wish I could control rumors,” the councilman told Jacobs-Jones, “That why it is important to confront rumors and say they are wrong.”
Responding to Ritter’s paving schedule alteration question, Ms. Jacobs-Jones repeated the previously stated explanation.
“We raised it a dollar; we still show where that money goes,” Jacobs-Jones said, referring to the city’s web site.
“We have lost 1,500 employees [in the city] and due to less persons paying the fee,” there are less streets paved, she said.
However, the explanation for compressed work weeks and Friday City Hall closing met resistance from numerous council members.
Jacobs-Jones stressed practicalities of implementing certain furloughs and layoffs, particularly in small two or three person offices. In order to ensure the “continuity” of service, the four day work week was determined by the administration and department heads as most practical since “no one works in a vacuum.”
Ritter observed, “We did not approve the four day work week.”
Councilman Scott Caserta followed up asking, “How do we save money [by closing City Hall]?”
And, referring to personnel rearrangements given to council Friday afternoon, at large councilman Steve Williams adamantly stated, “These changes have nothing to do with the revised four day work week.” He continued, “It’s the same budget amount, no savings is shown.”
Trying to express his displeasures with these administration determinations without advance knowledge , Williams respectfully analogized the communication breakdown to a family where mom, dad and the kids disagree. “We still love you,” he said, adding that “handcuffing their allowance” is possible.
At the work session, council spent most of the discussion on restoration of three employees who work on the floodwall. In March, council voted to cut those jobs, after they were described as mostly mowing (of floodwall grass) and regular maintenance. Since the March approval to cut the positions, statements surfaced from Steve Riggs, floodwall superintendent, that the one or more of the positions likely must be maintained based on a Corps of Engineers inspection.
These same employees have skills and expertise at maintaining the floodwall pumping stations, particularly during a flood event. The pumps are 70 years old and these employees have knowledge of keeping the equipment performing. For that reason, the decision to “contract out” mowing and other options would be invalid. Further, employees such as laborers (or even volunteers) brought to the floodwall during an emergency would lack the skill the Corps of Engineers views as needed.
(The City of Huntington as well as HNN are awaiting a report on floodwall issues from the Corps of Engineers.)
Councilman Nate Randolph sought to lighten the tension created by the apparent communication oversights.
“We are under identical pressures. I don’t believe it was the intent of the Mayor” (to not give council a heads up prior to the public announcement. Randolph suggested the need for a “budget revision” discussion illustrating revenue that is down from last year and the progress of collections.
Deron Runyon advised that each department head had taken a hard look at the most recent numbers. After passing of the budget in March, council left it to the administration and department heads to determine where ten percent cuts would be made.
Prior to adjourning for an executive session on a personnel matter, Caserta asked Runyon to provide “an itemization” of the newly proposed budgetary alterations by the administration.
Under the strong mayor form of government, the administration sets budget line items, but council approves the TOTAL budget and PERSONNEL issues. Chairman Insco and city attorney Scott McClure both cite a Circuit Court settlement agreement involving former Mayor David Felinton and those on council on or about 2003.
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Friday Huntington City Hall Closure, Budget Revisions Lead Discussion During Work Session
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) - No one’s going to convince some council members that closing City Hall on Friday has a potential value to constituents.
Although the work session contained numerous pauses and tongues held in check, the administration members and council members often minced words (and sometimes not) to leave room for a kiss and make up we’re sorry about lack of communication accord.
Still, council member Jim Ritter placed an assortment of issues on the table: “The budget does not reflect what we passed,” he said, specifically referring to no street resurfacing, no contingency fund, and a “rumor” about shutting down a fire station.
Answering the questions, director of administration and finance, Brandi Jacobs-Jones, stated that , “No discussion has been held of closing a fire station.” She stated the “rumor” to which councilman Ritter referred was incorrect. “Yes, there are operational and personal changes [in the Fire Department],” Ms. Jacobs-Jones said. One of those proposed changes would assign two fire fighters to inspection and compliance.
Councilman Russ Houck inquired about another “rumor” – would there be any cutback to emergency services and were the jobs of 14-16 firefighters in jeopardy.
“That’s news to me,” Jacobs-Jones stressed. “Council thought it important to fully fund the police and fire departments.”
After she told Houck, “I wish I could control rumors,” the councilman told Jacobs-Jones, “That why it is important to confront rumors and say they are wrong.”
Responding to Ritter’s paving schedule alteration question, Ms. Jacobs-Jones repeated the previously stated explanation.
“We raised it a dollar; we still show where that money goes,” Jacobs-Jones said, referring to the city’s web site.
“We have lost 1,500 employees [in the city] and due to less persons paying the fee,” there are less streets paved, she said.
However, the explanation for compressed work weeks and Friday City Hall closing met resistance from numerous council members.
Jacobs-Jones stressed practicalities of implementing certain furloughs and layoffs, particularly in small two or three person offices. In order to ensure the “continuity” of service, the four day work week was determined by the administration and department heads as most practical since “no one works in a vacuum.”
Ritter observed, “We did not approve the four day work week.”
Councilman Scott Caserta followed up asking, “How do we save money [by closing City Hall]?”
And, referring to personnel rearrangements given to council Friday afternoon, at large councilman Steve Williams adamantly stated, “These changes have nothing to do with the revised four day work week.” He continued, “It’s the same budget amount, no savings is shown.”
Trying to express his displeasures with these administration determinations without advance knowledge , Williams respectfully analogized the communication breakdown to a family where mom, dad and the kids disagree. “We still love you,” he said, adding that “handcuffing their allowance” is possible.
At the work session, council spent most of the discussion on restoration of three employees who work on the floodwall. In March, council voted to cut those jobs, after they were described as mostly mowing (of floodwall grass) and regular maintenance. Since the March approval to cut the positions, statements surfaced from Steve Riggs, floodwall superintendent, that the one or more of the positions likely must be maintained based on a Corps of Engineers inspection.
These same employees have skills and expertise at maintaining the floodwall pumping stations, particularly during a flood event. The pumps are 70 years old and these employees have knowledge of keeping the equipment performing. For that reason, the decision to “contract out” mowing and other options would be invalid. Further, employees such as laborers (or even volunteers) brought to the floodwall during an emergency would lack the skill the Corps of Engineers views as needed.
(The City of Huntington as well as HNN are awaiting a report on floodwall issues from the Corps of Engineers.)
Councilman Nate Randolph sought to lighten the tension created by the apparent communication oversights.
“We are under identical pressures. I don’t believe it was the intent of the Mayor” (to not give council a heads up prior to the public announcement. Randolph suggested the need for a “budget revision” discussion illustrating revenue that is down from last year and the progress of collections.
Deron Runyon advised that each department head had taken a hard look at the most recent numbers. After passing of the budget in March, council left it to the administration and department heads to determine where ten percent cuts would be made.
Prior to adjourning for an executive session on a personnel matter, Caserta asked Runyon to provide “an itemization” of the newly proposed budgetary alterations by the administration.
Under the strong mayor form of government, the administration sets budget line items, but council approves the TOTAL budget and PERSONNEL issues. Chairman Insco and city attorney Scott McClure both cite a Circuit Court settlement agreement involving former Mayor David Felinton and those on council on or about 2003.
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