Proposed Fire Department Consolidation

From Councilman Sam Zurier's December 11 Ward Letter

The administration has presented a tentative agreement with the fire fighters for the City Council to review.  It would produce an unprecedented five-year contract.  According to the Internal Auditor, the contract would produce between $9 million and $11 million in savings over its five-year  term, or between 2% and 3%.  The principal source of savings is the removal of two engine companies and one ladder company.  You can learn more about the contract and the financial and service issues at a Web page I have compiled.  The two engine companies designated for removal are currently deployed to serve our neighborhood; therefore, I have asked Stephen Pare, the Public Safety Commissioner and Robin Muksian, the Director of Administration to come to our neighborhood to describe the impacts of the changes.  The meeting will  take place at the Nathan Bishop Middle School Cafeteria on Wednesday, December 21, at 6:30 p.m.  The doors will open at 6:00 p.m.  

If time permits, we also will discuss the administration’s plans for improving the City’s infrastructure after the voters’ overwhelming approval of a $40 million bond on Election Day which was rendered invalid by a decision by the City Council majority to withhold approval because they were not allowed individual authority to decide how to spend the bond proceeds.  Please try to attend this meeting so you can ask questions about this proposed change.