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Home My WebLink About2002-10-14Minutes City Council/Redevelopment Agency City of Huntington Beach Monday, October 14, 2002 4:00 P.M. _ Rooms C & D Central Library, 7111 Talbert Street Huntington Beach, California 92648 An audiotape of the 4:00 p.m. portion of this meeting is on file in the Office of the City Clerk. Call to Order Mayor Cook called the adjoumed regular meetings of the City CounciVRedevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach to order at 4:00 p.m. in Rooms C & D, Central Library, 7111 Talbert Street. City Council/Redevelopment Agency Meeting Roll Call Present: Green, Dettloff, Cook, Houchen, Winchell, Bauer Absent: Boardman The City Cleric Announced a Late Communication Pursuant to the Brown (Open Meetings) Act, the City Clerk announced Late Communications regarding agenda items that had been received by her office following distribution of the agenda packet: Slide Report presentation submitted by the Fire Department dated October 14, 2002 titled Huntington Beach Fire Department The Following Additional Late Communication Was Submitted During the Meeting: A communication submitted by Chuck Scheid requesting Council to consider his recommendations regarding the proposed contract titled Public Comments 14 October 2002 City Council Meeting Re: Fire Department Services. Public Comments Chuck Scheid referred to the Late Communication he submitted to Council. Mr. Scheid asked Council to consider; 1) his recommendation to establish the cost of each of the current services and determine whether or not the services are mandatory and 2) have an understanding of exactly what services the Orange County Fire Authority regularly provides so when staff prepares a Request for Proposal it will include all services we currently have determined to be. . mandatory City Administrator Ray Silver informed Council that discussions between the City and the Huntington Beach Firefighters Association (HBFA) resulted in a request that a study be conducted to determine the feasibility of the Orange County Fire Authority provide Fire Department services for the City of Huntington Beach. (2) October 14, 2002 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 2 (City Council) No Further Action Taken - Request for Council Direction Regarding Contracting for City's Fire Department Services with the Orange County Fire Authority (255.10) The City Council considered a communication from Fire Chief Michael Dolder. The following communications are available at the City Clerk's Office for public review and copies may be obtained from the Fire Department. 1. Orange County Fire Authority Proposal Estimate 2. Huntington Beach Firefighters Association Letters 3. Critical Issues Regarding Contracting for Fire Department Services 4. Priority Ranking of City Programs 5. Huntington Beach Fire Department and Orange County Fire Authority Compensation Comparisons 6. Orange County Fire Authority Professional Firefighters Association Memorandum of Understanding 7. Huntington Beach Fire Department Program Considerations 8. Written Comments from Employee Associations 9. Orange County Fire Authority Proposal to City of La Habra 10. Orange County Fire Authority Proposal to City of Laguna Beach Fire Chief Dolder presented a comprehensive PowerPoint report titled Huntington Beach Fire Department which was submitted as a Late Communication, explaining the issues involved and the process that would be followed should the City Council decide to consider contracting for. Fire Department Services with the Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief Dolder's presentation covered; 1) the Fire Department's responsibilities in the community; 2) proposed process to pursue a County -based contract; 3) steps needed to implement Phase 1; (service level identification and request for proposal preparation); 4) Governance and local control; 5) ten year contract requirement; 6) Emergency response time and station move -up requirements; 7) City cost savings versus service impacts; 8) impact to City departments, employees, top priority City programs, residents, and businesses; 9) emergency medical and paramedic quality assurance impacts; 10) Emergency Operations Center services; 11) cost of the study; 12) loss of full -service City designation; 13) FireMed Program considerations; 14) impact to Fire Protection Systems; 15) maintenance of ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating; 16) metro cities Joint Powers Authority Severance; 17) weapons of mass destruction programs; 18) Central Net Joint Powers Authority Severance; 19) Hazardous Materials Joint Powers Authority and continuation of services; 20) Employee Association considerations; 21) search and rescue program impacts; 22) start-up costs; and 23) Fourth of July Fireworks Enforcements Fire Chief Dolder stated that a more detailed analysis would be required to implement Phase 11 (the submission of a Request for Proposal for Contract Services from the Orange County Fire Authority) if Council votes to proceed with contracting with the Orange County Fire Authority for Fire Services. Fire Chief Chip Prather, representing the Orange County Fire Authority, made a brief presentation referring to his communication that is included in the packet identified as Attachment No. 1. Rick Fee, President of the Huntington Beach Firefighters Association, read from a prepared statement. He presented reasons in support of contracting with the Orange County Fire Authority for Fire Department services. Mr. Fee stated that the members of the Huntington Beach (3) October 14, 2002 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 3 Firefighters Association 1) are concemed regarding the future financial condition of the City and the corresponding ability of the organization to provide competitive salaries and benefits; 2) recent Fire Department budget cuts have eliminated critical fire suppression positions and future cuts are likely to further erode the services the department is able to provide; 3) through regionalization of services the City may be able to continue providing a high level of service at a lower cost; and 4) this Request for Council Action prepared by city .staff contains many unanswered questions that can be best answered by a feasibility study by the Orange County Fire'Authority. The Huntington . Beach Firefighters Association believes that the proposed estimation of 900 hours of staff time at an estimated cost of $36,000 is not necessary for a Request for Proposal process. Mr. Fee urged Council to approve the recommend action to prepare a Request for Proposal for Fire Department Services and submit it to the Orange County Fire Authority. Councilmember Bauer received clarification from City Administrator Ray Silver that the reason this item was brought forward for Council direction was based on the request from the Huntington Beach Firefighters Association, future economic concerns, and good management practices. Each Councilmember voiced their concerns and held discussion with Fire Chief Dolder and Fire Chief Prather regarding 1) whether the Orange County Fire Authority will be able to take care of the special service needs that our city has; 2) how can our City be assured that we will receive the same level of service; 3) one vote representation is not sufficient for a city our size; 4) the potential cost to the city of $96,000 for a feasibility study; and 5) the Fire Authority would control the staffing giving the City limited input. A motion was made by Mayor Cook, second Houchen to proceed with a snapshot feasibility study. Councilmember Winchell received clarification from Chief Prather that a snapshot feasibility study is an internal process to check what value the City of Huntington Beach would be to the Orange County Fire Authority and would not address any of the issues raised at this meeting. Mayor Cook withdrew motion. A motion was made by Bauer, second Winchell to take no further action. The motion carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: Green, Dettloff, Winchell, Bauer NOES: Cook, Houchen ABSENT: Boardman Motion to Recess to Closed Session in Room E — Approved A motion was made by Houchen, second Cook to recess to Closed Session on the following item. The motion carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: Green, Dettloff, Cook, Houchen, Winchell, Bauer NOES: None ABSENT: Boardman (4) October 14, 2002 - Council/Agency Minutes - Page 4 (City Council) Closed Session — Pursuant to Government Code Section 54955.9(a) to confer with its attorney regarding pending litigation which has been initiated formally and to which the city is a party. The title of the litigation is Citizens Against Redevelopment Excess v. City of Huntington Beach [CARES 11]; Orange County Superior Court Case No. OOCC14550; California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, Case No. G030388. Subject: Citizens Against Redevelopment Excess v. City of Huntington Beach. (120.80) Reconvened City CouncillRedevelopment Agency Meeting — 5:58 p.m. - Rooms C & D — Central Library Roll Call Green, Dettloff, Boardman, Cook, Houchen, Winchell, Bauer (Boardman absent) No Action Taken Which Require a Reporting Pursuant to Government Code §54957.4(a) (3) (B)). Adjournment — City Council/Redevelopment Agency Mayor Cook adjourned the adjourned regular meetings of the City Council/Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach to Monday, October 21, 2002, at 5:00 p.m., in Room B-8 Civic Center, 2000 Main Street, Huntington Beach, California. ATTEST: City Clerk -Clerk Lr• City Clerk and ex-ofhcio Clerk off the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach and Clerk of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Huntington Beach, California Mayor -Chairman