Mount Pleasant, Union Head Work Together to Avoid Fire Layoffs

In the end, trustees couldn't argue with a PowerPoint presentation that laid out the stark reality of a 5 percent budget decrease for the South Shore Fire Department.

SSFD Battalion Chief Jon Kaiser laid out a detailed plan of how such a decrease in the operating budget would lead to laying off 14 fire fighters and closing two fire stations.

"We've already reduced vacation and sick day coverage as well as administrative costs. If we bypass any replacement vehicles or apparatus, we have to look at our personnel," he said.

The 5 percent decrease was at the request of the Village Board that department heads prepare their 2012 budgets using that figure to bring down expenditures.

"I'm just not comfortable reducing any staff," said Trustee Karen Albeck. "I've been to fire ops training and I learned how important each job is during a fire."

But compounding the issue are the contractual obligations Mount Pleasant has to Sturtevant as part of the fire/EMS consolidation that is the South Shore Fire Department.

Specifically, when the department was formed, fire fighters agreed to a wage freeze, returning their 3.25 percent increase to the village for a savings of $575,000. In exchange, staffing levels have to remain at a certain level: no fewer than 52 total in the department and 12 on each shift (3-person crews at each of the four stations). Should levels drop below these minimums, the 3.25 percent raise kicks in.

Further, Sturtevant is scheduled to pay Mount Pleasant $1.1 million in 2012 for fire/EMS service, an increase of about $130,000 over their payment in 2011, according to Sturtevant Village Administrator Mark Janiuk.

"We can't have these cuts and still receive the 'adequate services' as defined in the contract," he said. "Our payments go up every year, but it's an amount the village does not hesitate to pay. The goal of the consolidation was to provide a stronger fire/EMS department and that has come true."

Mount Pleasant Village President Carolyn Milkie said she'd like to see Planning Director Ron Meyer, part of the interim management team in place because the village does not have an Administrator, work with William Miller, president of the fire fighters' union, to craft an agreement that would extend the 2011 wages to 2012.

"I'd like to see if we can reach an agreement and avoid layoffs," she said. "Can we look at the wages without an increase?"

Trustees all agreed, and Albeck called Miller to the table to participate in the discussion since until the Oct. 11 budget work meeting, the union had not been part of the conversation.

"We've had some informal talks, but no contract negotiations," Miller told the board. "I have to say it's irresponsible of the Village Board to start budget talks without getting ideas from the union on how to save money and jobs."

Employees are the most valuable asset the village has, Miller added. More, fire/EMS is really the face of Mount Pleasant because of the interaction with residents and businesses, he said.

Still, Miller agreed to sit down with Meyer to try and work out even a preliminary number so board members could have something to plug into the budget for the final work meeting on Oct. 13.

Some costs are going up, but they are beyond the control of SSFD chiefs and village trustees. The price of fuel has been budgeted at $3.50/gallon compared to the $2.50 budgeted for 2011; vehicle maintenance - preventative maintenance and new tires - is going up in order to keep current apparatus running; and the department had to budget for utility costs that were originally slated to get rolled to one larger fund for the village.