Sturtevant Won't Reopen Fire Contract Without Staffing Study

Elected officials from  want a new staffing study completed before they will agree to reopen the fire department consolidation agreement with .

to agree to formally reduce the staffing level at Station 9, which serves Sturtevant, from six firefighters to five, to help . Staffing 15 firefighters for each shift — as the contract calls for — when , means the South Shore Fire Department could exceed its overtime budget by $300,000.

Sturtevant said no. 

At the July 5 Fire/EMS Oversight Committee meeting, Sturtevant Administrator Mark Janiuk reaffirmed his village's position. 

"Sturtevant might be willing to consider reopening the contract if Mount Pleasant commissions a new staffing study by an expert consultant to determine staffing needs for the safety of both villages," he said. "Without that study, we are not prepared to reopen the contract." 

The 2009 consolidation agreement between the villages states two three-person crews will be on duty at all times at Station 9 in Sturtevant. Because of financial constraints, staffing at the station has generally been at five or fewer firefighters. Sturtevant was sympathetic to Mount Pleasant's financial plight, and continued paying the full contract amount despite the staffing shortage. But in December, unless staffing levels were brought up to the contracted amount.

Work Group Trying to Find Solutions

Two Mount Pleasant staff members - Interim Administrator Ron Meyer and Village Clerk/Treasurer Veronica Rudychev - have joined oversight committee chair Rick McLuskey to brainstorm ways to solve the South Shore Fire Department overtime dilemma for the long term. 

"We are not making any decisions," McCluskey stressed to committee members. "We are only gathering information to put together packets for the joint oversight committee and the boards of both villages." 

No idea is off limits, he added.

Janiuk said the focus should be on what staffing is required to be sure the safety of both communities is intact and then look at how to make that happen in the most cost-effective manner available.

"The last study we had was in 2007 and those recommendations were for more fire fighters than we have now," he noted. "But since then, both villages have grown. It makes more sense to start at staffing and then look at saving money, not starting at the other end."

Mount Pleasant Trustee John Hewitt wants to start by comparing the McGrath consolidation study with current population and other data.

"It would be wise to compare that study with current populations and the numbers and types of calls South Shore answers to see if those numbers are still accurate" he said. 

Committee members agreed the goal is sustainability. 

"We're looking at $300,000 this year, but what about next year or the year after that?" said Meyer.