AGENDA #10
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution Adjusting Budget and Authorizing Firefighter Positions
DATE: February 27, 2006
PURPOSE
We recommend adoption of an ordinance amending the budget to recognize an increase in State fire protection funds and adoption of an ordinance to authorize six firefighter positions.
BACKGROUND
The State of North Carolina began appropriating funds to pay for protection of State properties by local fire departments in 1983; Chapel Hill received $296,000 annually. The Town’s allocation remained unchanged until 1998 when the Legislature increased the fund and the allotment for Chapel Hill was raised to $849,800. The Council budgeted this amount for fiscal year 2005-06.
Representative Verla Insko led an effort by our local legislative delegation in 2005 to obtain additional fire protection funds this year. That effort was successful in increasing the fund by a statewide total of $850,000; Chapel Hill received an increase of $213,788 (a total of $1,063,788) beginning in this current year. Although we believe an equitable compensation level for Chapel Hill’s protection of the University and related State owned facilities would be approximately $1.7 million, the increase in funding is a significant improvement in the payment allocated to the Town.
DISCUSSION
In last year’s budget presentation, the Fire Chief explained the need for 18 additional firefighting positions in the Fire Department. The Council discussed this fire staffing need and the potential use of additional State fire funds for that purpose. We believe the increase in fire protection funding provides an opportunity to partially address that need. The Fire Chief’s request for additional staffing includes a three-year phased hiring plan, adding six additional positions each year. Using the additional revenue would enable us to add the first six positions. Funds from the increase in the State Fire Fund can be utilized to hire an additional six permanent firefighter positions beginning in the fourth quarter of the current budget year. These positions could be filled from a recent recruitment effort.
We already are scheduled to conduct a basic fire academy this spring, in cooperation with Durham Technical Community College. We would place eight candidates in the academy and hire six at the completion of training. Some of the new fire protection funds would be used to support the training program with supplies, materials and instructor hours.
The increase in State funding would pay for approximately 5.2 firefighters for a full year. Because only a portion of the additional funding would be needed this year the remainder of the funds would be available in fiscal year 2006-07 to help pay the full-year costs of the six positions.
The chart in Attachment 3 illustrates the distribution of funds and the specific costs. Attachment 2 explains the additional costs associated with the training academy.
MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The Manager recommends amending the current budget to include the additional fire protection fund revenue from the State and amending the authorized positions in the Fire Department to add six permanent firefighters.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Chart Illustrating the Distribution of Funds and the Specific Costs (p. 5).
2. Explanation of Associated Costs Requested by Fire Chief (p. 6).
3. Fire Staffing Request Justification from Budget Process 2005 (p. 7).