AUBURN - As the fire department's overtime costs continue to burn a hole in the budget, city councilors are shifting through the ashes of proposed structural changes for ways to save money.

Councilors tabled promoting five firefighters to create a domino effect that would create an entry-level vacancy.

Interim Chief Terry Winslow said the move will save money by reducing overtime, but Mayor Timothy Lattimore wanted the financial details before approving the promotions.

City Manager John Salomone quoted the figure for the department's overtime last year as $650,000, while Lattimore put the figure at $850,000 with benefits.

Councilors reviewed the department's overtime costs, which were substantially more than allocated in last year's budget, during the 2006-2007 budget-making season.

“You've been told 15 times that (hiring will cut overtime),” councilor David Dempsey said to Lattimore. “I don't know how many more times we need to hear it before you believe it's true.”

Salomone pushed to have the resolution passed so they could hire two firefighters in time to sign up for the next training session in mid-August. Councilors previously approved hiring another firefighter under last season's budget.

However, entry-level firefighters can't be “cost effective” until they complete four months of training, Salomone said.

Lattimore suggested revisiting union contracts to reduce manning requirements which says 15 people work a shift.

An entry-level firefighter costs $51,000, while overtime to replace one worker amounts to $75,000, Salomone said.

“To comply with the 15 manning requirements and not increase the number of bodies lowers the buffer considerably,” Winslow said. “Before, we doubled the budget from $180,000 to $360,000 so we did acknowledge there would be an increase.”

Salomone proposed five promotions, which would bring two lieutenants to captain and three firefighters to lieutenant.

Michael Quill's retirement as chief and Winslow's subsequent promotion to interim chief left two vacancies that would trickle down to two entry-level positions, if councilors approve the upgrades, Winslow said.

Councilors will re-examine the idea combining the fire and police departments to create a public safety department headed by a civilian.

They agreed to return to their old schedule to iron out the possible restructuring of city departments. Councilors will meet at the same time, but alternate weeks dedicated to discussions to changing departments.

They will conduct their first work session in two week on Thursday, July 21.

In other business:

- Joseph Kuter presented a petition to the council to pave the northern part of State Street to the city limits. The road is in “deplorable” condition, he said. Kuter collected nearly 175 signatures of homeowners, business owners and their patrons.

“They accepted the petition - that's all they can do,” Kuter said after the meeting. “We'll see.”

- Councilors accepted grant money to install half-a-dozen security devices in selective entrances in Memorial City Hall and the police building. Employees will swipe their identification cards in scanners to access certain offices and enter the building.

The security system is not a response to any particular incident, said Salomone.

“Put it this way, from time to time we have had uneasy situations,” he said. “This is a preventive measure.”

Officials still have to plot out the specifics. For example, they could not allow employees access after-hours or on weekends.

The funding comes from a Homeland Security grant allocated to Cayuga County for the card scanners.

- Councilors agreed to spend $7,500 of a grant to Cornell Research Foundation Inc. for a energy study. Researchers will investigate the possibility of building wind turbines in the area.

Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311 ext 267 or at jessica.soule@lee.net