AUBURN - With the council's blessing, the city manager has implemented a pocket veto to hold off getting a second truck for the fire department.
City manager Mark Palesh spoke to the Auburn City Council about how the expected funding source to pay for the pumper truck has had some unexpected expenses.
The manager created an incentive program that would take saved money earmarked for overtime and use it to purchase equipment for that department.
However, overtime costs after the council approved buying a truck climbed above the average $12,000 to $14,000 during each pay period.
One issue fire chief Mike Hammon credits for the rise in overtime expenses is two vacancies. However, earlier Thursday, the Auburn Civil Service Commission turned down Palesh's petition to authorize lateral transfers, he said. Instead the city will have to pay to train firefighters, and wait until they can work in the field.
Palesh will look into funding the vehicle with state grants or other sources.
Councilor Matt Smith supported Palesh's decision to delay the lease because other departments need equipment as well.
Palesh said he will sit on the lease agreement until he has a reason to push it forward.
He didn't blame the fire department as a whole for the hike in overtime, but simply could not definitely say the money would be in the overtime account as he agreed would be the funding source.
“If it continues (to increase), I can't keep my promise,” Palesh said.
In other news:
- Sanitation supervisor Michael Talbot told council he predicts the state Department of Environmental Conservation will issue a permit in little more than 45 days to allow the city to build a fourth cell at the landfill.
Smith asked Talbot if he was concerned that the current cell could fill up before the pending cell would be completed.
Talbot agreed it could happen, but told councilors the operators are skilled at finding space within the cells and creating slopes to allow room for more tonnage.
“Am I nervous? Yeah... It looks a little higher everyday, which it is,” Talbot said.
He added they would make room for local garbage.
If the permit didn't come through, although Talbot said DEC officials told him they didn't have any major concern, city leaders could look at other options. They could install a liner over the dump that the city stopped using in 1992 and pile garbage on top of that.
The DEC has to allow for a 45-day comment period before the city can proceed.
Talbot also discussed with councilors about possibly privatizing the landfill operation, and or the garbage collection. They will send out requests for proposals in the next few days. City leaders will review the proposals and decide which if any plan works best for the city.
Palesh assured council he would leave the landfill in the city's hands rather than accept a subpar proposal.
“We're not married to this. If it doesn't look like a good deal for the city or they (the potential firm) won't take care of our employees, we'll trash it,” Palesh said.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
The manager created an incentive program that would take saved money earmarked for overtime and use it to purchase equipment for that department.
However, overtime costs after the council approved buying a truck climbed above the average $12,000 to $14,000 during each pay period.
One issue fire chief Mike Hammon credits for the rise in overtime expenses is two vacancies. However, earlier Thursday, the Auburn Civil Service Commission turned down Palesh's petition to authorize lateral transfers, he said. Instead the city will have to pay to train firefighters, and wait until they can work in the field.
Palesh will look into funding the vehicle with state grants or other sources.
Councilor Matt Smith supported Palesh's decision to delay the lease because other departments need equipment as well.
Palesh said he will sit on the lease agreement until he has a reason to push it forward.
He didn't blame the fire department as a whole for the hike in overtime, but simply could not definitely say the money would be in the overtime account as he agreed would be the funding source.
“If it continues (to increase), I can't keep my promise,” Palesh said.
In other news:
- Sanitation supervisor Michael Talbot told council he predicts the state Department of Environmental Conservation will issue a permit in little more than 45 days to allow the city to build a fourth cell at the landfill.
Smith asked Talbot if he was concerned that the current cell could fill up before the pending cell would be completed.
Talbot agreed it could happen, but told councilors the operators are skilled at finding space within the cells and creating slopes to allow room for more tonnage.
“Am I nervous? Yeah... It looks a little higher everyday, which it is,” Talbot said.
He added they would make room for local garbage.
If the permit didn't come through, although Talbot said DEC officials told him they didn't have any major concern, city leaders could look at other options. They could install a liner over the dump that the city stopped using in 1992 and pile garbage on top of that.
The DEC has to allow for a 45-day comment period before the city can proceed.
Talbot also discussed with councilors about possibly privatizing the landfill operation, and or the garbage collection. They will send out requests for proposals in the next few days. City leaders will review the proposals and decide which if any plan works best for the city.
Palesh assured council he would leave the landfill in the city's hands rather than accept a subpar proposal.
“We're not married to this. If it doesn't look like a good deal for the city or they (the potential firm) won't take care of our employees, we'll trash it,” Palesh said.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
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Yikes wrote on Oct 5, 2007 7:27 PM: