December 5, 2023 - Employee Compensation Meeting
VILLAGE OF BREWSTER
EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION MEETING
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 - 1:00pm
EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION MEETING
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 - 1:00pm
The members of the committee are Mayor Hawk, VA Miller, Clerk King, and Council Member Schwab were all in attendance. Council Member Godwin, Council Member Long, Chief Colucy and Roger Carpenter were also present.
This meeting was called to discuss the expansion of the paramedic hours. Clerk King provided a spreadsheet for both revenue and expense projections using different paramedic schedules. The spreadsheet covered 2024 – 2027 when the income tax issue ends. The key is trying to have the most coverage without going in the negative before the new fire station is paid off February 2028.
A full-time person was discussed but the Clerk stated that funds will not cover the expenses associated with full-time employment. If the income tax passes again after we get the building paid off, we can revisit the issue. Chief Colucy stated that it will be hard if not impossible to find a person in this field willing to work 5 days a week. Everyone wants either 24-hour or 48-hour shifts and this will not alleviate our problem.
Roger Carpenter stated that call offs are astronomical, and we need to hold people accountable for the shifts they sign up for. We need to have two people around the clock. He also stated that we need to double check Erie Valley bills. He stated that we have helped Erie Valley with some fires but not any other calls.
On the spreadsheet provided, the clerk stated that the column with one person around the clock plus one person 9am to 9pm was the most that the budget could cover. Council Member Schwab asked the Chief why 9 to 9? The Chief stated 9 to 9 was just for reference but could be adjusted as needed but he felt this is where the most calls come in. Also, this gives people time in the morning to get their kids off to school and time to get here if they are getting off shift from somewhere else. The Chief also said the time doesn’t matter but the busiest times seem to be 11 am to 9 pm.
VA Miller stated based on Jeremy Henry’s stats that he provided, Saturday is the busiest and then Thursday. He feels the best scenario is 2 people from Thursday through Sunday. Council Member Godwin stated there needs to be rules for holding people accountable.
Chief Colucy would like one-person 24/7 and one 12-hour shift per day hopefully seven days a week. He wants to try it for 4-6 months starting January 1, 2024. New rules need to be established and the 12-hour shift can be flexible depending on whether the person covering the 12-hour shift is coming from their full-time job.
The SAFER grant will be coming out in April or May but no guidelines for it have come out yet.
Meeting adjourned at 2:20 PM.
Respectively submitted,
Kris King