Multi-tiered plan looks to bring city up to optimum staffing levels
By Kellen Olshefski
SLN Staff
Members of the City of Elkhorn Common Council discussed the future of staffing at the Elkhorn Area Fire Department in a committee of the whole meeting Sep. 6, with the hopes of getting the ball rolling on a plan to bring staffing levels at the department into a better state.
An issue with staffing at fire departments has been no surprise in Elkhorn, nor the state and country for that matter. In April, Fire Chief Rod Smith told members of the Finance and Judicial Committee the department was having troubles getting the minimum amount of volunteers – three for each vehicle – to respond to calls.
In May, the council voted in favor of a trial stipend program in which volunteers would receive a $25 stipend by volunteering to be at the ready for 8-hour shifts.
At the meeting, City Administrator Sam Tapson said to fill the gap in staffing at the department is an expensive process.
In talking with Smith, Police Chief Joel Christensen and City Finance Director James Heilman, Tapson said the group came up with a three-tiered plan that would allow the city to step forward in increments to a final position where the city would be able to staff the department at an optimum level.
However, what is key, Tapson said, is whether or not the program is sustainable.
Tapson said moving forward with the budget, there are some opportunities to repurpose some discretionary funds – such as from a vehicle replacement fund – towards fire and EMS staffing.
“But again, a concern becomes whether or not that redirected money will always be there, and always means within five years at this point,” he said.
Heilman said in looking towards optimum staffing, the idea would be to get the public to weigh in through a referendum. The earliest the city could pursue a referendum at this time, he said, would be the November 2018 election.
“The key there is somehow getting the message out to the public on the situation that we face with public safety, allowing them the opportunity to allow us to put those dollars on the tax roll, or not, as the case may be,” he said.
Heilman said having the referendum in November would give the city a good feel for what “the pulse” of the community is, noting voter turnout is much higher in the November election.
“I think a November (referendum) really gives you a feel for what the community wants or doesn’t want,” he said.
To hit an optimum level of staffing, Heilman said he would agree that it would cost the city about $1 million, a question posed by Mayor Howie Reynolds. Alderman Michael Kluck said this would increase the city’s operating budget by about $500,000 over what it’s already paying now.
Tapson said the city has the money to fund the first phase of the program at this time, though noted it really is just a bandage at this time, an immediate, short term answer to the problem.
As such, he said he thinks it wise to really weigh the long-term demand to insure the first step is really the step the city wants to take.
“I actually feel that the first step is the biggest step you take, because after that, you’re pretty much moving forward,” he said. “You’re not going to retreat, you’re not going to walk it back.
“There’s no shallow end in this pool, you’re going right in.”
For more on this, check out the Sept. 8 edition of the Elkhorn Independent.
