THE RIVER CITY NEWS MORE COVINGTON NEWS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
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by Michael Monks
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| Mayor Chuck Scheper |
Two and a half hours were spent inside Covington City Hall Tuesday evening to present an abridged encore of the Management Partners recommendations for cutting the cost of police and fire services, and the public response to the proposal. There was not a whole of new information to be learned during the meeting which brought an above-average sized crowd to the Commission Chambers, including many firefighters who lined the back of the room.
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"We're not here to make decisions tonight," Mayor Chuck Scheper said, establishing the expectation for the discussion. The mayor continued, adding that he has already met with firefighters three times and the police twice to discuss the best way to implement needed changes to the departments. "This is a high level summary of where we are and what we hope to accomplish."
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Scheper then took to the podium and offered his now familiar refrains of Covington's high payroll tax and its effect on attracting business, the looming threat of losing more businesses to Cincinnati, that police and fire account for two-thirds of the city's budget, that Covington is paying 37% more than cities its size for public safety and 44% than the average of larger cities in the region while spending 13% less on everything else. These numbers are not sustainable, the mayor said, adding that he hopes some of the answers are found inside the Management Partners report.
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Scheper then took to the podium and offered his now familiar refrains of Covington's high payroll tax and its effect on attracting business, the looming threat of losing more businesses to Cincinnati, that police and fire account for two-thirds of the city's budget, that Covington is paying 37% more than cities its size for public safety and 44% than the average of larger cities in the region while spending 13% less on everything else. These numbers are not sustainable, the mayor said, adding that he hopes some of the answers are found inside the Management Partners report.
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Wayne Chapman of Management Partners then presented his abridged report, explaining that in the review of the police and fire departments his firm brought in experts in the fields to lead the questioning. "Both departments from our perspective are very professional," Chapman said. "We didn't come in expecting to find agencies in disarray and we were not disappointed." Chapman, whose firm was previously hired by Covington and Kenton County several years ago to study the feasibility of a consolidated emergency dispatch center, explained that recommended changes in the police department would save a lot of money and give a better organizational structure to the department.
Wayne Chapman of Management Partners then presented his abridged report, explaining that in the review of the police and fire departments his firm brought in experts in the fields to lead the questioning. "Both departments from our perspective are very professional," Chapman said. "We didn't come in expecting to find agencies in disarray and we were not disappointed." Chapman, whose firm was previously hired by Covington and Kenton County several years ago to study the feasibility of a consolidated emergency dispatch center, explained that recommended changes in the police department would save a lot of money and give a better organizational structure to the department.
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SEE ALSO: For the full report on Management Partners' recommendations for the police department, click here.
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With the police recommendations of improved street strength and a leaner chain of command, including the elimination of the rank of captain, the department could save upwards of $437,000 annually for the City. "This is an extremely professional department, quite capable," Chapman bragged. "What we encountered was not so much an opportunity to improve efficiency, it was cost-driven. Covington (Police) didn't need to be tuned up."
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As for the fire department the cuts would be deeper and more easily noticed by the public. "The current service model of twenty-seven on-duty firefighters per day is not financially sustainable at the current tax rates," Chapman warned. He explained that in order to reach that twenty-seven firefighters on-duty benchmark, 4.2 people must be hired to staff one position in order to have someone on duty. In class 2 cities like Covington, firefighters are required by state law to work 24-hour shifts and to receive hazardous duty pension pay, which is twice the cost of the regular public pension.
As for the fire department the cuts would be deeper and more easily noticed by the public. "The current service model of twenty-seven on-duty firefighters per day is not financially sustainable at the current tax rates," Chapman warned. He explained that in order to reach that twenty-seven firefighters on-duty benchmark, 4.2 people must be hired to staff one position in order to have someone on duty. In class 2 cities like Covington, firefighters are required by state law to work 24-hour shifts and to receive hazardous duty pension pay, which is twice the cost of the regular public pension.
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Chapman's findings attempt to make the case that Covington doesn't need as many firefighters as it has, that structure fires have decreased by 32% on annual basis since 2009, that Taylor Mill, Independence, and other neighboring municipalities could offer mutual aid more often, and that two firehouses should be closed with a new, consolidated one built near the central business district. The privatization of EMS ambulance services, as encouraged by Management Partners, would save Covington up to $1.5 million annually, he predicted.
Chapman's findings attempt to make the case that Covington doesn't need as many firefighters as it has, that structure fires have decreased by 32% on annual basis since 2009, that Taylor Mill, Independence, and other neighboring municipalities could offer mutual aid more often, and that two firehouses should be closed with a new, consolidated one built near the central business district. The privatization of EMS ambulance services, as encouraged by Management Partners, would save Covington up to $1.5 million annually, he predicted.
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SEE ALSO: For the full report on Management Partners' recommendations for the fire department, click here.
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To counter the claims, Chris Black, president of the local firefighters union, introduced a representative from the national union in Washington, DC. "I'm not here to get in a political debate or to throw any political darts," Black said before referencing the adage, "if it's not broke, don't fix it." "This is like, it's not broken, but let's break it." Black cited recent health care concessions in the union contract and before that the reduction of daily staffing from thirty to twenty-seven as offering significant savings to the City.
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"At the outset my folks are concerned with the safety of firefighters and (Management Partners)'s focus was to save money, so we use two different microscopes," said Jonathan Moore, of the IAFF in DC. Moore took exception to the work painted by Management Partners that implied that the bulk of fire runs don't involve actual structure fires. "How many of these non-structure fires started out as small fires that were successfully put out before becoming larger," he asked.
"At the outset my folks are concerned with the safety of firefighters and (Management Partners)'s focus was to save money, so we use two different microscopes," said Jonathan Moore, of the IAFF in DC. Moore took exception to the work painted by Management Partners that implied that the bulk of fire runs don't involve actual structure fires. "How many of these non-structure fires started out as small fires that were successfully put out before becoming larger," he asked.
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Moore also predicted that outsourcing ambulance services would increase response time to nine minutes while falling short of the $1.5 million in projected savings. While admitting that he was still reviewing the full report, Moore does not believe the fire department would be able to operate safely and effectively with the recommended changes.
Moore also predicted that outsourcing ambulance services would increase response time to nine minutes while falling short of the $1.5 million in projected savings. While admitting that he was still reviewing the full report, Moore does not believe the fire department would be able to operate safely and effectively with the recommended changes.
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His views were backed up during public comments by retiring firefighter Allen Terry, who argued that mutual aid is not as reciprocal as it sounds and that Covington carries the bulk of the weight in those local relationships. Many of the surrounding departments are volunteer and cannot react as quickly as Covington's firefighters. Latonia resident Charlene Dietz said she would pay higher taxes to keep the service the same. Eastside resident Jerry Avery, also a member of the Covington school board, expressed his concern for safety in that neighborhood where a firehouse is located, though the majority of his issues were with any possible cuts to police as the drug trade has seen a spike in activity in that part of town, he said.
His views were backed up during public comments by retiring firefighter Allen Terry, who argued that mutual aid is not as reciprocal as it sounds and that Covington carries the bulk of the weight in those local relationships. Many of the surrounding departments are volunteer and cannot react as quickly as Covington's firefighters. Latonia resident Charlene Dietz said she would pay higher taxes to keep the service the same. Eastside resident Jerry Avery, also a member of the Covington school board, expressed his concern for safety in that neighborhood where a firehouse is located, though the majority of his issues were with any possible cuts to police as the drug trade has seen a spike in activity in that part of town, he said.
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Bill Wells, of South Covington, took the debate a step further. Though the firehouse on Hands Pike was explored for possible closure in favor of mutual aid agreements with Taylor Mill and Independence, the idea was removed from the final Management Partners report. However, the geography of South Covington has been a recent concern in public safety budget talks. Wells asked flat out, "Is it the desire of this commission to de-annex South Covington?"
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A brief, awkward silence followed the question. Commissioner Sherry Carran argued that when she first campaigned for office six years ago, residents in South Covington told her that they did not want to be a part of the city, though that changed after the creation of the neighborhood association, which Wells serves as president.
Bill Wells, of South Covington, took the debate a step further. Though the firehouse on Hands Pike was explored for possible closure in favor of mutual aid agreements with Taylor Mill and Independence, the idea was removed from the final Management Partners report. However, the geography of South Covington has been a recent concern in public safety budget talks. Wells asked flat out, "Is it the desire of this commission to de-annex South Covington?"
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A brief, awkward silence followed the question. Commissioner Sherry Carran argued that when she first campaigned for office six years ago, residents in South Covington told her that they did not want to be a part of the city, though that changed after the creation of the neighborhood association, which Wells serves as president.
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Other residents supported the need for change, including Mainstrasse resident Susan Wood who wanted to know how much her taxes would go up to keep everything the same. "Public safety is important but there are limited dollars," she said.
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Former City Commissioner Jerry Stricker called the current city leaders, "the best commission I've seen in my memory." "Public safety was always my number one issue when I was on commission, but we can only have good public safety when we have the money to do it. We can't keep spending more than we make and we've done that the last two to three years."
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At the end of the evening, Mayor Scheper, who paid $15,000 of his salary toward the $140,000 cost of the report (the rest of which is being solicited from the private sector) reiterated his C+V=G mantra. "Ultimately we have to make decisions and unfortunately those decisions have to be made from where are financially," he said. I wish we had more revenue and we'll get there. C, you have to have the courage to face the challenges. Management Partners came in to give us the vision, V, because we can't continue to do more of the same."
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Originally the G stood for growth and while it still does, the mayor suggested that it should possibly start to stand for "greatness". "I like to think that Covington will be known as a great city."
Other residents supported the need for change, including Mainstrasse resident Susan Wood who wanted to know how much her taxes would go up to keep everything the same. "Public safety is important but there are limited dollars," she said.
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Former City Commissioner Jerry Stricker called the current city leaders, "the best commission I've seen in my memory." "Public safety was always my number one issue when I was on commission, but we can only have good public safety when we have the money to do it. We can't keep spending more than we make and we've done that the last two to three years."
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At the end of the evening, Mayor Scheper, who paid $15,000 of his salary toward the $140,000 cost of the report (the rest of which is being solicited from the private sector) reiterated his C+V=G mantra. "Ultimately we have to make decisions and unfortunately those decisions have to be made from where are financially," he said. I wish we had more revenue and we'll get there. C, you have to have the courage to face the challenges. Management Partners came in to give us the vision, V, because we can't continue to do more of the same."
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Originally the G stood for growth and while it still does, the mayor suggested that it should possibly start to stand for "greatness". "I like to think that Covington will be known as a great city."
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