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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - City Council - 11/01/2010 • southbudington VERMONT AGENDA SOUTH BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL City Hall Conference Room 575 Dorset Street SOUTH BURLINGTON,VERMONT Executive Session 6:00pm Monday, Nov. 1,2010 1. Consider entering executive session to discuss personnel, contract negotiations, real property acquisition and & potential and ongoing litigation. Regular Session 7:00 P.M. Monday, Nov 1, 2010 1. Comments and Questions from the public(not related to the Agenda). 2. Announcements and City Manager's Report. 3. ***Actuary report for FY10,Tracy Braun, Peoples United Retirement Services and Annie Voldman,Annie Voldman, Consulting Actuary, PC 4. ***Approval of the South Burlington Career Firefighters'Assoc. Local 3671 Contract revised Sept. 7, 2010. 5. ***Approval of Ambulance Rate Increase, Chief Doug Brent, Fire Dept. 6. ***First reading of Ordinance to Amend the Motor Vehicle and Traffic Regulations; No parking on both sides of Airport Drive from Williston Rd to White Street.(suggest Public Hear to be scheduled for Nov. 15, 2010) 7. ***Consideration of approval of Resolution to Change Health Insurance Plans for Eligible Management and Non- Represented Employees. 8. ***Consideration of approval to Change the Life Insurance Limit for Eligible Management and Non-Represented Employees. 9. Review of ICMA's The National Citizen Survey Program. 10. ***Review and approve minutes from the regular meeting held Oct.4,2010. 11. Sign disbursement orders. 12. Consider entering executive session to discuss personnel, contract negotiations, real property acquisition and & potential and ongoing litigation. 13. Adjourn Respectfully Submitted: Sanford I. Miller, City Manager South Burlington Fire Department 575 Dorset Street South Burlington,Vermont 05403 To: Mr. Sanford Miller, City Manager From: Douglas Brent, Chief of Fire and EMS Date: October 27, 2010 Re: Ambulance Rate Information Given our recent discussions and the City Council's recent agreement with the modifications to the collective bargaining agreement, we need to do a slight amendment and adjustment to our ambulance fee rate schedule. I have attached a copy of the current ambulance rate schedule which was affirmed by the City Council on February 1, 2010 and a copy of a table of charges for other local services as a point of reference for our discussions. An ambulance rate schedule is made up of the charges and billable categories for provision of service at the different levels of care. Currently we bill all calls at the ALS-1 rate because we insure an EMT-Intermediate on every call. Though our rate schedule shows a BLS rate, we rarely if ever use it. We do keep the BLS rate current to cover us on the outside chance we ever did need to transport with an EMT-Basic. Now that we are in transition planning for the time when we will have Paramedics on each call we need to amend our rate schedule to reflect the higher level of care. Currently we do not have a rate established for ALS-2 and we need to institute one. Rate Increases Our partners in the Paramedic project are Colchester Rescue and Essex Rescue. Through our many discussions the three service directors felt that it was important for all of our rates to be somewhat the same. Our committee spoke with similar departments in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to confirm how their rates were established and applied. I also checked with 3 similar fire based Paramedic services to confirm their rates as well. Based on the discussions with our regional partners I recommend that we make the following changes to our ambulance fee schedule. Basic Life Support- $390 Stay the same Advanced Life Support(1) - $500 up from $475 (new) Advanced Life Support(2) - $700 Mileage(per loaded mile) - $10.50 up from $9.50 Specialty Care Transport- $725 stays the same Page-2 Type of Call Data In 2009 the EMS District #3 Paramedicine Committee conducted a Paramedic needs analysis. This analysis was done by reviewing patient care report forms between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. 9,946 PCR's were reviewed and compared using a nationally vetted priority dispatch criteria. As part of this review 1,314 PCR's from South Burlington Fire were evaluated. This evaluation showed that of the 1,314 South Burlington patients, 912 had afflictions consistent with treatment by an EMT-Intermediate. Based on the dispatch criteria 402 patients had medical issues which could have benefited by having a Paramedic care for them. Call Volume We are currently on track to do just about 1800 EMS responses per year in round numbers for discussion purposes. We transport just about 70% of our patients. Given these two figures our number of billable patients would be 1260 per year or an average of about 3.5 per day, 24.5 per week, or 105 per month. Revenue Projections By applying the rate change suggestions presented above to the call statistics I have come up with the following revenue projections. Using the transport figure of 1,260 I would break down that number as follows; 1,160 ALS-1 transports and 100 ALS-2 transports. 1,160 x$25 = $29,000 ALS - 1 100 x$200 = $20,000 ALS—2 1,260 x 5 miles (avg)x $1 = $6,300 Mileage Total Additional Revenue Charges - $55,300 Payroll Effect Estimates As background for your negotiating sessions I did some rough calculations relating to the possible pay incentives for personnel becoming certified as Paramedics. Currently by collective bargaining agreement those individuals who have EMT-Intermediate training are compensated at 4% over base salary. A middle of the pay scale employee average is $43,147. Using the incentives as negotiated in the recent agreement and doing the calculations, I have projected the following figures. The agreement calls for a 2% increase in September 2011 when the service goes on line and another 2% on July 1, 2012. Page - 3 The September 2011, 2% incentive increase would increase the pay for the average firefighter by $863 per year or $16.60 per week. If we multiply this by seven certified personnel this would be a salary line item increase of $6,041 (12 mo's). Because this increase would take place in September it would actually be for only 10 months or $5,035. Allowances would also need to be made to include enough money to offset increases to the associated overtime, FICA and pension calculations per the contract. As of July 1, 2012 the remaining 2% increase would be added at a cost of$880 per person per year for a total increase of $6,160. Again, allowances would be made to include enough additional funds to offset increases to associated overtime, FICA, and pension calculations. Recommendation As a result of our discussions and your agreement with the firefighters bargaining unit, I feel it would be prudent to adjust and amend our billing schedule as outlined. SB City Council/City Manager, October 30, 2010 There are 2 temporary political banners that are displayed on Hinesburg Road and on Butler Drive that appear to violate language and intent in our May 2010 Sign Ordinance. The City Manager and Public Works Director feel that the signs are appropriate when interpreted using an August 2010"Policy for Signs Within the Right of Way"(attached). Each sign presents its own unique placement problem, but I suggest that the sign on the stormwater pond fence on Hinesburg Road rests on City property and not in the state highway ROW. It is clearly not near the road but set back over a ditch on the stormwater pond fence. If we have no policy in place for how temporary political signs of this sort are treated (allowed/not allowed; permission/no permission needed)then we need to make one on account of this extreme example. Moreover,this sign unlawfully placed as it may be, should still be subject to our Sign Ordinance and should not be allowed to exceed requirements we have therein for other political signage. Its problems are: 1) It is on City property without permission or permit 2) It is affixed to a fence(prohibited by City Sign Ordinance) 3) It exceeds the size limits of a non-residential sign in a residential or Southeast Quadrant District (6 square feet) 4) Its coloring conflicts with traffic signs The second sign (see picture attached) is a banner hung from both a City tree and a guy-wire for a utility pole on Butler Drive in what appears to be the City street ROW.This banner would be covered by the attached "Policy for Signs Within the Right of Way",which seems(by my reading)to offer a complete exemption to all temporary political signs from any restrictions other than if they are deemed "a significant hazard to public safety" as determined by City staff.This policy contains imprecise language and leaves open pretty much any display in the public ROW without the restrictions that are imposed under our Sign Ordinance for all other signs. I think this is a mistake which needs to be addressed. It certainly runs counter to all the language in our City Sign Ordinance and the State's rules. The Butler Drive banner falls short of the City and State's rules by: 1) Being a banner(prohibited by City) 2) Being attached to a utility pole (prohibited by State) 3) Being attached to a tree (prohibited by State and City 4) Exceeding the 6 square foot size for a non-residential use sign in a residential area/Southeast Quadrant(City Sign Ordinance) 5) Perhaps not having a permit(does one need a permit for political signs?) Aside from the technical issues, these signs are grossly out of character with all the other political signs in the state and our City, and are strung in such a way as to push the envelope for political marketing. If these extreme displays are not curtailed, we can anticipate an unfettered, rainbow hodge-podge of signage that would defame the legacy of our hard-fought and historic billboard legislation. C "4 a t ip 5,7 , ?OSS' 6C��✓ (`a'G v-'s,$) southburlington PUBLIC WORKS Policy on Signs within the Municipal Right-of-Way—August 17,2010 PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to govern the placement and removal of any signs within the municipal road right-of-way(hereafter"ROW"). USAGE: This policy is to be followed when any signs are located within the ROW. PROCEDURES 1. In accordance with the City of South Burlington Sign Ordinance(effective May 3,2010)no permanent or temporary sign,including signs for real estate sales,product or service advertisement,and political advertisements,other than those required for governmental purposes, shall be located within the ROW. 2. Notification:Any city staff member is to notify the Department of Public Works(DPW)of any signs suspected to be illegally located in the ROW. 3. Enforcement:The City of South Burlington,through its DPW,is authorized to remove and dispose of any illegal sign without prior notice. The City is not responsible for any costs associated with the production and placement of signs and will not reimburse parties found to be in violation of this policy. z*n% 4. Response:DPW shall,weekly at a minimum,respond to any Notifications and remove p''fl 6 nonconforming signs. ��0� , ,� S i�` jl en t"2��n EXEIYIPTIONS AND jj .6 t)Ci' t+ 6 c.f"1 rTsl'`� cvt ```- —S 1 i- "Temporary political campaign signs may be disp1a ed for a period of not to exceed two weeks LF' yr' leading up to a local,state or national elect3 within the ROW unless city staff determines a sign fig J to be a significant hazard to public safety. Signs shall be removed immediately following the ,, election by their installer. If there not removed promptly,they shall be removed and disposed of i 6,' cc ,,- , in accordance with Procedure#3.Enforcement. �7ir/f 2. The City of South Burlington and the South Burlington School Department are exempt from this ' 7' policy,but remain subject to the South Burlington Sign Ordinance. 3. Any signs located within state highway right-of-way. Such ROWs are owned and maintained by the State of Vermont and governed by 10 VSA§§481-506. State owned highways within South Burlington are US Route 7(Shelburne Road),and parts of both VT Route 116(Hinesburg Road) and US Route 2(Williston Road). l‘aZ Approved by: Sanford Miller,City Manager Date ADD,noN,4L I-tocy ivt 1V 'E s PLACE-rrie Cr Tc-mfVP Y /'e24 Wilt S/CANS ('J 56 Gait/ + _5Cif c �1.' 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