WESTFIELD – The City Council voted last night to adopt new rules under which the council will now function, following months of revisions and discussions.
Shortly after that unanimous vote, one councilor invoked processes allowed under or modified by the rule change.
Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell attempted to amend a motion by At-large Councilor David A. Flaherty calling for a cost-benefit analysis on the merger of the Police and Fire departments dispatch operation.
Flaherty sponsored a motion requesting the city auditor to prepare, within 30 days, a five-year cost/benefit analysis for the merged dispatch operation.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik submitted an ordinance request to establish the emergency medical dispatch as an independent city department. Creation of that department, which is now under review by the council’s Legislative & Ordinance Committee, would entail hiring a manager and several additional dispatchers.
The council’s Personnel Action Committee is reviewing the job description of the dispatch department supervisor.
The additional dispatch positions would be due to the fact that civilian dispatchers only work two shifts and police officers cover those duties during the 12-8 a.m. shift. The dispatch center will now be staffed with civilian dispatchers 24-7, meaning that a larger, more highly trained workforce is needed.
The city is also under a time constraint imposed by the state that has mandated that dispatch departments be in compliance with its new requirements by July 1, 2012, the start of the 2013 fiscal year. Under the new regulation, all dispatchers are required to provide emergency medical assistance over the telephone with Fire Department paramedics are en route to a location
“We’re doing this to save money, but it looks like, from what we’ve seen, that it will cost substantially more than we’re paying now,” Flaherty said. “I’m asking for the cost/benefit analysis because we have to know what the budget will actually be before we vote to create a new city department.”
At-large Councilors Brian Sullivan and James R. Adams both objected to Flaherty’s motions on the grounds that the L&O could obtain that information more quickly and that internal review process would not delay establishment of the Dispatch Department.
Sullivan objected to the council tasking a city officer for information that is available through other sources.
Adams concurred with that objection.
“I’d rather call the police and fire chiefs, who have been working on this for more than a year, come to a L&O Committee session,” Adams said. “They have all the budget numbers. We have to do this quickly.”
O’Connell said that while there is a need to get that information quickly and that the Police and Fire Departments have the information, it should be compiled and submitted by the auditor.
O’Connell then made an amendment to Flaherty’s original motion to increase the cost/benefit analysis period to 45 days to allow the auditor to collect information from the two departments.
“Forty-five days is way too long,” Adams responded. “Why do we need the auditor? The police and fire officers know this information.”
O’Connell’s amendment was defeated on a voice vote, but the debate continued on the original motion.
Flaherty said that it is the responsibility of the City Auditor to independently examine and verify all municipal financial information.
“It’s her job to project these costs out to five years,” Flaherty said. “We should have had this information before the ordinance was even submitted to create a new department.”
Sullivan questioned the basis of Flaherty’s motion.
“Why are you trying to circumvent the L&O? Why are you not letting the chairman do his job?” Sullivan poised to Flaherty.
At-large Councilor John J, Beltrandi III, said that the L&O Committee has been expended to five members.
“With five members you get a lot more input,” he said. “Everybody on this council is welcome to come to the meeting, ask questions and hear the information (provided by the police and fire officials).”
Ward 6 Councilor Christopher Crean also recommended leaving the issue in the L&O, but with the caveat that the council members could ask city officials for additional information if police and fire officials did not provide it.
Flaherty argued that the function of the L&O is not the same as the Finance Committee and that it will not ask for the information that the Finance Committee members would have requested.
O’Connell also made a second amendment, requesting that the issue be referred to the committee that was created just minutes earlier when the council approve the new rules.
The rule change eliminated the Long-range Bonding Committee and created the Long-range Financial Overview Committee, although Council President Christopher Keefe has yet to appoint a chairman or members to that committee.
O’Connell’s second amendment failed to gain a second and was never voted upon.
The council members also rebuffed Flaherty’s original motion on a voice vote.
