36° FOGGY, 'ECONOMICS DICTATE WHAT WE MUST DO'
Petaluma lays off 15 workers
Facing $2.1 million budget gap, council adopts 4-day workweek, trims programs
Last Modified: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 7:12 p.m.
The Petaluma City Council on Monday laid off 15 employees, put City Hall on a four-day workweek and slashed nonessential programs in parks and recreation to balance a general fund budget that was hard-hit by shrinking tax revenue.
The cuts, approved on a 5-0 vote, come two weeks after a dozen layoffs in the Community Development Department that officials said were prompted by a building slowdown.
Council members haggled over some details of the $36.8 million spending plan, but mostly agreed the cuts were necessary to help close a $2.1 million gap.
"Nobody wants to lay off anyone," Councilman Mike O'Brien said. "But economics dictate what we must do."
Two-week notices will go out today. Eleven of the employees being let go are from Public Works, three from the Police Department and one from the Fire Department.
They include street maintenance workers, custodians, an animal shelter assistant, a fire inspector and a police lieutenant, among others. Several were eligible for early retirement incentives, also approved Monday.
The council froze an additional 11 positions, including six unfilled police officer spots.
Other measures will start Nov. 1, including closing city offices on Friday and moving to a 36-hour workweek for all but police and firefighters. The shorter workweek requires a sign-off by labor unions.
Council members also agreed to cancel their afternoon sessions, meeting only at night. And the city will look into the possible sale of several surplus properties to build its budget reserves.
The city swim center on East Washington Street, usually open for 34 weeks from March to October, was cut to 17 weeks, roughly from May to September, for a savings of about $184,000. Next year, the pool will not open until June.
"It's a tragedy for Petaluma, said Jason Zajonc, coach of Twin Valley Aquatics, which has 80 members. "I feel bad for all the kids. It's another local resource that has evaporated."
The city's bleak financial picture emerged earlier this year when officials determined they had overestimated tax revenue in the weakening economy while underestimating expenses, largely in employee payroll.
Personnel costs are about 80 percent of the budget, City Manager John Brown said.
The city dipped into reserves as the fiscal year ended in June and postponed adoption of a new spending plan until new revenue projections were developed.
With a forecast of continued declines through 2009, department heads were asked to make recommendations for cuts of up to 30 percent.
Layoffs and program reductions that offered the biggest savings were chosen to produce a budget that is about 15 percent smaller than the previous year's, Brown said.
The layoffs save a combined $1.6 million, Brown said.
"The whole thing hangs together on the bottom line," Brown said. "What we've tried to do is spread the pain evenly."
You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 762-7297 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com.
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Comments
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October 7, 2008 8:13:09 am
RE: This is so very sad. We love our city workers and they do not deserve this. How about lowering the pay for the big guys and redistributing the meager pot? These families need some creative help!http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081007/NEWS/810070367
October 7, 2008 9:04:54 am
I don't see anything in here about upper level management (e.g. Mayor, Chief of Police, etc.) taking pay cuts. Sounds like a bit of Wall Street and large corporation mentality at work in PTown.
October 7, 2008 9:11:13 am
Ok, so how many worker's are out on the streets on the weekends removing garage sale signs from the posts around town? How much money is going out with two people to a truck? One to drive, the other to jump out and remove the signs. I see this every weekend.
How about putting the over time in at night? Maybe some of the street lights that have been out for years with turn on again.
Or how about the park employee's who pull in to the lot, rake 3 maybe 4 leaves, walk around for a bit (15 minutes) throw the rake in the truck, not the leaves and drive off. Oh and here's another one, water dept. guys, carrying a 24 pack of beer into the house, two hour or more lunch..........
The Sheraton? Have they paid back the loan yet?
You make cutbacks at the Police Dept.????
The planning dept.? How long will it take to get a permit for a fence or a roof now? Average time wasn't fast enough, who's pulling the load? If contractor's can't get their permits, you don't get the tax money.
Just what wage is the person making that makes all of these decisions?
I live here, I want answers.
Vote the whole team off this November.
October 7, 2008 9:59:20 am
When the economy goes down the crime goes up so cutting down the police dept is a joke. I think every one need to take a cut in pay and keep these people on the job. We are all in this together and the hot shots should not be allowed to keep their salaries. I say if they lay off the little working man and keep their wages we need to have a few demonstrations to let them know we are not going to take it any more. Twenty years ago they broke the back of the working man and retired people with the saving and loan scandle now it's the banks. The richer man only profited from this. Lets not let it happen again or in another 20 years it will be something else.
October 7, 2008 10:36:35 am
Remember that this is a "Progressive Party" administration.
October 7, 2008 10:48:46 am
So 26 positions were actually on the block, and they did 16. The minutes are not published yet, but one could guess that the other two police department positions were the Communications Manager (a redundant job, really, that command staff member can do) and likely one police officer position (which is clearly unfilled right now anyway). So as relates to the police department, presuming I'm correct, that is a very minimal cut.
Traffic signal maintenance should be contracted out anyway. The private sector can do that much cheaper than the city can for itself.
And just how many custodians is the city employing? Hello.... outsource janitorial? There are plenty of licensed and bonded firms who would jump at that kind of contract and, again, do it far cheaper.
October 7, 2008 11:36:04 am
You are righ big dog and the key word is hiring people who will take much lower pay. This again is cutting wages. I know I work for a large co. and most of the maintance workers and landscapers can not speak English. But they do work for lower wages. However nobody from corporate has lost their job or taken a cut in pay. Think about it.
October 7, 2008 11:52:56 am
I say that ..this is a good start...now finish the job by firing all of them. When a city has something that they want to have done there is no need to have employees and pay them for the rest of their lives. Contract the work out to others and send them along their way.
That is what a fiscally responsible avenue to take would entail.
For you city and county workers, if you feel your talents are so valuable then start a company and bid for the work to be done for these entities.If not then you are simply admitting that you need the protection of government because either your talents are not so needed nor unique.
It also shows that you just want to get on a gravy train and ride it to the end destination. Just be warned that those trains are soon to be shut down as each of these entities declare bankruptcy because of your GREED and LAZINESS.
October 7, 2008 12:27:30 pm
Case in point, this summer while I was at a local park, the city worker who was supposed to be mowing, spent as much time standing by her truck talking on her cell phone as she did mowing. Good job Mayor!
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