FIN 2020-02-24 Item 1D - Handout Distributed at Meeting - 2/24/20 Staff Memorandum

Browse Search

City of Tukwila Allan Ekberg, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Tukwila City Council FROM: Jay C. Wittwer, Fire Chief BY: Jay C. Wittwer, Fire Chief CC: Allan Ekberg, Mayor and David Cline, City Administrator DATE: 02/24/2020 SUBJECT: Adjustments made to Fire Department Budget for 2020 ISSUE The Fire Department has made changes to expenditures for the 2020 budget year. An outline of the efforts made during the first two months of the year will be outlined in this memo. BACKGROUND The Fire Department manages the annual budget through a process that ensures that the core services are realized. The core services include minimum staffing per shift at 13 personnel. The other core services include fire prevention and fire investigation services. These core services provide a level of safety to the community. The City Council approves all department budgets within the city of Tukwila. The Finance Department leads the efforts in developing each of these budgets and each of the department directors assist with details of the individual budgets. The Mayor is responsible for the operations of the overall services provided to the community and that the city as a whole is to remain within the adoptive budget for each year. The Fire Department Administrative Team has committed to remain within the adoptive budget for 2020. In the past ten years the Fire Department has required a budget amendment that increases that adopted budget each year. There have been reasons for these increases, however most years have been centered on Salaries/Benefits and Overtime. DISCUSSION The Fire Department has adopted the following changes to the 2020 Budget Educatinq the Command Staff and all Officers: The Fire Department Administrative Staff has traditionally managed the budget for the Fire Department. Efforts have been made to include the Command Staff every month to discuss, educate and empower the Battalion Chiefs to manage budgets. Shift Budgets: in December of 2019 schedules were developed and shared with each of the shift Battalion Chiefs. Each shift is expected to remain within the budget set for 2020. The Battalion Chiefs are to review budgets with the captains and all crews. On January 10, 2020 an all officers meeting was held to educate the officers on the budget and to provide clear expectations concerning accountability of the budget. The Mayor and City Administrator attended this meeting. A video was recorded and shared with all Fire Department personnel shortly after the meeting.