CCMinutes - 06/23/04 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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· Public safety comes first and would not be compromised when evaluating cost-savings proce- dures; · Keeping the airport viable was an important priority as it was a vital asset to the region's econ- omy; · Council support was necessary to continue the City Manager's ability to continue to run City operations as efficiently as possible. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to affirm that the City Man- ager has the authority to determine the best service delivery system for pro- viding ARFF service at the Eugene Airport. Ms. Bettman voiced her opposition to the motion. She opposed privatizing public safety services. She opined the move to privatize ARFF services would result in a reduction in the level of emergency services available to citizens and area residents using the airport. Ms. Bettman pointed out that the City would still provide back-up service to the airport, which would require the City to equip and train firefighters responding to emergencies at the airport. She also felt the amount of money in question was not %verwhelming" and, additionally, the projected savings had not been substantiated. Mr. Meisner agreed with the remarks of Ms. Bettman. Mr. Meisner, seconded by Mr. Kelly, moved to amend the motion by add- ing a second sentence reading, as follows: ~It is, however, the sense of the City Council that public safety ser- vices, including but not limited to ARFF service at the Eugene Airport, should not be privatized or contracted out." Mr. Meisner specified that he did not contest the authority of the City Manager, but that the City had made conscious decisions that had driven costs up. He noted that the City had decided to double the necessary equipment and staff. He related that he called a couple of the airports listed in the presentation for comparison and they were not staffed at the level Eugene had. He called this comparing ~apples to oranges" and suggested a comparison of half to the whole was inappropriate. Mr. Kelly expressed appreciation for Mr. Meisner's amendment. He stated that when it came to public safety, police and fire were the face of the City for most of its citizens. Mr. Kelly reiterated that it had been troubling that, during the discussion of regionalization of the airport, a different picture of the airport's financial health had been painted for the council. He noted, too, that the letter from SkyWest was 1-1/2 years old. Mr. Poling supported the amendment. He felt the issue was the provision of the authority to the City Manager to determine the best delivery of any service in any system in the City. He felt public safety was of primary importance. He felt the council and staff had reached a common ground in the amended motion. Mr. Pap6 asked for more clarification of the indexing system. Mr. Corey repeated that it was tied to the size of the aircraft utilizing a facility. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 23, 2004 Page 2 Work Session