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those new stations would be paid for by whatever jurisdiction was experiencing growth. <br />Mr. Ruiz noted that the conversation surrounding the functional consolidation would shift as issues of <br />governance related to the merger were discussed in greater detail. <br />Ms. Piercy understood from the council's discussion that it was important to definitively determine the <br />benefits of a consolidated fire department structure against the current capabilities of the current Eugene <br />and Springfield fire department agencies. Chief Groves responded that a consolidated fire department <br />would show immediate benefits in the fire chief's office, the Eugene/Springfield ambulance system, and <br />several other areas. <br />Ms. Piercy recognized that there were significant funding issues involved in a functional consolidation <br />process and hoped that the discussions surrounding the consolidation would result in innovative solutions <br />that would result in improved services. <br />Chief Groves noted that a consolidated fire department would be able to shift personnel in a manner that <br />was not currently possible between the two jurisdictions. He noted that such a capability would reduce <br />the amount of overtime hours that might be required by the individual fire departments in order to provide <br />sufficient coverage. <br />Chief Groves, responding to a question from Mr. Clark, noted that the larger ladder trucks for fire <br />departments currently cost in excess of $1 million. Mr. Clark expressed that a consolidated fire <br />department would lessen the need for expensive redundant equipment. <br />Mr. Clark briefly addressed the funding that would be required from the two jurisdictions with respect to <br />the functional consolidation. He hoped that the City of Eugene would be sufficiently prepared for what <br />he believed would be a higher drain on City resources than that of Springfield. <br />Chief Groves responded to Mr. Clark's concerns about the current urban growth projections for Eugene <br />and noted that Eugene's ISO rating with respect to its fire department had recently been downgraded from <br />a two to a three because it had not kept up with various current staffing levels and technological <br />standards. He noted that the City of Eugene continued to maintain a strong and efficient fire department <br />but that it had "lost ground, from a grading perspective." <br />Mr. Clark asked what Chief Groves considered the key logical checkpoints surrounding the functional <br />consolidation of the two fire departments. Chief Groves suggested that six- and twelve-month periods <br />would be logical checkpoint times for the review of the functional consolidation's progress. <br />Mr. Ruiz responded to Mr. Clark's comments and recognized the importance of having the City of Eugene <br />plan and balance its future resource needs with respect to the City's fire department, regardless of any <br />plans to consolidate with the Springfield fire department. <br />Chief Groves, responding to a question from Ms. Ortiz, noted that Eugene's fire department billing office <br />staff was under an AFSCME contract. He further noted that Eugene and Springfield staff had been in <br />contact with AFSCME regarding the proposed consolidation and that the unions had generally been <br />supportive of the merger. <br />Ms. Ortiz briefly noted her concerns regarding the various ambulance billing agencies used by Eugene, <br />Springfield and other areas of Lane County. She hoped that the functional consolidation process would <br />not have a negative effect on those partner agencies. <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council January 20, 2010 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />