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Council approves relocation and outfitting for ambulance-billing staff after complaints about substandard workspace
Summary
The council approved funding to move the Emergency Medical Services ambulance-billing unit to Figueroa Plaza and to outfit the space with modular furniture and equipment after staff described 12 years working in cramped, substandard conditions.
The City Council approved a personnel-committee-backed motion 13-0 to relocate the ambulance-billing section to a prepared space at Figueroa Plaza and to purchase modular furniture and necessary equipment to provide larger, more functional workstations.
Employees had testified that they worked for years in cramped "rabbit-warren" conditions and that the unit handles large billing volumes (the department cited processing about $27 million in ambulance billing last year). Human-resources and CAO staff had reviewed multiple relocation options and recommended Figueroa Plaza as the most expedient and cost-effective solution. The CAO—xplained the difference between the budget-and-finance recommendation and the personnel committee's motion was roughly $186,000 (the committee effort sought new modular furniture to meet a larger 64-square-foot workstation standard instead of using some existing modular furniture).
Council debate: Councilmember Janice Goldberg moved the amended personnel-committee recommendation to provide the larger workstations and new furniture; members emphasized that the $186,000 difference averages to about $25,000 a year over the life of the contract and represented a reasonable investment in employee working conditions. Opponents of the higher-cost option argued speed and cost-effectiveness favored using existing furniture already at the target location, but the council voted to provide new modulars and buildout so staff could move quickly and gain improved workspace.
What it does: The approved motion (as amended) funds the build-out, modular furniture and equipment for approximately 36 employees in the ambulance-billing unit, bringing workstations closer to a 64-square-foot guideline rather than the smaller 48-square-foot work area previously used. The council directed departments to seek donated or surplus furniture resources where available but to prioritize timely move and adequate workstation size.
Ending: The council approved the plan and instructed the departments to proceed forthwith to move and outfit the unit; members said prioritizing safe, functional workspaces would improve employee productivity and morale.
