Council approves adjustment and two‑year extension for employee boot allowance after audit of invoices

The City Council approved an amendment to increase spending authority for the city’s work‑boots contract and to extend the contract for two additional years following committee review of invoices and union contract changes.

Under the prior collective bargaining agreement the city reimbursed up to $70 per employee for a pair of boots; the new agreement raised the cap to $150. City staff reviewed invoices and found credits on vendor invoices reflect the difference between purchase price and the $150 cap when workers bought boots for less than the cap. Fire department leadership told the council the increase reflects amounts owed through the end of the fiscal year and anticipated purchases through June 30. "That's what came up with this, the latest amount, which is $3,442," the fire chief said in committee.

Bill Vicente, chief of staff to Mayor Picozzi, told the committee the administration seeks a two‑year extension of the contract with annual authority of $22,350 (based on roughly 149 eligible employees at $150 per person), and that the FY25 increase requested is $3,442 to cover purchases and timing during the current fiscal year. The committee amended the PCR to reduce an earlier, incorrect total and approved a revised award that staff said reflects verified invoices; the final total for the multi‑year request was recorded as $48,142 after amendment.

Council members scrutinized the invoice packet to reconcile credits and line items; committee members asked staff to document how the $3,442 figure was calculated and staff provided a reconciliation during the meeting. The council approved the amended spending authority and the two‑year extension by roll call.

Ending: The amendment corrects an earlier misstatement of totals and formalizes the higher per‑boot reimbursement negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement; staff will provide remaining invoice backups as needed.