Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Santa Rosa council studies fire-department cuts; chiefs and unions urge no brownouts
Summary
City staff proposed more than $1.2 million in reductions to the fire department to avoid closing a station; Fire Chief Scott Westrope and union leaders warned brownouts or blackouts would lengthen response times and raise risk for residents and crews.
Santa Rosa’s continued budget study session turned sharply to public safety as staff presented a package of proposed reductions for the Fire Department intended to avoid a station closure but still save money.
The package presented to council this week included a deputy chief position, two currently vacant firefighter positions and two civilian positions (a deputy emergency manager and an administrative secretary), plus modest services-and-supplies reductions. City staff say those items together total roughly $1.23 million and would preserve existing engine and truck companies instead of closing or browning out a company.
Fire Chief Scott Westrope said the department has worked with the city manager to identify options that aim to “avoid any station closure,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
