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Committee continues workforce consolidation review; fire chief objects to proposed civilianizations
Summary
Supervisors agreed to continue workforce consolidation discussions (PUC, airport, CityBuild and the 0941 labor‑relations position) to allow review of airport breakdowns; budget analyst proposed civilianizing several fire administrative positions to save about $306,275, but Fire Chief Hayes White warned those changes risk operational readiness and said the modest savings were not worth the tradeoff.
The committee continued a multi‑department discussion about centralizing workforce development and staffing coordination and heard a separate, detailed exchange about proposed civilianizations in the Fire Department.
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell and others asked for more time to review airport materials and to bring back the workforce discussion at the July 20 regroup date. Ed Harrington, general manager of the Public Utilities Commission, described the 0941 director of labor relations and community outreach position (work on regional water improvement projects, contractor outreach and PLA coordination) and said the administration had proposed ensuring Rhonda Simmons and CityBuild are represented in PLA oversight and contractor selection meetings.
Separately, Sevin Campbell of the budget and legislative analyst office presented a revised policy recommendation for the Fire Department that would transfer an EMS captain position to suppression and civilianize two administrative posts, estimating aggregate savings of $306,275. Campbell explained the recommendation is consistent with prior management audit findings about civilianizing administrative functions.
Fire Chief Hayes White (referenced earlier in the record by name) urged caution. The chief said the deputy chief for administration and the assistant deputy chief for support services play operational roles beyond ‘‘paper pushing’’—they supervise training, homeland‑security coordination, mutual‑aid deployments and apparatus specification. The chief told the committee the proposed civilianizations would yield about $63,000 in savings for the deputy‑chief position and called the change ‘‘penny wise, pound foolish,’’ arguing uniformed leadership is necessary for operational effectiveness.
Next steps: supervisors asked staff to continue workforce consolidation discussions (including PUC and airport positions) and to provide more detail on position counts and responsibilities; the Fire Department civilianization proposals remain under review.
