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Board debates SAFER grant to add 16 firefighters and flags long‑term pension costs
Summary
City staff and the fire chief outlined plans to apply for a federal SAFER grant to hire 16 firefighters and recommended setting aside roughly $500,000 in contingency while the council decides whether to commit to hiring; board members pressed for actuarial work to quantify long‑term pension liabilities and OPEB impacts.
Staff and the fire chief briefed the Board of Finance on a potential application for the FEMA SAFER grant to add 16 firefighters. Staff explained the grant assumptions used in the budget model — including phased grant coverage of personnel costs and a salary coverage start date of July 1, 2027 — and recommended a $500,000 contingency be reserved in case the legislative body approves applying under the grant assumptions.
The staff presenter summarized the grant mechanics: the SAFER award model used in the staff analysis assumed 75% coverage for the early years and phased percentages later, and the grant itself would cover salary and fringes beginning 07/01/2027 under the assumptions in the presentation. “The grant itself covers salary as of 07/01/2027,” staff said.
Board members asked whether the city must commit to hiring before applying and whether the city would proceed if the grant is denied. Staff and council liaisons said the city typically seeks legislative permission to apply; final hires would depend on award and council action. The board discussed a fallback of hiring 12 without the grant and noted the tight timelines tied to academy start dates.
Multiple board members warned that adding positions has long‑term pension and OPEB implications. One member asked staff to itemize such long‑term costs; staff offered to have actuaries model impacts, noting an added cohort of firefighters would increase the plan’s normal cost and could erode an overfunded position over decades.
Fire leadership argued the staffing increase is grounded in nationally recognized standards and public safety needs. The fire chief said the additional personnel would reduce firefighter injuries and materially improve resident safety, citing national research on staffing effectiveness. “This is what you need... it is for us because it increases firefighter safety,” the chief said.
The board did not authorize hiring at this meeting. Staff proposed preparing application materials in advance so the city can file quickly if FEMA announces the grant; council action would be required to commit to hires if awarded and to appropriate city matching funds.
