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Council hears unpaid reimbursement claims, discusses PERA standings and who pays event standby for firefighters
Summary
At the Feb. 27 workshop chiefs raised unpaid reimbursement claims; City Treasurer Sue Riesing said claimed expenses did not meet the "public purpose" rule and cited consultations with the auditor, OSA, and LMC. The council also discussed approving PERA "good standings" for two firefighters and whether event standby pay should come from the city or Harris Club.
Chief 3 Tim Morin and Chief 2 Gabi Streater told the workshop they had submitted personal expenditures for reimbursement on multiple dates and had not been reimbursed. Morin said he turned in receipts on Jan. 6 and Mar. 30, 2023; Streater said she spent $354 in 2022 for an escape room expense tied to team activity and was not reimbursed.
City Treasurer Sue Riesing told the group she could not legally approve those reimbursements because they did not meet the city's "public purpose" expenditure requirement and said she had contacted the city auditor, the OSA, and the LMC for clarification and documentation. Mayor Randy Carlson asked Riesing to provide the relevant law and suggested getting an interpretation from the city's new attorney.
Separately, the workshop discussed two firefighters who fell short of "good standings" for 2024 PERA calculations. Mayor Carlson said the council could approve them for good standings; Councilmember Al Siedow emphasized that policy should be enforced until formally changed, warning that exceptions open the city to liability. No formal council vote was recorded.
Chief Streater also requested higher event pay for stand-by coverage at events; she said Harris currently pays $9 (described as training) for long events and proposed $50 per event per firefighter, citing North Branch's rate. Councilmember Al Siedow said the expense should be borne by Harris Club rather than the city. Mayor Carlson directed staff to clarify the distinction between the fire department and Relief and to place the event-pay question on the next agenda.
