Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chief says paid-leave changes and vacancies are driving overtime costs
Summary
Fire Chief Robert told the commission that Connecticut Paid Leave usage, long-term leaves and unfilled vacancies have pushed the department to "critical" staffing levels and have already consumed more than half of the overtime budget for the fiscal year, prompting a request for a dedicated CTPL budget line.
Fire Chief Robert told the Middletown Public Safety Commission on Sept. 15 that recent state leave rules and multiple long-term absences have sharply increased overtime costs and will require changes in the departments budget planning. "It's a game changer," he said of Connecticut Paid Leave, adding that the department has already used 595 hours of CTPL since July 1.
Robert said staffing is strained: some shifts are at or below minimum staffing levels, two members are on light duty and the department has unfilled vacancies. He reported that the overtime budget was 55% expended within about three months of the fiscal year, and recalled that a five-month period under a similar change had produced about $75,000 in overtime. "When you look at your overtime budget...at 41 days into the fiscal year, I was 40% expended," he told commissioners, arguing that unanticipated paid-leave costs will ripple through next year's budget.
The chief outlined causes: military deployments, FMLA leaves, and the states paid-leave program, which he said allows accrual and use of paid leave in ways that increase overlapping absences and force more overtime. He urged commissioners to consider budget accommodations and said he will present documented overtime impacts during the upcoming budget process: "I would like a Connecticut paid-leave line that we can...show this is the impact," he said.
Commission business proceeded amid this brief debate but produced no formal policy decision; the commission approved the minutes of its Aug. 18 meeting and later adjourned. The chief said staffing and overtime will be a focus in the next budget cycle and that he will return with more detailed numbers when the city budget discussions begin.
