The city of Colorado Springs estimates overtime costs related to the Waldo Canyon Fire could reach up to $4 million.
“We are estimating overtime costs related to the fire (firefighting and evacuation) will be approximately $3 (million) to $4 million,” Chief of Staff Laura Neumann said in an email.
“While the local Waldo Canyon firefighting efforts have concluded, we expect nearly all Fire Department staff to be in an overtime status until the Fire Department’s Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) time period concludes in mid-July, so there will be continuing cost impacts. Many City staff (Communications, Finance, IT, etc.) that put in significant amounts of overtime are exempt employees so according to the FLSA the City is not required to pay overtime to those employees,” she wrote.
Neumann said operating costs, such as fuel, food and supplies, will be about $500,000.
“We are still gathering exact figures by category – purchases were made by many throughout the organization,” she wrote.
“City Fleet has indicated that we spent approximately $23,000 more on fuel during the fire (7,435 gallons of fuel). Other significant costs were for food and supplies for the firefighters in staging and the 24/7 Emergency Operations Center; IT related expenses for GIS mapping and printing; and additional communications equipment, etc. When we have cost estimates by category we will share them.”
Neumann said the city will be filing for reimbursement for “eligible costs” with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
“We are just beginning our work with FEMA representatives to determine what costs are eligible. 75% of eligible costs will be reimbursed by FEMA. The City’s 25% share of reimbursable costs may be born by the General Fund or possibly shared by the State. All costs not eligible for reimbursement will be born by the City. We anticipate asking for a supplemental appropriation for the FEMA grant and the General Fund in the near future,” she wrote.
I think that this just proves that the Mayor was right when he stood his ground during the budget discussions that our rainy day fund (reserve) should be increased for a disaster such as this. People and Council members were quite upset that we could not pave tennis courts at the time. Thank you Mayor Bach for standing your ground and building the reserve for such incidents.
These costs will initially come out of the city budget but will be reimbursed by the Feds. So the reserve will not be used to cover the cost of this disaster. The article
These costs will initially come out of the city budget but will be reimbursed by the Feds. So the reserve will not be used to cover the cost of this disaster. The article even states that. The cost to the city will be minimal.
And who are the Feds Bex, it us the United States Taxpayer (not Obama or any of Congress) so either way we are paying for i and rightfully so as they are all our NEIGHBOURS!!!!
That is “paying for it”
Paul,
You have no idea what your talking about. That 17 percent reserve fund has been dipped into several times since budget. You and wayne L need to stop being rah rah cheerleaders for the Mayor and putting out wrong info. Citizens aren’t stupid and we don’t need any more puppets on Council, so save us all from your campaigning. This City who keeps saying its broke will find the money, it always does.
Reform yourself Paul and spare the rest of us taxpayers from your letters. Nobody cares.
Kathy and Dauane Thousands of towns face budget squeeze in downturn’s wake. I question your facts as you did mine the statement that a City will always find the money could not be farther from the truth. Even as towns and cities struggle to balance this year’s books, pension costs are expected to continue to put pressure on future budgets. So will the declines in property tax revenues, which accelerated in 2011, according to the League of Cities. Because of a lag of several years in changes in property tax assessments, the post-2006 plunge in house prices will continue to hammer local budgets for at least the next few years.
So will the recent sharp cuts in federal and state aid. Following the expiration of tens of billions in federal stimulus spending in 2009 and 2010, state finance officials have balanced their budgets in part part with cuts in aid to local governments, according to a recent report from Fitch Ratings.
Kathy if we are not prudent in our City’s financial well being in the future we are just a step away from failure!
Paul- I rarely get on the blogs anymore because of rhetoric spews that go on. I knew it was a matter of time before the “evil” employee’s pension were brought up. Employee’s pay into these pensions over their 25 to 30 year careers. Yes the city does also invest with the employee. I am curious as to how much you actually know about these? Or do you just know what the media and the nay says talk about? Have you actually talked to an employee about theirs? The pensions are a cost to the city yes. Municipal pensions have never been an issue until corporate america starting cutting the 401k and large bonuses. All the city employee does is serve their community. They don’t ask for much. Matter of fact they haven’t received a raise in quite sometime but you will not hear them complain. What I did see was brave men and women (not just fire and police) give all to their community. Do not grandstand and thank the fire and police one second then say that the very benefits they work for are gonna bankrupt the city! Pick a side and stand on it
Patrick , Thanks for your response the pensions mentioned above are referenced in the article (Thousands of towns face budget squeeze in downturn’s wake) Colorado Springs is facing almost 1 Billion dollars in unfunded liabilities in the future for P.E.R.A. The issue with the P.E.R.A. program is that with people living longer and retirements being based off higher ending base salaries it is not sustainable in it’s current form. The State Legislature will have to step forward as they already did curtailing the yearly Cost of Living increase and changing the eligibility age for retirement. Government wages were in the 60′s and 70′s lower than the private sector, so the retirement offered to retain employees was better. the 80′s, 90′s, and later the wages for many government employees surpassed the private sector and the retirement remained the same in many cases 80% of the final base salary for the remainder of their life span and they were eligible at 55 with just 20 years of service. This is an unsustainable model for any retirement program. I sincerely pray Patrick that the system just does not go belly up as it has in some other City’s already. Just for the record our Police and Fire have their own retirement program outside of PERA.
I hope that I have answered your question as I have attended meetings in Denver and here that are addressing this very serious situation. Also for the record if we have already promised it we should find a way to fund it. But we must explore other options for new hires that we can live up to and maintain there is nothing worse than to lose your promised retirement as many did with General Motors when it became Delphi.
Patrick, just one other thing the private sector has not seen any raises in pay either, in many cases many people I know have willing taken cuts in pay to stay employed and insured. I personally know many people actively seeking work that have been unemployed (for years) and now their benefits have run out and they have spent what they had in retirement to pay the bills and now they are facing foreclosure and bankruptcy. This recession has sucked the lives out of so many people. It can though be turned around but it will take concessions from all to do it, God Bless.
Patrick I recommend this site for PERA info. http://www.copera.org/pdf/5/5-20-11.pdf
Paul- I do know about PERA also. The majority of the city workforce is Fire and Police not in PERA. I would also argue the fact that it is not many cases that someone can retire at 80% at 20 yrs of service. What do you know of police and fire? The private sector has had pay increases (even if it not that much). Your city employee’s have also paid more for their benefits. The city employee’s are making less this year than they did the year before due to increased pension cost, health care and higher deductibles passed onto them by the city. This is ALSO a pay cut. The city employee’s are shouldering the burden alongside of the private sector employee’s just as much. Quit trying to create a widening rift between the two. The private sector provides services for profit. The city employee’s provide services period. There have been concessions by all. There is just as many employee’s that are hurting also. Just because some are able to keep their heads above the water should we punish them??
And what’s with the God Bless? Does that make you feel better at the end of the argument? You don’t feel its OK for city employee’s to have what they have and you argue that we should take away from them?? You throw out a God Bless and all is well? No, we as citizens in this community should hold policy makers, developers and the rest accountable for their actions (or inactions). Don’t blame the city employee for showing up to work and doing their job (and well too)!
God Bless is just that Patrick, it is God Bless and I sincerely hope that He does. I have never said that City employees do not do a good job for the money they are paid? The only rift that has been created is by employees that seem to be carrying a chip a their shoulder feeling that they must justify or be justified, I’m also confident that if you walk away there will be someone to replace you, so enjoy what you have in this economy and be thankful to the good Lord for it. Just for the record PERA affects (or infects) Colorado Springs Utilities, the City itself and Memorial Hospital at the present time.
You’re both misinformed: to reach 80%, PERA members must work 32 years. So if they started at age 18 they would be 50. But even if they moonlighted in the private sector they could not build ANY social security substantial earnings.
Paul’s claim of age 55, 20 year’s service yields 42.5%, not 80%. Since it’s not enough to meet living expenses, 50-55′ is still young enough to built Soc. Sec. substantial earnings – *provided you can find a private sector job in this economy and God blesses with good health* – for another 15-20 years. A whopping $900/ month or so. But then FICA was never intended to be more than supplemental.
But here’s a catch: Social Security penalizes all public pensioners, regardless if they have 42.5% or 80%, as much as 50% of that $900. The only way to get full Soc. Sec. is to have 30 years’ SS earnings (over $20,000 for 2012)! assuming you don’t die in the saddle before you’re 85, you could bump your FICA up to $1200/mo.
Yippee.
Now you guys really need to see how county employees are gaming the system because your county taxes pay both their FICA and retirement plan at rates higher than PERA alone.