Healdsburg Cuts Jobs in Police, Fire, Finance, Planning

Healdsburg will see staff cuts or downgrades in its police, fire, finance and planning departments, according to

Most of the cuts will be realized through either eliminating vacant positions or downgrading existing jobs -- except for the direct loss of one half-time firefighter position.

"We're at the bottom for police and fire," said City Councilman Tom Chambers. "Any more cuts and we won't be able to function."

Chambers added that the general fund budget's "structural problems" -- meaning that 70 percent is eaten up by salaries and benefits -- must be addressed or the "red ink will continue."

Healdsburg's final 2012-13 budget approval is set for June 25.

On the good news side, Healdsburg's general fund budget deficit at the end of this month won't be at the $984,000 level as expected, said City Finance Director Heather Ippoliti.

She said Monday it would be more like $384,000, mostly due to an unexpected surge in sales tax and hotel room tax revenue.

"I had estimated our (general fund) revenue at $6.9 million," Ippoliti said. "Instead, it looks like it will be more like $7.3 million."

Ippoliti's positive news, however, was tempered by the likely loss of between for the city's former redevelopment agency. Healdsburg will only receive $250,000 back from the state, said Assistant City Manager David Mickaelian.

Also, Healdsburg's bid to finance a list of all its former redevelopment projects was turned down by the state last week, Mickaelian added. He said the city will be looking into legal action.

On the plus side, City Council voted to spent $80,000 out of the city's special Community Benefit Fund to continue to offer full animal control services through

Healdsburg Police Chief Kevin Burke told council he could not afford to pay the $80,000 out of his proposed 2012-13 budget for animal control, given his mandate to trim costs.

Burke proposed to continue to pay only for Sonoma County's animal control services and for license fees, or the $35,000 balance of the city's $115,000 annual animal control contract. The $80,000 of the contract now covers a salary for full-time animal control and truck maintenance and insurance.

If Pelleriti's job were eliminated, Healdsburg police officers would have to either step in for animal control calls or the calls would go unanswered, Burke said.

"I think this would be a huge step backwards," said Councilman Jim Wood. He noted that Cloverdale, where his dental practice is located, does not have an animal control program in place.

"It's a disaster," Wood said. "There are complaints all the time."

Mayor Gary Plass said he would be concerned to lose the full animal control services program.

"We've worked so hard to get this program back," he said. "I'm also concerned that this would put a burden on (police) patrol."

After going through all the cuts and downgrades in police and other department budgets, Plass looked around at the 20 or so city employees in the room. He thanked them for their hard work and for participating in the budget-trimming process.

"Even though we say it's not personal, our employees know that it is personal," he said. "It's people's jobs and people's lives."

Plass said he hopes residents will recognize all the intense budget scrutiny done over the past year.

"I hope the community recognizes all the work we've done and remembers this," he said. to increase sales taxes by a half cent -- some of which could help ease the budget situation.

In staff reductions approved Monday:

--will eliminate two vacant positions left by the resignation of Officer Nadia Mohamed, who left to take a post at the San Francisco Police Department, and the retirement of Senior Dispatcher Larry Farnady.

This will bring the department down to 15 sworn officers and eight non-sworn staff for 2012-13, down from 16 sworn officers and nine non-sworn staff in the current year.

The police budget will drop to $4.19 million, down from $4.24 million in the current year, and down from a peak in 2007-08 of $5.1 million, when there were 18 sworn officers and 11 non-sworn staff.

"From when I sat in your chair, I don't think 15 is enough," Vice Mayor Susan Jones, former Healdsburg Police Chief, said to Burke. "I think 16 (sworn officers) should be the lowest you could go."

Burke said he would get by with 15 officers, "but I don't think we could go to 14," he said.

Further, the department will realize some savings with the retirement in February 2013 of Lt. Kevin Young after 25 years of service. Young, 50, who has been with Healdsburg police his entire career, said he was looking forward to taking a break from dealing with the harsh realities of crime and "corrosive" behavior.

He said he was pleased with the improvements made during his service.

"Healdsburg has evolved a lot in the past 25 years," Young said. "It's become a place to be proud of -- I'd hate see it slip backward due to budgetary constraints."

Burke said the department would not fill the lieutenant's post, but would promote a detective to sergeant and would hire a new entry-level police officer.

--In the , a part-time position filled by Reserve Firefighter Chris Dorazio and other reserve firefighters would be eliminated. Chief Steve Adams said that would mean the staffing for each engine call during the day would drop from three people to two.

"This is a problem because two people are not enough, especially for medical aid," Adams said. "You have to carry people out of the bathroom, or down the stairs, and it could lead to back or spine injuries (for the firefighters)."

--In the Healdsburg will eliminate the senior planner position now held by Lynn Goldberg. An assistant planner's post has been opened and the city is in the application process for that job.

The city has already hired a new planning and building director, Barbara Nelson, after the post was vacant for 1 1/2 years.

As of 2012-13, the Planning and Building Department budget of close to $798,859 will be absorbed into the general fund budget, Ippoliti said. The move was made in the wake of the elimination of redevelopment agency, she said.

--In the Ippoliti said she will be restructuring several accounting clerical posts.

"No staff will be leaving," Ippoliti said. "I've downgraded two positions, but no one is losing a job."