Following is a letter from an MB resident.
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by Joe Arnao - MB Resident
Something's fishy in Manhattan Beach. The City Council has been either misinformed or negligent in the handling of the administrative and operational management of the City’s Fire Department.
Something’s fishy between the circular relationship between the City Manager (Bruce Moe) and the City’s Human Resource Director (Lisa Jenkins) setting policy, and determining hiring practices and personnel at the City’s Fire Department, while simultaneously advising, consulting, and informing the City Council to the matter. Having two individuals with the first and the last word on the Fire Dept is not a healthy way to check and balance power, nor have a non-bias presentation of the facts as they stand.
Something’s fishy as it relates to the City’s inability to promote from within in its own Fire Department. There is no logical reason, other than political, for the City imposed punitive practices of cutting pay for any Fire employee being promoted up in the ranks. Even though internal candidates test higher than outside prospectives, they lose overtime and take an up to 15% pay cut. This punitive practice became the edict after a sweetheart deal was made with prior Battalion Chiefs, who then summarily left the department after being able to spike their salaries for the benefit of their pension. Now anyone considering these positions is penalized.
Something’s fishy in the revolving door of the top brass at the Fire Department with the only victims being the overworked, overstressed, and fleeing rank and file of Fire and Paramedic personnel. Six Chiefs in five years tells me it’s a larger problem than bad candidates. The process and those in charge of the process are broken.
Something’s fishy in the retaliatory nature of the City Manager’s actions over the past five years after the Fire Department personnel was forced to vote no confidence in the Fire Chief who happened to have a chummy relationship with said City Manager.
Something’s fishy because anyone with a basic understanding of simple overtime math can see that there is an unsustainable financial and stressor burden being placed upon the City’s 26 individuals who make up the Fire Department. This is shortsighted, and a threat to public safety. Overtime is a necessary component of the public service sector, but not at these levels. These people run into burning buildings, run towards disasters, and get to your home or office in mere minutes to save the lives of your loved ones. Asking personnel to work 100 hours a week, week after week, is dangerous, irresponsible, and negligent. By not solving this problem, you are complicit.
Something’s fishy because in a department with unprecedented overtime, the powers that be are looking to cut an additional 2 from the headcount, further exacerbating a very stressed-out rank and file. The Department has had vacancies for over a year and a half, and in instances where the City has the ability and support to build out the department by hiring to alleviate the overtime costs, the City has chosen to do nothing.
Something’s fishy when we have one of the biggest tax bases in LA County, world-class, brand-new facilities, yet we are ranked as a Class 4 Fire Department when our neighboring communities are Class 1 or 2. This is mismanagement personified, and frankly an embarrassment to our City. This is caused by the City’s inability to hire and staff the correct and minimum amount of personnel, yet the City is calling for the Department to eliminate its minimum staff requirements. Once again, putting the burden on the rank and file, and creating a public safety situation for residents in the community.
The City Manager is appointed by the City Council. The City Council is elected by the citizens. You are failing the citizens of this community by allowing this fish to rot in the City’s Fire Department. There is a personal and personnel vendetta taking place here, and you are delinquent in providing a timely, attainable, financially sound, and morally responsible solution. This has been going on for the past FIVE years. I’ve sent kids to college and back with degrees in less time.
I, along with a growing consort of citizens in the community, are demanding the immediate review of the following issues as they relate to the city’s Fire Department, including but not limited to:
A disciplinary review, with the possibility of removal from office, of the City Manager’s and the Human Resource Director’s actions over the past five years as it relates to their ability to influence hiring and promotion policy within the Fire Department.
The immediate change in hiring policy to allow for more individuals to join the fire department and alleviate the massive burden of overtime charges, which will actually cost the City and taxpayers less, not more.
The forensic examination and revision of the process of who and how information is provided to the City Council as it relates to the Fire and Police Department, with the inclusion of input in OPEN SESSIONS from the Fire Chief and the rank and file within the department.
The abolishment of the punitive rules for those who wish to be promoted within the ranks of the Fire Department - including the idiotic policy of pay cuts for advancement, and abolishment of overtime and salary reductions. This practice is only for the benefit of the City Manager and his ability to keep Department management loyal to his office. It also breeds contempt within the rank and file of the city departments.
This fish stinks. The only way to disinfect it is to put it in the sun. Get it out in the open and let’s publicly understand the facts.
Enough with the closed sessions and backroom deals. It has rotted for too long, the stench is unbearable, and it’s obvious that this is a political, not a financial issue. Keep the fish in the ocean, and keep the Fire Department operational, not dysfunctional.
It’s time for City Council to clean up this mess. And if the Council can’t or won’t, the electorate will be sure to clean it all in November.
Sincerely,
Joe Arnao
In every newsletter covering the MB Fire Dept. issue, we have posted a link to the statements posted by City Council. Please read the following position by MB City Council.
A RESPONSE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE MBFA NEGOTIATIONS
City Council Continues its Commitment to Keep Fire Services Local
Recently, the MBFA has disseminated communications stating that the City Council has made misleading statements regarding the ongoing labor negotiations with MBFA. Meanwhile, the MBFA continues a widespread marketing campaign that includes misinformation alleging Fire Department mismanagement and a threat to Manhattan Beach fire services staying local. The following information is intended to dispel the notion that there is mismanagement within the Fire Department and assures the community that Council wholly supports keeping Manhattan Beach fire services local now and into the future. See full response [HERE].
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