HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Workshop Minutes 12.03.2019MINUTES
CITY OF LAUREL
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2019
A Council Workshop was held in the Council Chambers and called to order by Mayor Tom Nelson
at 6:31 p.m. on December 3, 2019.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT:
_x_ Emelie Eaton
_x_ Heidi Sparks
x Bruce McGee
x Richard Herr
x Scot Stokes
x Iry Wilke
x Richard Klose
x Bill Mountsier
OTHERS PRESENT:
Kurt Markegard, Public Works Superintendent
Rylie Hutchens, Ambulance Director
Brent Peters, Fire Chief
Public Input:
There were none.
General Items:
There were none.
Executive Review:
1. Resolution: A Resolution Authorizing The Mayor To Execute A Lease Agreement With
The American Legion And Laurel Little League For Baseball Facilities As Described In
Lease Agreement.
Corey McIlvain, 903 6th Ave, stated he is the President of the Laurel Dodgers. He
stated that baseball is a large part of Laurel. He did want to clarify one thing and make
one request. First that the lease states that $250 will be charged to both the Dodgers and
Little League for the use of the concession stand. Historically the Little League has not
participated in concessions, and the Dodgers have paid that. The Dodgers are happy
with the contract and appreciate Council extending it for five years, but request that the
lease be split. These are two separate organizations. Having a combined lease has cause
confusion.
It was recommended these changes be taken into consideration and get this taken care
of soon. The Mayor stated he would follow up with Sam in the morning to see how this
should move forward. It was stated if both had their own leases, they would both need
to have their own insurance. It was clarified both organizations do have their own
insurance.
It was questioned when the current contract is up. It was clarified the current lease
expires in April.
2. Ordinance No. 019-03 An Ordinance Amending The Laurel Municipal Code For The
Purpose Of Changing City Park Hours Pursuant To 12.28.060. (PH 12.10.2019)
Mayor Nelson stated this is the second reading of Ordinance No. 019-03. There will be
a public hearing next week.
Council President Eaton stated she previously voted no for this. She had questions about
Riverside Park. Under the section marked Park Hours section C, there are no hours for
the camping side of the park, but will there be for the boat side?
It was clarified that the City does not have control of the shoreline and the boat part, so
do not have control over the hours.
It was questioned where do these hours apply within Riverside Park.
It was suggested that Fish Wildlife and Parks take care of the boat side. Camping will
have a quiet time. These hours would apply to anything beyond Jaycee Hall.
It was questioned if there would be signs up past Jaycee Hall stating the park hours. It
was clarified that signage would be necessary for all the parks.
It was questioned if Riverside Park would have a change in hours again this spring. It
was clarified that the camping portion would be delineated under these new hours. The
hours would not change.
It was questioned what if someone wanted to pitch a tent down at the other end of the
park. There is a Park Board meeting on Thursday evening. They can discuss this type of
issue.
It was clarified that the City does have a Riverside Park master plan that outlines the
plans for the park.
Corey McIlvain, 903 6th Avenue, questioned how the park hours would affect the
Dodgers. As a cost-saving measure, they play doubleheaders. Those games start at 5
p.m. and the second game begins right after the end of the first game. There is a chance
their games can go later than 10 p.m. due to weather delays or competitive play. Could
there be an exception listed in their lease in the event they go later than 10 p.m? It was
clarified that people walking through the park, Fourth of July, etc. would not be a
problem. The goal of the hours was to reduce vandalism within the parks. Don't see
fining the Dodgers for going too long.
Council Issues
3. KLJ Street Maintenance Discussion
Kurt Markegard, Public Works Director, stated a few weeks ago they had a Public
Works Committee meeting and discussed the PASER study. They had talked about
wanting to bring forward discussion to the Council. There are a few task orders coming
up with KLJ. There was a meeting today, this morning, with Staff and the Mayor, this
was the discussion. This task order will come to Council on December 17th. Today was
at the Staff level.
In the last few winters, the streets have blown up. They are looking to go out to bid in
February with contracts going to Council in March and hoping to get better pricing.
However, things may change this winter. There were questions about financing that the
Clerk/Treasurer is looking into.
The Public Works Director encouraged Council to look through their books and be
ready with questions at the next Workshop meeting. There are maps that rank the streets
by Ward. Anything below a 6 requires a full repair or overlay, while anything above a 6
only needs crack sealing, chip sealing, or patching, etc. It is hard to preserve pavement
when there is not a base — currently working on redoing the Public Works Standards.
Will require eight inches of gravel and three inches of asphalt. There are areas that a
geotechnical report will be needed and may require sixteen inches of gravel and fabric
to keep the groundwater from deteriorating the road, hoping for a mild winter.
The Mayor asked that KLJ speak to where we are on West Railroad during the next
Workshop.
Council Member Herr stated that taxes went up a lot for street maintenance. He
reiterated that he hopes the City uses that tax increase towards the streets. Mayor
Nelson clarified that it cannot be used for anything else but the streets.
The Public Works Director stated if you were to add up all the columns, the total cost to
repair/replace all the streets would be 60 million. The City is 60 million behind on street
maintenance, not including the water and sewer lines. Last week they found a lead line.
They also found a sewer line that was not connected and also found a City main that
had collapsed. Street replacement will coordinate with the water and sewer reserves to
make sure they are able to fix all of them. There are also orange brick pipes that need to
be replaced, as well — looking for a well-balanced approach to getting these things
fixed.
Mayor Nelson stated that they are working on evaluating where they are on funds and
water rates. Certain projects require a rate study.
The Public Works Director stated the south end of town has very old infrastructure that
needs to be addressed. If they replace the waterline, they will also be replacing the street
as well.
4. Page 41 of Personnel Policy Discussion
Mayor Nelson stated this agenda item was requested by Council President Eaton.
Council President Eaton handed out screenshots of comments made on social media,
see attached. This particular individual goes on to spread falsehoods about an issue he
felt very deeply about. He states that he is a fireman who has been on the Department
for over 10 years. Council Member Sparks has previously brought up that these posts
were unprofessional. This has continued for over two years. The Personnel Policy, see
attached, is very clear that employees are to state they are not speaking for the City,
state that this is their opinion, and not spread falsehoods, etc. There was no Department
Head or Mayor caution to this individual. Council President Eaton asked where the
Mayor stood on this and what he thought could be done about it.
Mayor Nelson stated that he was unsure exactly what her question was. He has not
spoken with the City Attorney regarding this issue. There is some grey area regarding
employee vs. volunteer.
Council President Eaton stated that if someone states they are on the Volunteer Fire
Department and have 10 years and stating falsehoods and continuing to repeat it, for
example, the last post in the handout. It is not clear where he heard those things, but that
is not what the Council had heard. Not a good representation of anyone, whether they
be a volunteer or an employee, to state these harsh, angry opinions time after time. She
clarified that everyone has a right to their opinions, but when backing it up with a
statement that you have 10 years of experience. It seems like it is going beyond stating
an opinion and seems more like they are arguing with Staff, City Council, and the
Mayor, etc.
Mayor Nelson stated that there were some City employees that responded in some
manner as well. He stated he does not know what that was because he does not read any
of it and only knows what he has been told. He has had a couple of discussions and is
planning to have a discussion with all the Department Heads as well and looking at
making a change, so this policy encompasses all employees, volunteers, and Council
Members. Moving forward, there will be recourses to employees and volunteers who
violate that policy. What the City currently has is a little vague. If something is proper
or not can be debated. This is something that will be addressed and have a more
comprehensive policy in place and will not see this kind of activity in the future. From
his understanding, there have been a lot of things said, some poorly chosen. Many
things he has seen have been unprofessional, whether it be from employees or
volunteers.
Brent Peters, Fire Chief, stated in reference to Council President Eaton's comment. The
Department Head didn't know because the Department Head doesn't have Facebook
and doesn't believe in Facebook. When dealing with the issues from the past three
weeks, people have been able to project their feeling through Facebook. He stated that
he has spoken with this individual and will not be seeing this action in the future.
According to the Personnel Policy, the employee classifications are full-time and part-
time. It does not address volunteers. He agrees a lot of policies within the Personnel
Policy need to be updated to include volunteers, Council Members, and so forth. There
is responsibility in their positions on how they act. This individual has been talked to
along with the rest of the Department. He plans to hold training for those within the
Department to follow what is in the Personnel Policy event though they are not
classified within the policy as those that need to adhere to it. It was brought to his
attention that there were other City Employees who were involved in discussions on
Facebook. This is a great training opportunity, and lesson learned for the City of Laurel.
Mayor Nelson stated that the Personnel Policy needs a lot of updates. That was one of
the things that when he was on Council, that they all complained about. They got the
Personnel Policy at a Workshop and voted on it the following week. When you are
working, you may not have the time needed to fully review the document before them.
He stated he thinks it should take one or two Workshops minimum before making a
decision on the item. Council should be afforded the time for proper review.
5. Ambulance/Fire Department Discussion
Mayor Nelson stated this discussion item was requested by Council Member Sparks.
Council Member Sparks asked to have a discussion on what exactly the plans are
regarding the Ambulance and Fire Department. She also asked where the City was with
those plans. There is a lot of stuff on social media and regular media at this point. There
is a miscommunication or lack of communication. The best way to squelch this is to
have a conversation about it.
Mayor Nelson stated that he feels the best way to move forward is a combined
department. He made a mistake in bringing that forward to quickly. He spoke with the
Ambulance Director, who convinced him that hiring five full-time EMTs instead of a
combined department with firefighter/EMTs would best serve the City. He stated that it
is his responsibility to provide for the health and welfare of the citizens. They provide
volunteers and equipment and are expected to provide a certain level of service. This
year especially the Ambulance Department has struggled with keeping volunteers. Riley
had stepped in and taken that on. Since Riley has taken this on, he has turned it around
quite a bit. Riley convinced him to hire ambulance employees; he is not going to hire a
full-time Fire/EMS Chief at this time. At this time, he is working with the Volunteer
Fire Chief Peters on a plan for the next 5, 10, 15 years for the Fire Department with
contingencies based on legislation and increase of population to a level of first-class
sooner than anticipated. Will also continue looking into having a combined Fire and
EMS Department. It will probably be two separate departments under one brand but
will have further discussions. This plan will be similar to the Growth Policy and be
reviewed every three to five years. He wouldn't have moved forward with this plan if he
did not think this was a great plan. He believes this is something we will be proud of for
years to come.
It was questioned where the Ambulance Department is on staffing. How many
volunteers they have; how many employees they have, and will there be employees
hired. It was clarified that they currently have 26 volunteers, planning on hiring five
employees initially. To make it to a fiill-time service, depending on the scheduling
model. Using the optimal model, they would need an additional one full-time employee
with three part-time employees as well as a paid Director. Initially, it was going to be
three, would have made zero impact. That is how they arrived at the number five and
keep the Director position volunteer for the time being to put five on the street until they
are at a revenue position to hire a full-time Director. Ambulance Director Hutchens
asked that resident, elected and appointed officials need to keep in mind that this is only
the beginning of the plan, this is not the end of the plan. There is a lot of criticism not
providing full-time coverage. The reality is the money is not in the bank but working on
ways to acquire the money. Giving the revenue steps, they are looking at approximately
five years to truly have a full -tune service. There are a lot of changes they can make in
the meantime.
Mayor Nelson stated there are a lot of opportunities to self -fund a portion of these costs.
Such as flying transports into the Laurel Airport etc.
It has been stated on social media that even with the five full-time EMTs that there will
not be full-time coverage. What type of coverage will there be, and when will those
full-time positions take effect?
Ambulance Director Hutchens stated that there are three crews. An A crew, B crew, and
C crew. A and B crews will work one 16 -hour shift and one 24-hour shift per week. C
crew will work two 12 -hour shifts and one 16 -hour shift per week. C crew does not
have a guaranteed partner like A and B crews do. Saturday and Sunday will be covered
from Midnight to midnight both days. This is the peak 911 call volume. This, paired
with getting volunteer coverage, has been difficult. Monday and Tuesday are covered
from 8:00 a.m. to midnight. Wednesday and Thursday will be from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30
p.m. Friday will be 8:00 a.m. to midnight. The hours were statistic driven. The goal is to
cover as many calls as possible given the limited number of resources. They are starting
the interview process next week. There are seven applicants. He could not say he will
hire all internal applicants. They may open to external applicants. Things that will be
taken into consideration is the quality of the employee, experience, commitment to the
Laurel Community. The intention is to be very careful in who they hire as a full-time
employee. They need Community go-getters and people who have a heart for the City
of Laurel. People who have a legitimate investment to improve the service. He stated if
he cannot find those qualities in his own staff, he may have to look outside his staff. He
will not hinder the entire plan if they cannot hire all five. Would get those hired on the
ground now and work on the fine details later. Some criticism they have received from
this plan is that the station is not ready for full-time employees. This is true. When the
station was built back in 2007, there was never a concept for sleeping quarters brought
into it. There is not a fire alarm system in the Fire Station. There are temporary plans in
place to allow for sleep time. The classroom can be set up as temporary sleep quarters.
He has been in contact with a FEMA on how they set up temporary sleep quarters.
There are numerous station duties that can be done daily. One of the biggest projects is
the archival project. This is taking every patient care document dating back to 1971
scanning that and then destroying the original copy. These are forensic records and
follow a different retention schedule. There are 1000's of records that need to be
scanned in. Some are in such condition they will need to be manually entered. There are
cleaning duties, community outreach projects, education opportunities, an employee
physical fitness program, etc. It is not what is portrayed on TV that firefighters and
EMT's are sitting around watching TV all day. There is stuff to be done.
Mayor Nelson stated that they are still working on the safety levy to assist with the
needs of emergency services. Ambulance Director Hutchens thinks we may be too late
to get things done this year, which we may be. We can give ourselves a year and a half
would be better. He is going to try and schedule a City/County meeting to discuss the
Fire Districts and how they currently are arranged. May also talk about creating a
Southern Yellowstone County Fire and Ambulance Districts. The call volume is
increasing outside the City as well.
It was stated that the safety mill levy is a high priority for the Emergency Services
Committee. It was questioned if we were pushing that back. It was questioned if we are
to the point where we can hire five full-time employees now do we really need it.
Citizens will be asking this question. Mayor Nelson clarified this is why we need to
spend a year and a half working on this to be able to present why we need the safety
mill levy. This is not at the 95%-96% coverage we would like to be. This is just the
start. We need to be able to show how the safety levy is increasing the service within
the City and also be able to show that we are getting paid for service outside the City. If
we spent the next six to eight months putting everything together then have a
comprehensive plan and request to present to the people. There will be a sunset to show
that it is money well spent.
It was stated that calls not being answered brings us to this point today. It was stated
that this plan would not give 95% to 96% coverage. It was questioned what percentage
will it cover. It was clarified that you could not predict 911 calls. This should give 65%
to 70% coverage. Go forward Council needs to be specific in what they are asking for in
respect to the numbers. These are tabulated by hand. There are weeks that the coverage
is 5% to 10%. They may need to adjust the hours as the years go on. Ambulance
Director Hutchens asked for patience as this is a new endeavor, and it has not been done
before.
It was questioned if they are only able to fill three or four positions and have a shortfall,
will there still be back up from AMR. It was clarified that AMR has missed calls and
great delays on calls, as well. There is mutual aid; however they have their own areas to
service. Senate Bill 38 opened the door for community paramedicine in Montana. This
allows a paramedic to treat on the scene and release safely and not tie up a transport
unit. There are missuses of the ambulance service. Currently, they cannot refuse a call.
Fire Chief Brent Peters thanked Mayor Nelson and Ambulance Director Hutchens for
the work they have done on this. The City of Laurel has asked for a solution on the
ambulance for many years. He sat down with both the Mayor and Ambulance Director
Hutchens to have a discussion about emergency response in Laurel. This does not make
the volunteers go away. This is simply staffing the key hours. The Mayor has always
stated that he would promote full-time staff to support the volunteers. They are a team.
Laurel has the opportunity to be a leader for EMS. Other communities may be coming
to us for how we fixed the issues. This plan has an opportunity for growth.
Mayor Nelson stated that the volunteers work very hard for this community. They will
Lucky to have all of them, and they will always be part of the community. Any
employees will be there to back up the volunteers as they are the backbone.
Mayor Nelson ended the meeting without continuing to the remain agenda items.
Other Items
Review of Draft Council Agendas
6. Review Draft Council Agenda for December 10, 2019.
Attendance at Upcoming Council Meeting
Announcements
Employee Recognition:
David Saylor 29 years
City Shop
Guy Rolison 20 years
City Shop
Kevin Budge 12 years
City Shop
Dave Waggoner 12 years
WTP
Jay Hatton 6 years
City Shop
Keith Guy 3 years
City Shop
Volunteer Recognition:
KC Bieber 7 years Fire
Hugo Hernandez 7 years Fire
Wendy Wong 9 years Ambulance
Brandy Miller 3 years Ambulance
The council workshop adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
��
Brittney Moo
Administrative Assistant
NOTE: This meeting is open to the public. This meeting is for information and discussion of the Council for
the listed workshop agenda items.
MR
Replies
Rebecca Mazingo Peters
Not in their eyes
I
Henry Fox
I think they shouldn't be using an
opinion from 20 years ago in a city
structured differently than ours. The
people of the city decided they"d
rather deal with any potential
conflicts of interest over their other
choices:. That Says Something about
the other candidates rallying against
him,,,
Zip
Travis Nagel
Sounds like poor LOSERS to me, The
people of this City had better wake up
and take note of the bullshittery
going on, I wouldn't be surprised one
bit if some dumbass on the Shitty
Council nominates that Loser Nelson
for Mayor and votes him. Wouldn't put
it past them to have had this planned
11/25/2019 IMG_3129.PNG
10:47 9 .o D,
Tom Nelson for Mayor 000
Yesterday at 12:52 PM • 0
3 shares
Most Relevant
Travis Nagel
Laurel wants a mayor that we elected, not
an individual that got the position based on
a technicality. You are taking credit for
projects already set in motion by your
predecessors. I also noticed you have
made no mention of the fact that during
your term as mayor that you did not get the
new water intake working even after
pouring millions of dollars into it. You talk
about how much work it is to be a mayor,
but you fired and did not replace the CAO,
whose job was to run the day to day affairs
of the city under the mayors guidance. You
essentially cut your own throat, and now are
trying to pat yourself on the back for doing
the work of the guy you fired. What I really
would like to know, is how hiring a full-time
Fire Chief and paying him/her $70,000 to
100,000 a year is going to help i... see More
9h Like Reply 009
4MITS Sean McCleary
5
Well said. Especially when he doesn't even
know half ..or probably most of the
firefighters on our dept.
1h Like Reply
p Write a comment... GIF O
00
�P
https:Hmail.google.com/mail/u/2/#inbox?projector=l 1/1
qi Like :l Follow *+ Share .••
Laurel Outlook ...
October 24 - O
Incumbent Laurel Mayor Toni Nelson is seeking to retain his position in the
Nov. 5 Municipal Election against certified v,rite-in candidate Ted Mize.
Nelson was appointed in Jan. 201E after mayor -elect Dave Waggoner...
#-Ne), s #-Political #-Candidiate
https,,'A,,+",titiv.laureioutlook.coml.. 'responsible -grog qh-importan._.
1 .
LAURELOUTL0OKCONl
Responsible growth important for incumbent Laurel Mayor
Tom Nelson
W Zach Cortese and 3 others
10 Comments 5 Shares
Like Q Comment �-'> Share 4 I
Most Relevant -
Write a comment- a COO GIF
Matthew D Willoughby i fully agree with Travis the departments
may have had the same name but not the same leader or chain of
command.. the Ambo operated with the help of the fire fighters not
because they had too but because there ,,a,as no one else.. the only
thing I wish w... See More
Like - Reply - 4w ( �
Travis Nagel till+hat a crock of shit this idiot is. How did combining
the Ambulance service with the Fire Department result in "BAD
lie Like �\ Follow # Share •••
Travis Nagel What a crock of shit this idiot is. Howe did combining
the Ambulance service with the Fire Department result in "BAD
RESPONSE TIMES" for the Ambulance??? The two departments
were combined in name only but operated separately vwith
completely separate budgets and leadership.5 . The fire Chief was
told he oversaw both departments but in actuality the Ambulance by-
passed the Fire Chief and reported directly to the Mayors office. The
mayor broke the chain of command, not the Fire Department. There
were a lot of unanswered EMS calls by the Laurel Ambulance
Service, not because they were joined in name only to the Fire
Department. but due to a severe lack of volunteer EMTs. This lark of
volunteers is a nation wide epidemic. ANIR of Billings is offering a
$10k signing bonus and still can't fill their ambulances. Laurel EMS
is completely staffed by volunteers. A few of which actually live in
Billings but practically live at the Ambulance barn to cover calls
because they care so much. forgoing seeing their families and
friends and actually having a LIFE, on top of working full time jobs.
When the EM—Is available to take a call was only one, minimum of 2
people to respond an ambulance, the Fire Department supplied Fire
Drivers so the EMT could respond to the request for an ambulance.
The mayor is trying to take credit for an improved -call answered -
rate by splitting the two departments that were joined in name only.
In actuality, the improved response is from a few new EMTs two of
which are Fire Department members and an ambulance driver v.ho
also lives in Billings but spends more time in Laurel driving the
ambulance then he does at home with his family. Couple this driver
with a fetor ENI—is that practically live at the Ambulance barn with
support from the Fire Drivers and we now have an improved
response rate. The mayor is trying to take credit for what the
Volunteer Ambulance leadership and their people have done. These
same volunteer Elul Is have asked for help from the mayors office
numerous times in the form of hiring full time EMTs and have put
together proposals on how to get it done but the mayor has turned
his back on them every time. Now he wants to spend $70-100k a
year on a full time fire chief? How does that fix anything?? Our
current fire chief Brent Peters runs the Fire Department top notch
and has done so for the last 3 years. He too is a volunteer. Why
spend up to S1 00k for a paid chief when you get the same result
with a volunteer fire chief? That's not spending taxpayer dollars
wisely. Instead, why not hire full time EMTs instead you know,
something we could actually really use here in Laurel. The city
cannot say they can't afford to do this as they have fired the past
ambulance director who was full-time and received a .-rage and the
current mayor has also fired the CAO who is making over 100;000 a
year and has not filled that position either:=&':. Tell the mayor we don't
need a full time fire chief. we need full time EMTs for our Ambulance
Service. My point here is that Tom Nelson is not a worthy mayor now
or ever will be_ Vote for Ted Mize so the City of Laurel can get back
on track.
ly
LikeReply � 4w
Travis Nagel ► Laurel Montana Community Watch and "'
Information #2
October 24 - 0
Reposting for those that missed it earlier:
Hello fellow Laurel folk. In today's Laurel Outlook is an article on the mayor.
I am writing to you to correct some false claims he has made and to review
his plans to hire a full time fire chief to replace our current volunteer fire
chief. As most of you know, I have been a member of the Laurel Volunteer
Fire Department for over ten years and am currently serving as a Deputy
Fire Chief. In the article the mayor claims that the combined departments
(Fire and Ambulance) created bad response times for the Ambulance. How
did combining the Ambulance service with the Fire Department result in
"SAD RESPONSE TIMES" for the Ambulance??? The two departments
were combined in -name -only. Both departments operated separately with
each their own budgets and leadership.' . The fire Chief was told he
oversaw both departments but in actuality the Ambulance by-passed the
Fire Chief and reported directly to the Mayors office, at his directive. The
mayor broke the chain of command, not your Fire Department. There were
a lot of unanswered EMS calls by the Laurel Ambulance Service, not
because they were joined, in -name -only, with the Fire Department, but due
to a severe lack of volunteer EMTs. This lack of volunteers is a nation wide
epidemic. AMR of Billings is offering a $10k signing bonus and still can't fill
their ambulances- Laurel EMS is completely 100% staffed by volunteers. A
few of which actually live in Billings but practically live at the Ambulance
barn to cover calls because they care so much, forgoing seeing their
families and friends and actually having a LIFE, on top of working full time
jobs. When the EMTs available to take a call was only one person, a
minimum of 2 people required to respond an ambulance per regulation, the
Fire Department supplied Fire Drivers so the EDIT could respond to the
request for an ambulance- The mayor is trying to take credit for an improved
"call answered" rate by splitting the two departments that were joined in
name only. In actuality, the improved response is from the addition of a few
new EMTs two of which are Fire Department members and an ambulance
driver who also lives in Billings but spends more time in Laurel driving the
ambulance then he does at home with his family. Couple this driver with a
few EMTs (seasoned and new) that practically live at the Ambulance barn
with support from the Fire Drivers and we now have an improved response
rate. The mayor is trying to take credit for what the Volunteer Ambulance
leadership and their people have done. These same volunteer EMTs have
asked for help from the mayors office numerous times in the form of hiring
full time EMTs and have put together proposals on how to get it done but
the mayor has turned his back on them every time. Now he wants to spend
70-100k a year on a full time fire chief? How does that fix anything?? Our
current fire chief. Brent Peters, runs the Fire Department top notch and has
done so for the last S years. He is a volunteer fire Chief, not a paid fire ch ief.
lr,dhy spend up to $100k for a paid chief when you get the same result with a
volunteer fire chief? That's not soendina taXDaver dollars wiselv. Instead.
Travis Nagel ► Laurel Montana Community Watch and "'
Information n2
October 24 - 0
Reposting for those that missed it earlier:
Hello fellow Laurel folk. In today's Laurel Outlook is an article on the mayor.
I am writing to you to correct some false claims he has made and to review
his plans to hire a full time fire chief to replace our current volunteer fire
chief_ As most of you know, 1 have been a member of the Laurel Volunteer
Fire Department for over ten years and am currently serving as a Deputy
Fire Chief_ In the article the mayor claims that the combined departments
(Fire and Ambulance) created bad response times for the Ambulance. How
did combining the Ambulance service with the Fire Department result in
"BAD RESPONSE TIMES" for the Ambulance??? The two departments
were combined in -name -only. Both departments operated separately with
each their own budgets and leadership.-:_ The fire Chief was told he
oversaw both departments but in actuality the Ambulance by-passed the
Fire Chief and reported directly to the Mayors office, at his directive. The
mayor broke the chain of command, not your Fire Department. There were
a lot of unanswered EMS calls by the Laurel Ambulance Service, not
because they were joined, in -name -only, with the Fire Department, but due
to a severe lack of volunteer EMTs. This lack of volunteers is a nation wide
epidemic. AMR of Billings is offering a $10k signing bonus and still can't fill
their ambulances. Laurel EMS is completely 100% staffed by volunteers. A
few of which actually live in Billings but practically live at the Ambulance
barn to cover calls because they care so much, forgoing seeing their
families and friends and actually having a LIFE, on top of working full time
jobs. When the EMTs available to take a call was only one person, a
minimum of 2 people required to respond an ambulance per regulation, the
Fire Department supplied Fire Drivers so the ENIT could respond to the
request for an ambulance_ The mayor is trying to take credit for an improved
`call answered" rate by splitting the two departments that were joined in
name only. In actuality, the improved response is from the addition of a few
new EMTs two of which are Fire Department members and an ambulance
driver who also lives in Billings but spends more time in Laurel driving the
ambulance then he does at home with his family_ Couple this driver with a
few EMTs (seasoned and new) that practically live at the Ambulance barn
with support from the Fire Drivers and we now have an improved response
rate. The mayor is trying to take credit for what the Volunteer Ambulance
leadership and their people have done. These same volunteer EMTs have
asked for help from the mayors office numerous times in the form of hiring
full time EP:4Ts and have put together proposals on how to get n done but
the mayor has turned his back on them every time. Now he wants to spend
570-100k a year on a full time fire chief? How does that fix anything?? Our
current fire chief. Brent Peters, runs the Fire Department top notch and has
done so for the last 8 years. He is a volunteer fire Chief, not a paid fire chief.
Why spend up to $100k for a paid chief when you get the same result with a
volunteer fire chief? That's not spending taxpayer dollars wisely- Instead.
oADMter, Internet relsail Man
The City recognizes that use of the Internet has many benefits for it and its Employees. The
Internet and e-mail make communication more efficient and dfective. More, Employees
are encouraged to use the Internet appropriately. Unacceptable usage of the latemet Can place
the City and others at risk. This policy discusses acceptable usage of the Internet.
Guidelines
Tiw following guidelines have been established for using the Internet and a -mail in an
appropriate, ethical and professional manner.
L Internet and e-mail access may not be used for transmitting, retrieving or storing of
any communications of a dahmatory, discriminatory or harassing nature or
materials that are obscene or X-rated. No messages with derogatuy or
inflammatory remarks about an individual's race, age, disability, religion, ' nal
origin, physical attributes or sexual preference shall be transmitted. Hwassment of
any kind is prohibited.
2. Disparaging, abusive, profane, or offensive language; materials that would
adversely or negatively reflect upon the City or be contrary to the City's best
interests; and any illegal activities - including piracy, era on,
blackmail, copyright infiring+ement, and unauthorized access to any computers on
the internee or e-mail - are forbidden.
3. Copyrighted f€ : belonging to entities .e .s t t } e than the way not t R
transmitted R Employees4.tthe CiVsnetworL Ali Employeesobtaining :.VV..S'1s
to other Vi ft +t.' € or nf t'. materialsmust Vt + ' #'t: and may
i oretrieve,modify or fbrwardcopyrightedmaterials, except with
} tet ti "+.,. } R or 4 " copy to referenceonly.you find something on the
Internet that be interesting} others, #} notcopy to a networkdrive.
lousft4 givethe URL !} f #€ resource locator or "address")to the Person
s Y.f
maybe interested f the informationand havef person 't i 4at it an hisAar€ f..
4. Df # •use4f'..system Ra way thatdisrupts F others. € f' .te
excessive sending or receiving many large files and "Vammmg* (sending e -mad
messages to dxnrsands of users.).
5. € Internet ofusefidprogramscan be downloaded, +r someof ti=+311
#1.=containcomputerR R:':b` thatcon muensivelydamage our computers. am
.
tovirus"checkdownloaded } . R-. R :tfilesimmediately.Instructionsan how ° i t=+c 4
availableviruses are it f `,if your t!.' t } many browser add-on
€
packages(called "plug-ins")are availableto download. Thereno guarantee th:
suchwillR'"compatible! otherprograms on the networkandsuchmayV.'
problem, therefore, please, , # b -t f:t t R ;.R f x such f f#:
f t '4:' t- t to City systemamprovided order,4 protect c `+st#fo' # tr ti ! t,#
andmessages € R # unauthorized use or viewing.Such passwords ,`t not intended
to preventappropruft reviewby manAgeruct.UnderOcircumstances
should f R provideany co-workeror non-citypersonnel yo ( password f"f t -t usa
codes.
n4 umes should #:" '4 - f! workstations i Internet access beleft in an
accemVethat could potentially unauthorized access.
8. Each Employee is responsible for the content of all text, audio or that
he/she places or sends over the City's Internet and e-mail system Pio e-mail or
other electronic communications may be seat which hide the identity of the wader
or represents this sender as someone else.
9. E-mail is not guaranteed to be private" or confidential. All electronic
communications are the City property. Therefore, the City reserves the light to
examine, monitor and regulate e-mail messages, directories and files„ as well as
Internet usage. Also, the Internet is not secure so do not assume that others cannot
read - or possibly alter - your messages.
10. Internal and external e-mail messages are considered business records aW may be
subject to discovery in the event of litigation. Be aware of this possibility when
seeding e-mail within and outside the City.
11. Use of Instant Messaging, either with internal Employees or persons outside the
office .must fail within City guidelines.
The City's Right to Monitor and Consequences
All City -supplied E k i # t including computersystems-fCity-related work records,
belong to the and # ! # lEe Employee. `I ,.City routinelymonitorspa#ms! is
nual and Internet communications. Although encouraged to explm the vast resources
available on the Internet, Employees should use discretion in the sites that are accused.
Since all the computer system and software, as well as the e-mail and Internet connection,
are owned a ! € policies times. - PEmployeewho ;buws
the privilegeof
the t #ate* and, appropriate, besubject to disciplinary f 3 i toand including
termination.
DepartmentAdministratorsfor ensuringthat assigned personnel
Internet ii
tk i.± %?f# C. !� "�!! .# i *! •# i! # f P# :H.i i +f.- # S € i Fi€# t ++
syst
-Pl. or network.
#
Questions Regarding the Use of the Intemet or E-mail
# € ` F` �, if.7 # .sit- # CE1117,
t
Sol Media,�01i
The City understands that social media can be a fun and rewarding way to share your lik and
opinions with family, friends and co-workers around the world. However, use of social media
also presents certain risks and carries with it certain responsibilities. To assist you in making
r+esponsrblc decisions about your use of social media, we have established tl guidelines for
appropriate use of social media.
Tins policy applies to all Employees of the City of Laurel.
Guidelines
In the rapidly expanding world of electronic commumcation, social media can mean any
Social media includes all means of communicatmg or posting information or content
0
of any sort on the Internet, including to your own or someone era's web log or blog, journal
or diary, personal web site, social networking or affinity web site, web bulletin board or a chat
room, whether or not associated or affiliated with the City, as well as any other form of
electronic communication.
The same principles and guidelines found in the City's policies apply to your activities
Ultimately, you are solely responsible for what you post online. Before creating online
content, consider some of the risks and rewards that are involved. Keep in mind that any of
Your conduct that adversely affects your job performance, the performance of fellow
associates or otherwise adversely affects members, customers, suppliers, people who work on
behalf of the City or the legitimate business interests of the City may result in disciplinary
action, up to and including termination.
Know and Follow the Rubs
Carefully read these guidelines, the City Statement of Ethics Policy, the City Customer and
Confidentiality Policies and the Discrimination & harassment Prevention Policy, and ensure
your posting are consistent with these policies. Inappropriate postings that may include
discriminatory remarks, harassment, and threats of violence or similar inappropriate or
unlawful conduct will not be tolerated and may be subject you to disciplinary action, up to
including termination.
Be Respect'ul
Always be fair and courteous to fellow Employees, customers, members, suppliers or people
who work on behalf of the City. Alm, keep in mind that you are more likely to resolve work
related complaints by speaking directly with your coworkers or by utilizing our Problem
Resolution Procedure than by posting complaints to a social media outlet. Nevertheless, if you
decide to post complaints or criticisms, avoid using statements, photographs, video or audio
that reasonable could be viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening or intimidating, or that
might constitute harassment or bullying. Examples of such conduct might include offensive
Posts meant to intentionally !Harm someone's reputation or pasts that could contribute to a
hostile work environment on the basis of race, gender, disability, religion, or any otter status
protected by law or the City policy.
Be Honest and Accurate
t t til s M M13 17-774W k# t
searca
F et :± post any infiamation or '!#{ i d you know4 #,' is about the
Mow Employees, t [ suppliers.or people t ,f {! on tehi t the or t {! t:.t t
Post Only Appropriate and i{ :. ( Content
Do notcreate a linkfrom your t t'website,or other f networking site to the City
only t s:t `•• 1.: t t { t 3 :�t :�,.-' { - # .:. s,: t f ++.t ".f 3 f t...
t t li ! • ; s:.t F{.: i# t F { f s t »:�. +?1 s t-.'�" t t{ .
i titi
{ t(440,# -f Clio] +'t ITA"".1116
41
disclaimer such are Inie postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the
vim of the City."
Using Social Media at Work
Reftin fiom using social media while on work time or on equipment we provic1e, unless it is
work-related as authorized by your department Administrator or consistent with the City's
Computer, Inteme4 and E-mail Usage Policy. Do not use the City email addresses to register
on social networks, blogs, or other online took utilized for personal use.
Retaliation Is Prohibited
IU City prohibits taking negative action against any Employee for reporting a possible
deviation from this policy or for cooperating in an investigation. Any Employee who
retaliates against another Employee for reporting a possible deviation from this policy or for
cooperating in an investigation will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including
termination.
Media Contacts
Employees should not speak to the media on the City's behalf without contacting the CAO or
Department Head.
Ali media inquiries should be directed to them.
For More Information
If you have questions or need firer guidance, please contact your department Adminishator
or the City CAO.
Job Deserip—tions
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am correct. Please make sure to review your how every pay period to assure all hours
worked have been properly recorded and paid. N ym observe an taw on ym check, please
report it immediately to the City Paywil Clerk. If you cannot resolve the problem, contact
your rtipervim for assistance.
The pay period is biweekly. Payday is the Friday following completion of the pay period -
Paychecks will be available by 9:00 am. on payday. There shall be NO pay advatuces wider
any circumstances. Checks may be mailed if authorized by the employee. No other person be
allowed to pick up an Employee's payroll check, without prior written au tion of the
Employee on file with the City.
* LVFD member's expense reimbursement will be owe a month, on or before the 10th of the
following month.
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