Saturday, January 26, 2013

Interim Chief Lipe's City Wide Meetings: 12/12-07/13

Interim Chief Brian Lipe’s City Wide Meetings: December 2012-July 2012

December 20^th 2012: Houghton Elementary School:

Tuscola & N. 9^th Street Entrance 5:30 PM

January 24^th 2013: Covenant Association: American Amalgamated Workers Union

1614 Mershon St. 5:30 PM

February 28^th 2013: First Ward Community Center 1410 N. 12^th St. 5:30 PM

March 28^th 2013: Adams Boulevard Association, Michigan Lutheran Seminary 5:30 PM

April 25^th 2013: Brockway Carmen Park & St. Stephen’s Association: St. Stephen’s Parish

Hall 1300 Malzahn 5:30 PM

May 23^rd 2013: Cathedral District, Green House Center of Hope 723 Emerson 5:30 PM

June 27^th 2013: S.W.S.N.A. 2109 W. Michigan, Beacon of Hope Church 5:30 PM

July 25^th 2013: Redeemer Neighborhood Association, Loomis School, Loomis & Webber ST. 5:30 PM

Saginaw city manager: Police, fire layoff notices to be sent out in February

By Mark Tower | mtower@mlive.com
on January 26, 2013 at 12:20 PM, updated January 26, 2013 at 12:21 PM

Saginaw City Manager Darnell Earley listens to presentations during the city council's strategic planning session held Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Castle Museum.Mark Tower | MLive.com

SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw City Manager Darnell Earley told city council members Saturday, Jan. 26, that his staff plans to send out layoff notices on Feb. 1 as part of plans to reduce police staffing to 55 and fire staffing to 35.
"That's what we will be budgeting for in 2014 for public safety," Earley said.
Current staffing for the police department is 73; fire staffing is 50. That means 33 officers and firefighters would be eliminated on July 1.
During city council's strategic planning session held Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Castle Museum, Earley said he is moving forward with plans to prevent the layoffs, which includes a proposed policing contract with Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel.
"There are issues that are outstanding and I don't know when they are going to come to fruition," Earley said.
Other potential solutions have also been offered to the city's budget problem.
Earley said he received a revenue-side proposal from Mayor Greg Branch on Sunday, Jan. 20, but said his staff has yet to review that proposal and analyze whether or not it will provide the necessary savings.
"It's essentially how can we step up revenue generation by police and firefighters," Branch said. "I think there are a lot of opportunities for us there."
The police unions have reiterated a proposal for a combined public safety option, he said. The city manager said that change would not provide the up-front cost savings that Saginaw needs to realize.
"We don't have a large fund balance to invest into cross-training police and fire like maybe some other communities have," Earley said. "We have to manage to our own circumstances."
At the end of the 2011-2012 fiscal year, the city had $1.2 million in its general fund. That amounts to about 3.6 percent of the total general fund budget, significantly less than is typically recommended to be held by governments in their fund balance.
Councilman Larry Coulouris said he would like to see more sound financial management in the future if Saginaw sees better days.
"Something went wrong when things were going very well, otherwise we wouldn't be in this situation today," Coulouris said. "Just because we have a lot of money piled up doesn't mean we should spend it like drunken sailors."
Though efforts will continue to pursue alternatives, Earley said his team plans to send out the layoff notices and will prepare a budget assuming the reduced staffing levels.
"We need to notify them," he said. "We have to move forward based on the information that we have."
Earley said those layoffs could be canceled before July 1 if an alternative is presented that can address the city's budget gap.
The budget, per Saginaw's city charter, must be presented to city council on or before April 29. The city's budget year begins on July 1.

Mark Tower Email | Facebook | Twitter | 989-284-4807

Special City Council Meeting 1/26/13

Saginaw's employee legacy costs dominate first portion of special city council meeting

By Mark Tower | mtower@mlive.com
on January 26, 2013 at 10:35 AM, updated January 26, 2013 at 10:36 AM

View/Post Comments

Mike Strader, regional manager for MERS, makes a presentation to Saginaw City Council Saturday, Jan. 26, on an analysis of a proposed transition from the city-run police and fire pension system to the statewide retirement program. Mark Tower | MLive.com

SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw Employee Services Director Dennis Jordan started off the city council's strategic planning session Saturday, Jan. 26, talking about arguably the largest impact on city finances — the legacy costs to municipal retirees.
The first presentation given Friday was on the costs and benefits that would be associated with switching the city-run police and fire pension system over to the Municipal Employees' Retirement System.
Mike Strader, Regional Manager for MERS, told city leaders that making the switch would save a small amount of money in the short-term in investment and administrative fees. But the system's better return in investment is where the city could likely see large savings in the long-term, Strader said.
"Over time, MERS has out-performed the police and fire plan and the benchmark too," he said.
Assuming a $130.9 million investment in both plans, Strader said, MERS would have realized a return $40.5 million greater than the city's police and fire pension fund over the last decade.
City Manager Darnell Earley said he would like to see the city make the switch to realize both short and long-term cost reductions in time for the 2013-2014 budget or shortly thereafter.
"This demonstrates a more effective means of managing our declining resources," Earley said. "We need to get it done as soon as possible."
Jordan also presented an option for changing the pension system for the remainder of city employees, which is run by MERS.
Switching to an alternative amortization plan through MERS, he said, could lower and flatten the spike in contributions expected over the next few years. Instead of annual MERS contributions steadily increasing from $8.6 million in 2013 to $12.5 million in 2016, they would remain near the $8 million range.
Jordan did not recommend making that switch because it would result in about $13 million in added costs spread out over the next 20 years.
"You're actually going to pay more for Option B than for Option A," he said. "I don't like the cliche 'kicking the can down the road,' but that's exactly what you're doing with Option B."
Jordan also detailed changes already made and future adjustments being developed to retiree health care benefits, which costs the city about $13.5 million each year. The general fund alone budgeted $6.9 million in the current fiscal year for retiree health care.
Part of the reason that is so expensive, Jordan said, is because the 1072 employees in the system, which includes 751 retirees, are spread out into 26 different retiree health care plans. He said the city is currently in the process of trying to reduce those plans in an attempt to reduce the resulting expense.
"I feel confident that we can come up with something that can offset those costs," Jordan said. "Our objective is getting down into something less than 10 plans. My goal has been to get this done by Jan. 1 of 2014. If I can do it sooner, I will."
Next up on the meeting agenda include a summary of public safety services and changes being proposed by city administration with an eye on cost savings and other proposals for passing a balanced 2013-2014 city budget.
The city's budget year begins in July.

Mark Tower Email | Facebook | Twitter | 989-284-4807

Friday, January 25, 2013

ATTENTION! NEW LOCATION ATTENTION!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!!

The Southwest Saginaw Neighborhood Association

Invites You to Attend

Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month

DATES FOR 2013:

JANUARY 15^TH

FEBRUARY 19^TH

MARCH 19^TH

APRIL 16^TH

MAY 21^ST

JUNE 18^TH

JULY 16^TH

AUGUST 20^TH

SEPTEMBER 17^TH

OCTOBER 15^TH

NOVEMBER 19^TH

NO MEETING IN DECEMBER

TIME: 6:30 PM

PLACE:

Beacon of Hope Church. 2109 W. Michigan. Corner of W. Michigan and Superior

Come and join us in our effort to preserve and improve our neighborhoods by fighting blight and crime.

Community Police Officer

SOUTHWEST SAGINAW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

IS PLEASED TO WELCOME NATHAN VOELKER AS OUR

NEW CPO

TELEPHONE: 989-860-2056

E-MAIL: nvoelker@saginaw-mi.com

Saginaw Council Retreat Agenda
January 26, 2013
Castle Museum
8:30 am
8:00 am I. Arrive/Continental Breakfast available
8:30 am II. Welcome, Darnell Earley, City Manager
8:45 am III. Dennis Jordan, Director of Employee Services
• Retiree Health Care Analysis Update
• Analysis for Reamortization of Pension Systems
• Police and Fire Pension Transition to MERS Analysis
• Update on Union Discussions Regarding Their Proposals
9:45 – 10:00 am Break
10:00 am – Noon IV. Public Safety Services, Darnell Earley, City Manager and Phil Ludos, Assistant City Manager for Public Safety
12:00 – 12:45 pm Lunch
12:45 – 1:45 pm V. Strategic Planning for a Balanced FY 2014 Budget, Darnell Earley, City Manager
1:45 pm Break
2:00 pm VI. Council Discussion
VII. Adjourn

MINUTES: JANUARY 15^TH 2013 S.W.S.N.A.

DIGNITARIES: Interim Chief Lipe, CPO Officer Nathan Voelker, Oral Hygienist Lauren Loiacano, City Commissioner Larry Coulouris, Kerry Conrad, Officer Sergeant Mark Scott

PRESIDENT: Jose` Barajas opened the meeting at 6:34 PM

PASTOR: Tucker Gunnemann gave the prayer

Jose` talked about the Eddie Building and the Bancroft Hotel being re-vamped.

SVP: Saginaw Volunteer Patrol will be started in February.

TREASURER: Pat gave our annual year-end report. Year Ending December 31, 2012

MINUTES: A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes of the November 2012 meeting. Motion carried.

Jose` introduced our new Vice President, Kerry Conrad

INTERIM CHIEF LIPE: The chief spoke of changes being made and downsizing in the program. Officer Madaj is on road patrol now. Nathan Voelker is our new CPO. Nathan has been on patrol since 2009. He joined the CPO program last year. He has been working with the Cathedral Association. We now have 4 CPO’s:

Leon Burns: Houghton Jones and Northeast Area: telephone: 860-2035

Bryan Guest: Cathedral Area and Saginaw High: telephone: 737-5448 Officer Guest is on 12 hour shifts from 3 PM- 3 AM

Jarod Atha: Covenant and Northmoor: telephone: 941-7080

Nathan Voelker: Southwest Saginaw Area: telephone: 860-2056

The 3 CPO’s that we currently have are for these areas by HUD.

1. Southwest Saginaw Association

2. Houghton Jones Association

3. Cathedral Association

These 3 CPO’s will be with us until July of 2013. We will know before then if HUD is going to pay for the year 2013-2014 for another 3 CPO’s.

Should the Policing program go to the County Sheriff in the future, there will be NO CHANGE in the COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM until the end of the paid program by HUD, July of 2013.

Chief Lipe introduced Officer Scott to us. He is a night supervisor. 911 is the number to call for any problems at night or to reach a CPO.

We now have 73 officers. The City is moving them to 55 by July 1^st of 2013. Chief Lipe introduced Nathan Voelker to our group as our CPO.

NATHAN VOELKER: Nathan said he went to Caro High School, Delta, and Ferris.

The SVP program will start February 9^th 2013 @ 6:00 PM- 12:00 midnight

NAAG Meeting January 15^th 2013. John Stemple was asking for volunteers to help with Code Enforcement, filling out violations, and the tip line.

Nathan is working with Handley School this semester. He is issuing citations for walking in the street etc. Parents need to address the problem with the children. He is also issuing Parental Citations. Nathan introduced his girlfriend to the group. Lauren Loiacano. Lauren is a Dental Hygienist and is offering to clean teeth, X-ray, and give a Fluoride Treatment to children ages 4-17 for $15.00. You may telephone Lauren at 1-989-573-1937. Leave a voice mail and she will get back with you. Times are Monday through Friday.

BENEFIT: St. Demetrio’s Greek Orthodox Church, is hosting a benefit for Barry Dovis an officer with the Saginaw City Police Force. It will be held inside the Hellenic Banquet Center 4970 Mackinaw Rd. February 21^st 2013 from 11 AM-9:00 PM. The price is $10.00 for Take Out, $15.00 to stay at the church and eat. Barry Dovis has been diagnosed with a form of Leukemia. He is having an extensive stay in Ann Arbor for treatment and needs help with lodging while there.

You can make checks out to: Barry or Patty Dobis

C/O Hellenic Banquet Center

4970 Mackinaw Road

Saginaw, Mi.

PASTOR TUCKER: Pastor thanked the Association for the donation to the Becon of Hope Church at Christmas Time. With it they were able to give Christmas to 19 children who were in need.

TRUANCY ISSUES: Art O’Neil is the Truancy Officer. Telephone him at Saginaw High School 989-399-6000.

MEETING ADJOURNED: Jose` closed the meeting at 7:39 PM

PRESIDENT: JOSE` BABAJAS

VICE PRESIDENT: KERRY CONRAD

RECORDING SECRETARY: CATHY WAGNER

TREASURER: PAT MC CLOY

EVENT COORDINATOR: DEBBIE MURPHY

S.W.S.N.A.2