{"id":395,"date":"2014-08-10T00:39:42","date_gmt":"2014-08-10T05:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=395"},"modified":"2014-08-11T20:59:27","modified_gmt":"2014-08-12T01:59:27","slug":"urgent-letter-from-addison-firefighters-police-assoc-membership","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=395","title":{"rendered":"Urgent Letter from Addison Firefighters & Police Assoc. Membership"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Honorable Mayor and City Council of Addison, Texas, <\/strong><\/p>\n

It is with great disappointment and dissatisfaction that we write this letter today, as the Addison Firefighters Association and Addison Police Officers Association we cannot endorse the proposed budget for FY2014\/2015. The budget does not contain the funds to correct the significant disparity that exists between Addison\u2019s Public Safety Employees and those of nearby and comparable towns. It is our position that this situation must be remedied; else the already unreasonably high level of turnover will simply get worse.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a problem in the Town of Addison, a problem that has been presented to you as urgent, serious, and potentially dangerous for all of Addison and you simply choose to act as if it is not there.<\/p>\n

Fire and Police are experiencing massive turnover, bleeding both departments of not only talented and experienced people, but of money in the form of testing, hiring, and training. \u00a0A total of 12 Public Safety personnel have left within the last 12 months, or approximately 12% of our public safety employee base. \u00a0This rate of employee turnover more than doubles what was cited as \u201cnormal turnover\u201d during the compensation analysis completed this spring. \u00a0This costs the town approximately $80k per individual to train for independent duty responsibilities within their discipline, or a total of approximately $960,000 in this year alone. \u00a0We all accept that it is cheaper to keep employees than indentify, hire, and train new ones. The council must act to solve this problem!<\/p>\n

It is our understanding that the City Manager, Ms. Lea Dunn, and Human Resources Director, Ms. Passion Hayes, have requested that the council define Addison\u2019s compensation philosophy, i.e. a set of guidelines that will enable department heads, the City Manager, and Future Mayors\/Councils to base compensations on how the Town values and rewards its employees. \u00a0It is also our understanding that the decision of the council was made to not adopt the proposed philosophy, but rather to amend the current philosophy, ignoring what proposal was recommended by the compensation consultant, who clearly stated, that both the current and now amended philosophy \u201clacked the clear direction and substantive definition, which he believed the town\u2019s administration was asking for.\u201d \u00a0We believe that when employees feel rewarded and valued, turnover will be kept to a minimum – Especially so if the rewards enacted are at least \u201cMarket Average\u201d to that of our peers or neighbors. \u00a0It is our further understanding that when you the council chose not to accept the recommendations of the compensation consultant, you voluntarily recommended the guidance to city management which resulted in the current compensation budget proposal. \u00a0Was the City Manager encouraged to make this budget proposal? \u00a0Also, the council\u2019s actions seem to indicate that by not agreeing on a substantive compensation philosophy or solution to the current compensation imbalance, you have told us, the public safety sector of the Town of Addison, that you don\u2019t care to see us progress. You and your council colleagues continue to hail and espouse the \u201cAddison Way\u201d or the \u201cSuperior level of Services\u201d we deliver to the residents and businesses, but you refuse to reward those that provide those services at such an exemplary level. Because of your actions, we are losing people, and will continue to lose valuable people with experience and knowledge that cannot be replaced. \u00a0History has shown organizations can experience great tragedy due to lack of experience; do we want to experience this? I think not!<\/p>\n

Ms. Dunn\u2019s proposal will not fix the compensation inequity problem – It\u2019s not even close. \u00a0This must not come as a surprise to the council, especially in light of the compensation consultant\u2019s proposal. \u00a0Even if a 3% merit raise is offered, it is not guaranteed that an employee will move 3%. \u00a0What does 3% even mean for an employee who is paid on average $10,000 less than another peer in a neighboring city? While you think that 3% is a \u201cFair and Sustainable\u201d number, the current inflation rate in the US recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through 7\/22\/2014 is 2.1%. So the \u201cFair\u201d 3% is in fact a 0.9% raise. \u00a0How much of that possible proposed 3% raise is going to be chewed up by insurance increases this next year? \u00a0Are either of those \u201cFair\u201d? \u00a0Are those numbers \u201cSustainable\u201d for an employee or their family? \u00a0Do you take these factors into consideration when you tout fiscal conservativeness? \u00a0We ask you what is going to be left of the public safety departments in Addison when everyone leaves. \u00a0How will the residents feel then? \u00a0What are you truly obligating future councils to deal with?<\/p>\n

This proposal also barely scratches the surface of what was proposed to just reach the minimum of market average. \u00a0The consultant\u2019s proposal showed that public safety needed adjustments on average of 11% to both the top and the bottom of all ranks to achieve average. \u00a0The City Manager\u2019s suggested 4% movement to only the bottom of all ranks will be interpreted by many employees as a step backwards. \u00a0At a minimum we should make the suggested movements outlined in the results of the compensation study to all ranks. \u00a0That will successfully move us up to the market average for competitive cities without continuing to fall further behind. \u00a0This \u201cmarket average\u201d only applies to this year\u2019s study comparisons, and will be obsolete data next year, making it even more expensive to catch up next year. \u00a0\u00a0This should be done at the bare minimum or we will fall further behind \u2013 As we have done in the past! \u00a0If it is not, and our requests are ignored, we will continue to have both retention and recruitment issues; which are extremely dangerous for both residents and employees. \u00a0\u00a0Also, we learned that the staff at the new combined dispatch center will be compensated at the 75% percentile of comparative cities. \u00a0How was this commitment accomplished so effortlessly, but a simple philosophy to be at minimum market average was not? \u00a0How do you think that makes the rest of the public safety employees feel?<\/p>\n

In closing, I strongly urge you to maintain your commitment, and promise, to correct the compensation issues we are currently experiencing within the Town. \u00a0Please understand that this issue addressed incorrectly has huge implications for both residents and employees. These unfortunate lessons have been learned by other municipalities in the past; we should learn from those and not experience them. \u00a0Please choose to \u201cexercise the same latitude\u201d the councils of the past two years had done. \u00a0\u00a0Please choose to amend the current City Manager\u2019s proposal to at minimum include the suggested range adjustments for the departments that are the hardest hit by retention and recruitment. \u00a0Please choose to do what\u2019s right for the town and the people that dedicate their life and career to the organization. \u00a0And finally, please use the leadership of both organizations to help educate and inform any of your critics that oppose spending their valuable dollars to maintain a dedicated, talented and experienced public safety department; we would love to speak with them.<\/p>\n

Respectfully Submitted,
\nAddison Firefighters and Police Association Membership
\nLocal 3187 President
\nJohn Peskuski<\/p>\n

Addison Police Association
\nPresident, Justin Pierce<\/p>\n

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