January 9, 2003

Galveston City Council
 
Galveston Mayor Roger Quiroga "threw out the peace blanket" in an appeal to members of the Galveston fire union and City Manager Steve LeBlanc to work together to resolve their disagreements without public fights.

Most of the council workshop and regular meeting were taken up with discussion of an efficiency study by consultant Shan English.

A major recommendation by English is to use "Quint" trucks, smaller vehicles that provide five services: transport water, carry hoses, carry booster tanks, carry ground ladders and carry a 75-foot aerial ladder.

Firefighter President Charles Olsen said he agreed with 80 percent of the English's recommendations, but has reservations about taking some equipment out of service, calling it "ludicrous to take a ladder truck off the floor.”

"The Quint does five different things, but it does none of them well," said Captain David Baker.  He said the truck's ladder and hose are too short and the water tank is too small.  "Management likes them; labor does not.”

"My main concern with it is that the report cost us $49,000 for a whole lot of copies and a whole lot of opinions, and y'all have a lot of those," said former fire chief Danny Weber.  "And it was all done under the auspices of fiscal prudence.  Seems like a bit of an oxymoron to me."

"We have the seed of some momentum starting today," said City Council Member Joe Jaworski, calling for outside help to resolve fire issues.  "It seems to me that we could spend a little money hiring some professional form of mediation that could assist Mr. LeBlanc, Mr. Olsen, and anybody else who needs to be at the table, so that this fractured relationship that has so much work to be done could move forward in a professional and non-violent manner."

Jaworski said he has recently witnessed firefighters in action and had praise for the work of the public safety personnel.

Council Member Booker Price called for changes in the procedures to hire new firefighters.  "When we get to hiring, let's hire some minorities in these public safety (positions) because, in my opinion it has been neglected."

Charles Olsen, president of the firefighters' union, agreed with Price, saying that the racial makeup of the fire department should match the city.  

"It doesn't come near to representing our community," Olsen said.  "We were hopeful that when we did get adequately staffed, we could try to address that."

The city council approved an agreement with Amtrak for a Mardi Gras excursion train from the Clear Lake area.

The city council voted to expand the east end parking regulations to the 19th Street area near the Courthouse.

The city council established a 180-day moratorium on "Eight Liner" gaming devices.

The city council approved interlocal agreements with Galveston County and Navigation District 1 for Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 11, the East Beach twin condominium development; and an agreement with the Galveston Island Redevelopment Authority in conjunction with the operation of the zone.

The city council deferred action on a financing plan for TIRZ 11.

The city council approved the list of appointments to the Galveston County United Board of Health that is being reviewed by area governments.

All other agenda items were approved.  All votes were unanimous.

The city council met in workshop with downtown merchants about parking meters.

"Our goal is to make the parking meter system more user friendly without having a negative impact on revenue," said Fred Wichlep, executive director of the Historic Downtown Strand Partnership.

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