Its been between 2025 . Commissioner veronese im talking about the losses. Is it possible that we have lost a billion dollars over 10 years . Potentially yes, the amount of writeoffs and adjustments to that degree. Yeah. Youre in that neighborhood. Why are we giving out free healthcare to people if were not looking to get it back. Theres probably a huge number of the population a that is homeless and we just started tracking the homeless related calls and should give us more data on what the numbers probably look like. But this is almost a third of the budget. We have a long wish list of things we would like to have. We wouldnt have to go to the Mayors Office and begging for extra things if we actually had this. This is a third of our budget. Im not saying this is on you, im not accusing you of doing this, but there has to be a better way of doing business where were losing over 10 years, billions of dollars. Like give it to them for free because it should be a service we have or actually collect it. I think muni went through that debate as well. Thats probably something that we really need to look at the number. Its not a number to ignore because it could be doing other things. We need to dive into the number and figure out how its happening and if its revenue or a big waste of time. If it is a big waste of time, then this should be the number we start negotiations with the Mayors Office, hey look, a billion dollars every 10 years were losing because of the Great Service we provide to the city that is necessary. Just a few comments on that, we set our fees as the total cost of providing ems services. Were talking everything from the staff, ambulances, supplies, engine response, i think some of those i dont think the number has drastically increased. Some of the costs have been associated and absorbed in the general fund. Thats been the strategy to provide the services and care. Some of that, a big portion of that i dont think youre going to get anything from because theyre mainly for medicare and medical patients. Given the state rules, for those 18,000 on an account, we dont have recourse for that. One Program Ground emergency transport, that allows Leverage Program to leverage federal funds to supplement some of the reimbursement to the tune of 2 million a year for those calls. There are a number of programs that have been vetted or in process at the state level to kind of identify it. I wouldnt say by any means are we alone in this issue. Given patient demographics, that various across jurisdictions but they dont reimburs for the total cost of providing services. Commissioner veronese so that 20 million being paid back in the system is a mixture of people who can afford it and insurance companies. So its 1 or 2 of the state for the number. Correct. Mainly private insurance, state and federal government and people who selfpay on their own. Commissioner veronese it gets more and more expensive to live in this city, doesnt it . Absolutely. Commissioner veronese thats something we need to keep our eye on. Moving to page 16. Line 25, chief i see you have a zero budget for entertainment and promotion. Yes. Commissioner veronese id have to say there should be some numbers in that, because i know this department does promote itself. So were probably just absorbing that but joking aside, that number is probably less accurate, i know we have a department that does a lot of promotions, for the Health Department, speaking of those guys with the 3 billion budget. So that number is probably not as realistic, right . I would say thats a technical category of expenditures, a lot of it is materials and supply, based on outreach and things like that, 040 materials and supplies line, it doesnt represent the efforts, its more of a technical explanation of expenditures. I would add with Public Education for fire bureau, where we purchase materials that we use at our Public Safety fairs and so forth, we make it work. Commissioner veronese online 29 you have Maintenance Service equipment. Is this the amount that we are paying to central shops to fix our rigs . No, thats line on the next page page 17, that represents the work order amount for central shops, including the ladder shop, machine shop over there and then the maintenance and repair on our vehicles. Commissioner veronese were paying 5. 5 million every year to fix our rigs. We have put in as part of the budget to try to get this year is it right were trying to get our own employees to fix rigs as well . Similar to that, in regards to dpw and facility related expenditures we have, we are requesting to have our own employees related to some of those mechanics, electricians, etc cetera and we have discussed that in previous years as well. We feel that would be a more efficient use of resources and allow the department to prioritize work as needed by the department. Commissioner veronese is that ask a part of our wish list not in the budget, an addon or in this budget . We adhere to the instructions on no new net ftes in our budget but theyre on the additional items for discussion with the mayors budget office. Commissioner veronese has there been an analysis to how much we could save if were paying 5. 5 million to central shops, if we had our own person doing it . Not i dont think in depth. We have discussed it in the past and theres been a number of issues through supervision, having those types of personnel allocated to a different department. Those are issues were continuing to work with the mayors budget on. I think the departments position is it would result overall in savings and efficiencies if there was an employee within the departments responsibility. Commissioner veronese we had a truck off line for two or three months at central shops, isnt that right . Correct. So were working closely with City Administration and central shops to streamline some of the process. This doesnt necessarily represent all central Shop Employee work. So certain jobs, given the kind of complexities of our apparatus, they will contract out as needed to complete the work with certain certified venders, so ways of streamlining the process is currently what were working with the shops on. Commissioner veronese got it. So were asking the city for our own central shops guy, but there are some circumstances where we send our rigs to central shops and they send it to a third party . Correct. Commissioner veronese sounds pretty inefficient to me. There are efficiencies to be gained for sure. Commissioner veronese i think we need to press hard. I have been on this commission at least a year now, close to a year and this was a topic of discussion last year. I would hate to have it be a topic of discussion again next year, especially since i have been to a number of the stations having these things, these rigs are literally a part of the family for a lot of these guys. They live and breathe on these things. Having them off line or not fixed or not working is a life safety issue and something we need to press hard on because central shops, if its not being as efficient as we could be, then we should just do it. I think thats the attitude we need as far as that particular individual is concerned. Page 23, a brief mission of line 0114, the city should be pleased to know theyre getting their 6,000 well spent on this commission. Theres severe efficiencies going on in that line. There should be more volunteer hours in this Department Like in this commission. We can get the numbers down to 6,000. Job well done commissioners. Way to keep the numbers low. Cheap labor. Must be non union. For sure. Just one other item. I notice on page 81, you have work at stations for new kitchens, 2, 6, 8, 8, 10, all the way down to 43. Is that money that is budgeted for next year. I failed to highlight, at the end of the budget book there before you is the capital and it budgets previously vetted at the earlier meeting in january. This is the departments budget request. That portion of funding is part of the 33 and 53 million request through the Capital Planning committee. Thats a bit of a separate process and those requests have been submitted and well be meeting with Capital Planning to advocate for the department. Commissioner veronese chief, did you want to add something . Okay. So that money is money we have to get permission for, its currently not allocated. Correct. Commissioner veronese i had the pleasure of being invited to station 8 and had dinner there last monday. As i mentioned before, this is money well spent, although i think 3 10,000 for a kitchen, you should get marble tables. Those are estimates. Theres a fuller in depth assessment on all department facility, kitchen is a subcategory theyre reviewing. Commissioner veronese can we make sure when the department spends that type of money on the kitchen, were getting them refrigerators and yutensils so theyre not paying for it. I believe that funding is for the fixed equipment or furnishing not furnishings, the fridges i think are covered but utensils and so forth i dont think are covered. So usually the dish washer and stove is supplied by the department. The refrigerators are usually supplied by the members. Also when we build a new facility all the appliances are included. Thats been our policy for quite a while. Commissioner veronese i know whats usually done but if were going to spend 300,000 in a kitchen, can we include everything in the kitchen . I mean is there a policy, is there a rumor a law that says we cant buy utensils and refrigerators and washing machines and these types of things that our troops could use in their stations . Im not sure the answer to that, but i will say once the city or the department supplies any item to the firefighters, were then on the hook to maintain and repair them for the life and even replace them in the future. Whereas at this point, we maintain and repair washing machines excuse me dish washers and stoves and then at the new stations we give them that in the beginning. Commissioner veronese i hear whats usually done. I hope with the amount of money spent here we can think outside the box and pay for internet and cable, im not stopping at kitchen. Internet, cable, dishwashers, all these things people use, i dont think firefighters should have to pay for it themselves. Well look at it. Cable is not covered and i dont know that that would be something that that should be covered by the city personally. Internet certainly. I hear what youre saying and well see what can be done. Commissioner veronese thank you chief. And then one final item i wanted to that we did discuss at the budget meeting. I looked at the chart in the document here, has an 1832, has two under your department. 1823 to clarify. Commissioner veronese thank you chief. Im dyslexic over here. Are those in your department filled or new positions or are they vacant positions and are we getting a grant writer out of one of those positions, if not, where are we getting a grant writer this year . So currently one position is filled. Theyre not new positions. We had somebody in a longterm leave in one of them that separated. That position is open and were currently recruiting for it and the idea is that position would work on contracts and grants to assist with those two areas that have been identified as needs for the department. Thats currently what were looking at given current resources. Part of the Needs Assessment as discussed here and Budget Committee is the need for additional position for grant writer specifically. Theres not a specific for grant writers, its usually analyst with experience or supply training to fulfill that those goals and that job duty. But were simultaneously looking at current resources, what we can do to fund some type of resources for grant writing as well as at the same time advocate for Additional Resources. Commissioner veronese so what i didnt hear you say, thats going to be a grant writer. Is that going to be a grant writer . It is anticipated that will be a part of the persons function. Commissioner veronese so this Time Next Year we will have a grant writer in the department. We hope to expand to other personnel as well through training or through other kinds of means to have additional grant writing resources. That position we hope to have it filled and part of that responsibility for that position will be grant writing. Commissioner veronese what does that mean . Are you going to fill it with a grant writer . Correct. I dont think their sole job duty is writing grants but it would be scope of that persons responsibility. Commissioner veronese okay. And what would that position do other than grant writing . Grant administration as well, the financial end of it, reporting, those duties and in addition to relates to grants as well. Contracting. The city has a complex contracting process and we definitely need Additional Resources in that area. The idea would be that persons duties would be split between grant writing, administration and contracts. Commissioner veronese so most of the duties of that position will be a grant writer. Grantrelated. Grantrelated yes, and contracts related to grants. Commissioner veronese when do you anticipate having them hired . Were working with currently an eligibility list open, i have to check with hr but we hope over the next month to be able to solicit resumes and set up interviews and be able to bring somebody on board. Commissioner veronese you will ensure they have experience in grant writing and grant yes. Commissioner veronese thank you chief. If i may commissioner, im going to pass out, i did ask mr. Corso we could always improve and for a skill set for the grant writing we will, im going to pass down if commissioner hardeman would assist we can always get better but 33. 66 and theres one for Commission Secretary as well if theres an extra. Just to frame the discussion. Commissioner veronese do you know how much the Police Department received last year . I dont but there are more grant writing opportunities for police than fire services. I dont know. Im not sure if you do commissioner veronese i dont. I wasnt setting you up. I would guess three or four times than what were getting if not more. Possibly. And again, i know there are more grant opportunities that are out there for law enforcement. Commissioner veronese i would say especially since the way we have seen fires in california over the past year, theres probably more out there. That said, what im hearing from this department is theres going to be a grant writer in the next three or four months and im pleased to hear that. On the issue of just generally on the budget, as i mentioned before this is not specifically to you, you can stand there but this is not directed at you. I was not put on this commission to waste my time. None of us are on here to waste our time. Im not here to go along and get along if i see something that i dont think is right. This budget is an opportunity and this budget comes around once a year. Its an opportunity for this commission to stand up and say this is the direction we want to see this department go because where money flows, things get done. Its not our duty to every year rubber stamp what the department is handing us and say yes, department, youre doing a great job, were going to do the same thing again next year. I dont believe when someone says playing within the rules or a box, i dont think that this is not about rules, its about playing within the box. I dont think there is a box. I think our job as commissioners is to deliver a state of the art Fire Department to the people of the city. And this is where we do it in this budget. The Health Department has a 2. 5 billion budget and they anticipate they will be 400 million in deficit this year. We have a 300 i believe 336 million budget and as we saw, were losing 100 million, almost a third, 100 million a year because our station 49 is doing an amazing job at providi providing 911 service to people who need it and were not able to collect it because i imagine a lot of those people who need it also cant afford it. Thats fine. Thats what were about, were the city of st. Francis and we do that and this department does an amazing job to do that. But im not here to rubber stamp my budget and thats not my job and frankly commissioners, its not your job either. You should look at the budget and say this is where we need help. As i look at the wish list that we have come up with, the department has come up with, this is not us, the department has come up with it and some of it is our input, we have things on there thats absolutely necessary for the city. A lot of the stations are rundown. The firefighters who live there love them dearly but a lot of them are run down. A lot of the trucks are breaking down and through the leadership of this commission, you guys did a great job of being the squeaky wheel before i got here to make sure we get more people and more rigs but the reason it happened is because you spoke out, not because you rubberstamped a budget and thats your job and you guys did a great job of doing that. But there is more to be done for this department. As we saw from department of emergency management, we play a key role in making sure that this city doesnt fall apart when theres an emergency. A key role, and frankly, we need a lot more money to do that to our absolute best. And thats just my opinion and some of these things in here are absolutely necessary. Theyre not things that we should be saying lets wait until next year. A dedicated marine unit. We have seen over the past year since i have been on here, i get a text two or three times a week of someone on a cliff or in the water, i imagine 10 years ago that wasnt true. I have seen the state departments marine unit, they have new boats and everything. Its down at the pier. We should be looking at being a part of that, being the als portion of their marine unit, combining marine units or doing our own. But its one thing to put it on this list every year and its another to absolutely demand that it happens because we want to be a state of the art department. There are other things on here, a majority of whats on this list and the reason i speak about a grant writer because a majority of what is on the list could be dealt with with grant writers. We shouldnt have to go to the Mayors Office begging for money every year. Because we have a grant writer we can get things like mobile air replacements, i mean, why does our depa