After sending out five layoff notices (one police officer, one library worker, a code enforcement/animal control officer, a library worker and a mechanic) early last week, Mayor Dean Bunkers sent a layoff notice to a second firefighter/EMS on Thursday. But, after negotiations with the union representing the firefighters, the second layoff notice has been rescinded, Bunkers announced today in a press release:

“The City of Ocean Shores gives a big ‘Thank You’ to the Ocean Shores Professional Firefighters/EMS Union Local 2109 for working with the City to ease the City’s financial strain.  Our Firefighters/EMS has agreed to forgo $28,000 in Holiday Pay for 2009.  Mayor Bunkers states that ‘this is a giant step towards easing the current budget shortfall and will rescind the most recent layoff notice.’  This leaves one outstanding layoff notice for the local firefighters.  The City is in discussions concerning all layoff notices.  By working together we can keep more employees working, and that is the City’s goal.”

Mayor Dean Bunkers said one more layoff notice is going out this week, bringing the total to six. He also said he has scheduled a meeting with Russ Walpole of the Teamsters next week.

In addition to the five layoff notices being mailed out to City employees, Mayor Dean Bunkers says “there’s a possibility of additional layoff notices coming out.” He expects to know by tomorrow if one more employee will be laid off.

These are all notices of layoffs in 30 days, he said.  ”I would love to be able to rescind those if the circumstances change,” Bunkers said. He added he is “working hard to come up with a plan” to take to Russ Walpole.

Walpole is the Teamsters representative who has said Bunkers did not offer anything in return for employees forgoing Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increases, and/or furloughs.

Daily World story: “. . . Ocean Shores Mayor Dean Bunkers planned to send out layoff notices to five full-time city employ­ees this morning in order to address a shortfall of more than $300,000 in the city’s general fund.”

Bunkers confirms the five layoff notices, but clarifies that “The $300,000 is the worst case scenario for the General Fund. .  The goal was to achieve a reasonable GF (General Fund) expenditure reduction of approximately $250K based on positions that minimized impacting services and scheduled upcoming City projects/events.”

“As of Tuesday night, Bunkers had approved drafts of layoff notices for five city workers: a mechanic, a code enforcement/animal control officer, a firefighter, a police officer and a library worker.”

Click here for the full Rachel Thomson story

Teamsters representative Russ Walpole responds to City Council approving layoff notices, and statements make by Mayor Dean Bunkers:

“We did not close the door on discussions for furloughs or other concessions. What I asked the Mayor for was a detailed plan of what he is looking for. He needs to show us what it is he wants, how it would be implemented, how he would repay the employees, a sunset date, and a remedy if an agreement was complied with.  If he is asking for good faith from the employees he needs to show good faith in return.  He has not done this.

“We’re open to discussions.”

At last week’s City Council meeting, Art Wuerth, the new Finance Director, used an example of how much more “a $200,000 home” would pay for the Street LID; capitalized interest had not been properly applied to the $32 million construction, and the City is seeking an $8 million line of credit. But the LID is being paid by property assessments (including undeveloped lots), not home values. So, Mr. Wuerth puts it better in an email:

“To finance the $8 million, the average Ocean Shores lot would have to pay an extra $682, which works out to extra payments of $5.57 per month for 15 years.

“The total Street LID payment for an average lot would be slightly less than $3,400.”

Asked about not having the word “layoff” in today’s letter, he responds, via email: “All options are still open to the city, and we will just have to wait and see what the bargaining unit does.  The final decision on what action the City takes will be approved by the City Council.”

Signed today by Mayor Dean Bunkers. In it, he states that “the City has determined that unless the bargaining units involved will agree to forego for the rest of 2009 receipt of COLA increase granted January 1, 2009 . . . the City will initiate furloughs of employees in both bargaining units.” The bargaining units represent Public Works and clerical workers in the City. Bunkers asks for an answer “within one week of the date of this letter.”

The letter does NOT mention layoffs.teamsters-letter