Mayor Dean Bunkers is resigning, effective Friday. Near the end of tonight’s city council meeting, he read a letter, stating: “This is my official notification of my plan to resign as mayor effective Feb. 12, 2010 . . .
“My decision is based solely on my health,” Bunkers said.

“I simply do not have the mental stamina nor the physical energy to continue as your full time mayor for two years.”

His administrative duties will then be handled, temporarily, by Mike Styner, the chief of Public Safety.
Council has 90 days to appoint a new mayor to finish Bunkers’ term.

Mayor Dean Bunkers announced tonight that, due to the three unions rejecting concessions requested by the city, an Ocean Shore police officer has received a layoff notice. He said that Paul Luck, on hearing of the layoff notice, quickly submitted a retirement letter, hoping the other position would be saved. Bunkers gave no indication that the veteran sergeant’s attempt to save a fellow officer’s job would be successful. Indeed, Bunker said that, because of $88,000 in sick leave and other pay due to Luck upon his retirement, that job may also be unfilled.

Through the first 10 months of 2009, the payments to Mayor Dean Bunkers make him:

a) the highest-paid City employee

b) the second-highest paid City employee

c) the fifth-highest paid City employee

d) the tenth-highest paid City employee

e) both c) and d)

First correct answer gets a Prudential Real Estate Ocean Shores street map (soon to be a collector’s item).

Hint: For the answer, see this week’s North Coast News.

He just said the layoff of the fire chief was “not performance related.” Also talking about “temporarily closing the Library and Interpretive Center,” citizen input on the budget cuts, Street LID, Roundabout.

Just received this, from Mayor Dean Bunkers:

Press Release November 11, 2009
Layoff:
On Tuesday, November 10, the Fire Chief of Ocean Shores was placed on administrative leave, with pay, pending further action by the Mayor.  The Mayor has advised Chief Jim Hodges of his intention to recommend to the city council that the position of Fire Chief be eliminated as of December 31, 2009. The Mayor will be asking the city council to reorganize the Fire Chief and Chief of Police duties into a single FTE, i.e. Director/Chief of Public Safety.  In anticipation of that action Chief Hodges was placed on administrative leave with pay.
City procedures require that certain steps be taken before any final decision on the layoff can be issued and those steps are proceeding.  The layoff of the Chief will be a painful but necessary decision brought on by the worsening fiscal crisis facing the city.
The Mayor has expressed his deep appreciation for the dedication of Chief Jim Hodges and thanked him for his years of service to the citizens of Ocean Shores.

The Police Chief is now acting as the interim Fire Chief.

For those of you who are not “members” of the Ocean Shores Community Club, and are not privy to their official monthly publication. (Not to brag, but as soon as we bought a house in Ocean Shores, we were “invited” to become members of this exclusive group! )

Mayor of Ocean Shores Report, Ocean Observer, October 2009

“Summer has certainly gone by fast, at least for me. The leaves are falling off the trees and fall is in the air.

“. . . The City waited until the end of the summer to start the round-a-bout project to minimize the impact on businesses, tourists and residents.

“We are coordinating the Street LID paving project along with the round-a-bout project, so work is very busy downtown . . . I know this may be inconvenient at times, but we are striving to maintain good traffic flow to the maximum extent possible. When the round-a-bout is completed in early December, the Street LID construction will end also. The financing portion of the Street LID will then begin.

“The new fire station is progressing with all modular units in place. We are hoping for a September or early October opening. The City Council approved the sale of the old fire station for a minimum price of $250,000 by a sealed bid process.

EMS Levy-2010 Final

Presented last night at City Council:

He didn’t say “vote yes on the levy” or “vote no on the levy,” but with the concluding slide leaves little doubt what Mayor Bunkers wants you to vote on the levy “lid lift” of 50 cents per thousand dollars assessed, to support EMS, on the November ballot:

“What will the 2010 Levy Cost?

“In 2010, property valued at $200,000 will cost ($.50/$100) $100 per yer

“The entire EMS Levy would cost 27 Centers per Day!!!”

(Click on “EMS Levy-2010 Final” above to see the entire presentation.)

A sidenote to the proposed layoffs: City labor contracts for Public Works and clerical workers (not police officers and firefighters, who go purely by senioritiy) allow for “bumping,” where staffing reductions are involved. It’s a fairly complicated process, with the contract language here:bumping

Says Mayor Dean Bunkers: “Bumping is only addressed in the Public Works and Clerical bargaining unit contracts.  Layoffs and rehires in the Police and F/F (firefighter) contracts are done strictly on a seniority basis.”

Ocean Shores Mayor Dean Bunkers and Teamsters representative Russ Walpole met again Tuesday. With a rising deficit, Bunkers is looking to save upwards of $250,000 from the 2009 budget, and asking for concessions from the Teamsters 60 City employees. “I thought it was a very good discussion,” Bunkers said, Wednesday afternoon. “We agreed on two things. One, it’s really a General Fund problem, so we should (focus) on personnel who work in the General Fund.”

This could exclude Public Works employees in the Water/Utility departments from possible layoffs.

“And the Teamsters suggested they have somebody out of their office validate the City’s (financial) position,” Bunkers said. The mayor said he was happy to open the City’s financial books to the Teamsters. Bunkers said this will happen at a meeting on June 23.

Walpole confirmed Tuesday’s meeting took place. “We’re continuing with discussions,” he said, choosing not to go into details.

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.”