Laserfiche WebLink
that he totally eliminated using an old DOS based system and now everything is run through a <br />spreadsheet on Excel. Hopefully it is more efficient and streamlined. <br />Mr. Ellis stated a main goal for him is to always try to find the best way to communicate with <br />retirees. It really depends on the retiree but many of them are moving to smart phones which is <br />nice and over the past year we have collected fifty (50) new email addresses. We held a seminar <br />at our firefighter's union hall and brought in representatives from outside agencies. These were <br />for individuals who may retire soon or are thinking about it in the next few years. There was a lot <br />of great feedback about the type of information those potential retirees are looking for. In 2017 <br />things will mostly remain the same and we'll continue to keep improving communication with <br />the City's Human Resources. <br />Mr. Ellis gave a breakdown of where each fighter is accounted for in the various pension funds. <br />Every fire fighter after 1977 is an obligation to the City. There are about two - hundred and eighty <br />(280) total members. The projection for payroll for 2017 is approximately $4.9 million. That is <br />down from last year. This year we did have two (2) members in the drop program which is about <br />$235,000 additional that's paid out. Next year there is going to be nobody that is going to be paid <br />out from drop but as of now there is only two (2) firefighters left on the job that are eligible. One <br />(1) in 2018 and the other has not signed yet. As for drop payments coming from the City there <br />are only two (2) left that will be paid from the City and the rest will be covered by the State. <br />Regarding expenditures, Mr. Ellis informed the Committee that he is paid for his work and the <br />trustees are paid for their work which is a fixed rate. There are not many office expenditures. <br />Typically we borrow the supplies from the Fire Department. The death benefit is probably the <br />largest expenditure. It is $12,000 if a retiree passes away. It is hard to budget for that obviously <br />and this year we have had a few and may have two (2) more before the year is over. The other <br />costs are for things like postage which has increased because we are trying to increase <br />communication with all the retirees. <br />Committee Chair White thanked Mr. Ellis for his presentation and stated he is doing a great job. <br />Clerk Budget <br />Kareemah Fowler, City Clerk with offices on the Fourth Floor of the County -City Building, gave <br />a presentation to the Committee on the 2017 budget. The presentation is on file in the City <br />Clerk's Office and available for public inspection. At the beginning of the year the Clerk's Office <br />underwent a reorganization. Clerk Fowler detailed the various staff changes from the beginning <br />of the year. She read the Clerk's Office mission statement and the various services the Clerk's <br />Office provides. <br />Clerk Fowler discussed the various 2016 Clerk's Office accomplishments. A complete <br />reorganization of the Clerk's Office was undertaken for efficiencies. Individuals now specialize <br />in particular areas to accommodate the Council, such as minutes, policy, HR needs <br />(Council /Clerk), Boards and Commissions and Outreach coordination. The office is now able to <br />host meetings such as the Food and Beverage Tax joint meeting. The Council and Clerk's office <br />now have interactive calendars. Electronic TV monitors outside the Clerk and Council offices <br />