2011-03-09 Fire Commission Minutes

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COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS Chair Taniguchi stated that according to the Charter, there are four standing committees: Budget and Finance, Office Management and Staffing,Rules and Policies and Public Relations. Training and Education is not actually a standing committee based on the Charter,but assumedit was set up as an ad hoc committee at some point. He stated that if there are no volunteers for the committees, he would invoke, Rule 5(a)(3) which states the Chair will appoint chairs to the committees. Commissioner Moku asked if he could get a brief description of each committee. Deputy Corporation Counsel Brilhante described the following: Budget & Finance –annually reviews the Department’s proposed budget Office Management & Staffing –deals with current personnel issues within the Department such as reallocations and obtaining additional positions Rules and Policies –deals with the policy and procedures manual for the Department Public Relations – relays information from the Department to the commission and various media outlets to ensure that the Department is received in the best light possible Training and Education –communicates with the Department regarding required training for the Department on specific topics or issues Commissioner Bowles stated that some of this refers to the commission itself and originally felt that the commission should have a more visible role. Since then, it has been more subdued and more of just a background. What came out today was important because it’s reflecting concerns that are ongoing. At some point, there will a change in administration and that’s where the commission needs to be extremely sensitive. In reading the original strategies and looking at what’sgoing to make a good chief that is something that has to be part of the commission’s duties and responsibilities. The commission also needsto look at the budget issue as being perhaps the most supportive thing. Commissioner Bowles is concerned of the wages for the chief and it is important the commission to be aware of this as the chief and deputy are impacted at that level. Everyone below are part of the civil service system, so often the assistant chiefs are paid more than the chief and there’s a very serious discrepancy that has arisen.The salary of the chief and deputy are set by the Salary Commission. Chair Taniguchi stated that because of the Sunshine Law, the committees will be limited to just two members, the chair and one other member. Deputy Corporation Counsel Brilhante elaborated the Sunshine Law requires that there shall be no more than two members having a communication on any particular matter without the meeting being:1) noticed tothe public; and 2) agendized. In an effort to be more diligent,ifthe commission is able to limit the membership for each committee to two members, there can be direct 9