Politics & Government

Public Works Director Laid Off, Other Personnel Cuts on Horizon

With stalled development projects and a weak economy, city has no other choice, mayor says

The director of Public Works has been laid off, the first of potentially numerous other personnel cuts the city will be forced to make to rein in spending, said Mayor David Glass Tuesday.

"The city of Petaluma has some very talented people and all of our employees are valued, including Vince Marengo, but at the end of the day we are faced with making some very tough decisions," Glass said.

He said the decision was in no way a reflection of Marengo's work, but the result of dwindling revenues and projects like the Regency and Silk Mill hotel that have been stalled because of the economy.

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Marengo earned $146,824 a year and had a secretary who earned approximately $64,000 a year, according to the California State Controller's Office (Click here to see what other city employees make). He was let go Jan. 12 after being employed with the city since 2005, said City Manager John Brown.

Petaluma is facing a $231,000 deficit this year in its operating budget, funds that keep city hall open, maintain street lights and pothole repair, daily police and fire operations and park and recreational programs, according to Marc Puckett, the city's previous finance director.

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That's primarily because the city is spending much more that it's making in sales and tax revenues. For example, 80 percent of the city revenue is spent on salaries, with 70 percent of the funds going to police and fire alone, Glass said.

"We've experienced $600,000 of overtime in the fire department in the 2010 fiscal year and it might hit as much as $1 million," Glass said. "There is almost no way to bring the budget into balance without putting police and fire on the table."

Fire Chief Larry Anderson said the overtime was the result of eight vacancies at the start of the fiscal year, which have now been reduced to four, along with numerous people out on disability. The result is more than three firefighters who are on overtime every single day, he said.

"We’re finding qualified applicants, but we’re having a hard time clearing them through the background," Anderson said, adding that candidates have to pass rigorous background, physical and psychological tests.

"When you have a firefighter arrive at your house at 2:30am and they are going to be pushing one of 30 drugs into you, 10 of which could kill you immediately, you want that individual to be very square, straight and  stable."

Petaluma firefighters are at the low end of the pay scale (compared to other cities in the region), another challenge to recruiting people, Anderson said. 

All city employees took a 3.1 percent pay cut in December 2009, but that has not been enough to salvage city revenues. And even if the city wanted to slash salaries, it has to first bargain with the powerful police, fire and other unions.

"Employees need to agree to salary or benefit reductions because these have been bargained through union contracts," Brown said. "In the past, employees have said we are not going to make these kinds of concessions and at that point we had had to implement lay offs."

Further cuts could come as soon as February during the city's midterm budget review.

"I don’t want to make good people afraid for their jobs, but I think they can see what the situation is," Glass said. "It's clear we're going to have to make cuts, because we simply don't have the revenues to maintain the expenditures we have budgeted and that's what happened today."

He called Marengo "a good man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the wrong environment." 

As a result of the decision, Public Works, which handles roadways, street lights and graffiti abatement, will be consolidated with the Department of Water Resources and Conservation. Other departments may also be consolidated in the future as the city tries to reduce spending, Glass said.

Marengo did not return numerous calls seeking comment.

Councilwoman Tiffany Renee said Marengo provided exceptional professional service to the council and the city.

"He has much to be proud of in his history with the city, including many important projects in process like Old Redwood Highway and East Washington Interchanges," she said.


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