CEDAR FALLS — Eight firefighters whose jobs are being eliminated would qualify for city public safety officer positions based on their existing experience and certifications under a task force’s recommendation.

Those who aren’t interested in becoming a PSO would have nearly 10 weeks more than initially proposed to decide if they want to take a severance offer from Cedar Falls or be laid off.

The recommendations were set at Thursday’s firefighter transition task force, with a number of revisions made to the deadlines during the two-hour meeting. They may be presented to the City Council Monday for action.

“I’m personally pleased with the discussion,” said council member Frank Darrah, who presides over the group that includes five other city officials. “I want to make sure the information we give to council is as fair as possible.”

Mayor Rob Green told task force members that, because this is an “urgent situation,” he would be willing to call a later special meeting if the recommendations aren’t ready by Monday. Green is not part of the task force.

Firefighter jobs are being eliminated following a decision earlier this month by the council to reorganize Cedar Falls’ public safety department. The task force was formed to help employees move into other city jobs and define the terms of severance packages or layoffs. The other job opportunities are most likely public safety officers, who are cross-trained to perform duties with the department’s police or fire divisions.

An amended job classification for PSOs would add five years of firefighter or police officer experience along with possession of Iowa’s Firefighter I and II certifications as an alternate to the education requirements. All eight of the firefighters qualify under the alternative proposal.

Currently, applicants need an associate of arts degree or 60 college credits as part of the position’s qualifications. Those interested in the positions as well as other city jobs must apply for them by March 23, as previously determined.

Craig Berte, Cedar Falls’ acting police chief and a task force member, called the proposed amendment “one of the biggest things we did” to make the PSO option possible for firefighters who don’t meet the education requirement. It’s also a bit of a concession on the part of the public safety department. During past meetings, he noted that officials prefer the higher education standard.

Firefighters who don’t go the PSO route would be able to wait until June 22 to sign off on a five-month severance payment. Employees who choose to receive the severance or be laid off could stay on paid administrative leave until that date. Allowing for a seven-day period in which they can change their minds on accepting the severance wraps up their employment by the end of the fiscal year.

The extended deadline replaces a suggested retirement option in an effort to be fair to all of the firefighters and account for a longer time frame potentially required in federal law before job elimination takes effect.

City attorney Kevin Rogers said he looked into a federal requirement for a 45-day notice of termination under the Age Discrimination Employment Act after an audience member pointed it out at an earlier meeting. He had believed only 21 days were required.

Layoff notices will be given March 23, which would have made them effective April 14 under the 21-day notice. City staff proposed extending the effective date to May 7 to account for the 45 days.

Others suggested reducing what had been a six-month lump-sum severance payment and making the layoffs effective at the end of the fiscal year. The firefighters would remain on paid administrative leave until that time.

“It’s a big benefit. Its gives them time,” said Scott Dix, an audience member and president of the firefighters union. He suggested with more time that some firefighters may even choose not to take the severance and just be laid off, preserving recall rights to the job for three years.

“The more people that go on layoff, the better for you,” he added.

Council member Simon Harding, a member of the task force, pushed for the extending the time firefighters have to make a decision on accepting a severance agreement or being laid off.

“For me, I’m going to fight to give them as much time as possible,” he said. “What difference does it make to us if it’s May 7 or June 22? This affords them time to vet out all the options.”

Armored car robbery March 11, 2020

———

©2020 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)

Visit Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at www.wcfcourier.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.