Council members approve JPA and CBA for Selkirk Fire, bid for remodel
A mechanical failure caused partially treated water to be distributed by the Sand Creek water treatment plant in mid-July.
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SANDPOINT — Council members approved an updated joint powers agreement and collective bargaining agreement for the Selkirk Fire District at their meeting Wednesday night.
Selkirk Fire encompasses Sandpoint, Sagle and Westside fire districts. One change to the JPA, said City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton, is to renew for three-year terms instead of one year.
The change was made at the recommendation of a consulting firm hired by the city, and will reduce paperwork and align the schedule for the JPA with the collective bargaining agreement.
“[Before], it seemed as soon as we got moved through a year and kind of had everything all sorted out, [then] we were to the point that we needed to redo the JPA. So administratively, this will be easier for us,” Stapleton said.
The consultants had did an analysis last year after the JPA ran out, Stapleton said, which concluded the JPA had benefits to the residents in Sandpoint, Sagle and the Westside fire district areas, and had cost-saving benefits when administered appropriately because of the shared administrative work across the three fire districts.
Another change was eliminating the battalion chief position at the recommendation of the city consultant.
“[We] are going back to the structure of the fire chief and a deputy fire chief,” Stapleton said.
However, the language in the collective bargaining agreement still allows for the position to create more flexibility in the future, said human resources director Nicole Goes.
“We did up leaving that in the CBA, Goes said. “[That way], in the event that there are any future changes in the junior JPA structure, we would not have to go back to the negotiating table.”
The updated JPA will also change the way the organization is structured, Stapleton said, with a smaller JPA board consisting of one representative from each of the three fire districts and an executive director, which is designated as the role of the city administrator.
The JPA also allows for each fire district to have an alternate in the case their primary representative is unable to attend.
That change consolidates the administration, Stapleton said. Previously the fire chief would have had to report to three different boards, whereas now they only have one.
“There's a JPA board, there's two district boards. And then under our traditional structure, our department heads report to my position and the mayor. So we [had] a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” she said. “This really consolidates it better.”
The city is also in the process of seeking applications for a new fire chief, as Interim Fire Chief Dale Hopkins is also planning to retire at the end of the summer, Stapleton said.
The motion for the JPA was passed with council members Joel Aispuro, Andy Groat and Kate McAlister voting yes, and councilwoman Deb Ruehle voting no. The CBA was approved unanimously by all four council members present.
Also that night, the council members unanimously approved a bid for a City Hall customer service remodel project for $824,000.
The remodel will include structural improvements for building integrity and replacement of the HVAC system, Stapleton said.
City Hall, which is actually two buildings, encompasses council chambers on the south end and customer service on the north, which is where the remodel will take place.
The remodel will provide customers a one-stop customer service area, instead of having to direct residents to different parts of the building depending on their needs, Stapleton said. Planning services will be moved to the first floor, as it is a group that is regularly interacting with the public.
Aside from convenience for the public, Stapleton said bringing all the customer service groups together will allow for better cross-training. The first floor will also have two conference meeting rooms added.
The HVAC update will also provide greater comfort for staff, she said. The city had an inspection of the HVAC system last year as part of COVID recommendations in regards to air quality and filtration, which found the system inadequate.
“Not only did we not reach any of those recommendations, we couldn’t be retrofitted to meet those recommendations,” Stapleton said. “Furthermore, all of our units are at the end of useful life.”