All right.

Well then let's call this meeting to order and uh ask the clerk to take the role.

Mr.

Moody?

Here.

Dr.

Rinny.

Mr.

Seagrav.

Mr.

White?

Present.

Mr.

Wolf.

Here.

Doctor Aldrich.

Present.

Mayor Collins.

Present.

Dr.

Emons.

Mr.

Eskabel.

Here.

Mr.

Layborne.

One member is absent.

We do have a quorum.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the republic for which it stands.

Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all of the collective labor bargaining with Cheyenne Professional Firefighters, International Association of Firefighters, Local Number 279.

Or how does those numbers come?

I was thought about asking that question last time.

So we'd like to maybe slip into a quick executive session, update the council, and we'll come right back.

Sounds good.

Mr.

Seagrave and Mr.

White, all those in favor, please signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed.

Got so much stuff here.

All right.

I'm not sure where you want to start, any.

Um would be all right with that.

I'd like to make another short opening statement.

It'll be it'll be brief, just trying to help uh convey where where we're coming from with in this negotiation.

If that's all right with you, Mr.

Mayor.

Okay.

Uh Mayor Collins and members of the governing body, on behalf of IFF local two seven nine, I want to start by thanking you for your time this evening and for the opportunity to continue working together through this negotiation process.

We also want to recognize and thank the governing body for your continued support of Cheyenne Fire Rescue and your support in six penny initiatives, including funding new stations and apparatus.

It represents a significant investment in public safety.

Likewise, your support in of the department's accreditation process recently reflects a shared commitment to maintaining a modern and professional fire service.

This progress has required intentional work on both sides, and I want to thank all of you for that.

Such as in 2020, during the COVID pandemic, local two seven nine returned to the bargaining table and reopened the collective labor agreement to accept a reduction in wages to help the city navigate that uncertainty in that year.

Comparing Wyoming departments to other states is difficult as you have different funding sources that affect the ability to fund public safety efforts, including fire service.

A couple of things I learned this week about the differences in the states when it comes to employing firefighters.

Wyoming's pension pays 2.8 percent of their salary for each year of service.

I learned Colorado pays 2 percent for the first 10 years of firefighters' career and 2.5 for the remainder, and Montana pays 2.5 percent for each year of service.

If you do the math, the difference in the pension for a Wyoming firefighter and the other two states is significant.

A Wyoming firefighter who earns $90,000 as their qualifying salary would earn 70 percent of their salary at 25 years.

Montana 62.5 percent, Colorado 57.5 percent.

And over a 30-year retirement, and I got that number from our MERP conversation.

Remember the lady said that the average uh that somebody has a MERP is 30 years.

A Wyoming firefighter would make 202,500 more in retirement as compared to a Montana firefighter, and that number goes to 337,500 versus Colorado.

In addition, it costs more to work in the other states.

Montana has an income tax that goes from 4.7 to 5.65 percent.

Colorado's income tax is 4.4 percent.

Plus Montana's property tax on a $4,000 home is higher by $1,625 each year.

Colorado's by, and I use the Loveland, Colorado's one of your peers, $225.

Added together, it would cost a firefighter making $90,000 a year and living in a $400,000 house, $6,300 more than a firefighter in Wyoming, $4,185 in Colorado.

Pension costs and cost of employment demonstrates how hard it is to compare the true comparison compensation differences.

I've spent some time since our last meeting reading the contracts of the other professional fire departments in our state.

And I've also reached out to Campbell County Fire Department.

They're not a union department as they cover region and are not eligible for unionization.

What I learned from my reading is Cheyenne's compensation for their firefighters as well does really well compared to Casper, Gillette, Rock Springs, Sheridan, and Laramie at all ranks.

One interesting thing I learned is that most of the other departments don't have any specialty pays like longevity and the others or any of the kinds of uh added pays that we have here in Cheyenne.

I did the math, and Cheyenne firefighters are some of the highest paid or one of the top pays when we take base pay, when we look at the five-year mark, and then when we uh add the additional pays that our firefighters earn, we're very competitive even later in their careers.

We know this because we added up the average annual compensation for all of our firefighters at every rank and compare them to the max salaries available to other departments.

I think we have areas that we can agree on and that we can build on, but I think the first step is to agree on our peer group, and once we've done that, we can quickly deal with the other issues.

The city proposes the following.

In section two, um, and I can give you a copy of this.

Please.

Please do.

Thank you.

Would you give this to the clerk, please?

In Section 2, um, it's just the definitions for the rotational positions, something that we have to put in the contract because we we've hired those positions.

Um Section 4 just addresses the new dates.

In Section 21, we propose memorializing the 3 percent call that we gave to all city employees on January 1st.

We would also propose an additional 3 percent raise for the members of the fire department.

That would be scheduled to take effect at the start of the new budget, which should be July 1st, which would mean you get a 6 percent raise for the year 2026.

Section 21 vacations, we would propose the option proposed by Chief Dyke Shorn with a limit of two slots over the minimum personnel number.

And currently that number I think would be 25.

This is critical to help the department feel the full complement of firefighters to provide the safety for our community, but also help us with the over ever rising overtime numbers.

It also includes language regarding vacation for military deployments, extended illness or injury.

This happens to some of our members and they are unable to use their earned vacation benefit due to service to our country and on-duty injury.

This would allow the member the opportunity to work with the battalion chief or our chiefs to find a way to schedule unused vacation.

Our treasurer has also asked for language to help the department manage the utilization of vacation.

Our current language says all vacation time shall be used in each calendar year.

The new language provides for exceptions to the policy and a process and timeline for member to appeal to their BC to allow vacation time to be carried over or used.

Additional uh language for Section 21, accrual awards for the final month of employment shall be administered in the same manner and under the same conditions as all other employees in the city.

Our treasurer shared that the challenge of calculating accruals when employee leaves and getting them done in the time required by state law.

And so if you don't work the full month, you would not accrue that last month.

Oh, sorry.

Thank you, Mayor Collins.

Thank you, members of the city council.

So after some discussion, what we would like to do, uh we'd like to move to adjourn for tonight so we can take a closer look and review line by line what the proposal that you've given to us.

We appreciate that you've given that proposal to us tonight.

And really want to make sure we fully understand it and come back at the next meeting and further discuss it from there.

Yes, that's correct.

We have tenively um set aside Monday evening.

That sounds like that will work for all parties at six PM.

Okay.

Okay.

Appreciate it.

Do I need a motion to adjourn, Madame Clerk?

Move by Mr.

Seagrav, seconded by Dr.

Aldrich, all in favor.

Aye.

Those opposed?

We are adjourned.

Thank you.