Markeshia Ricks Photo
Fire Chief Alston
The Board of Alders unanimously approved a $2,000 monthly housing stipend for the city’s new fire chief, but he’ll have to wait before he can obtain any new equipment for the department under a master lease.
During its regular biweekly meeting at City Hall Monday night, the alders an amended master lease agreement for $610,000 to include vehicles only for police, public works and building enforcement. They specifically removed permission for the fire department to participate.
It’s not that alders are against new equipment — specifically two new paramedic units — for the fire department. They said they just want an audience with Fire Chief John Alston Jr. to hear what equipment he thinks the department needs before they sign off on any agreements, especially in the wake of a standoff between Mayor Toni Harp’s administration and the fire union over proposed changes to the Ellsworth firehouse.
Instead, the money that was initially set aside to make purchases for the fire department in the lease agreement will net the police department 10 more cruisers. The focus this year on getting cops out of patrol cars that are falling apart will ultimately net the police department 26 new police cruisers — 16 have already been delivered. Public works also will get one snow truck/plow and the building and enforcement will get two vehicles for inspectors.
Alders had some initial heartburn over Alston’s employment agreement, which calls for him to receive a salary of $158,500. In addition to that salary, Alston is to receive a retirement contribution of 7.5 percent of his salary, five weeks vacation per year, up to four weeks of paid training time, and use of a city-owned vehicle.
Thanks to Monday night’s vote, Alston also is to receive his $2,000-a-month housing stipend for his initial term and the first six months of his second term should he be reappointed to the position of fire chief in Feb. 1, 2018. If for some reason he is not reappointed fire chief, the chief would receive a golden parachute in the form of a consulting fee agreement that nets him an amount equal to six months of his annual salary.
To cover the costs associated with Alston’s salary, the full Board of Alders approved a transfer of $103,000. The money comes from a transfer of $51,500 from the fire department’s suppression holiday pay account; $33,500 from the department’s administrative salary account and another $18,000 from the department’s “administrative other contractual” account.
This entire story is written, and not a word as to why the housing allowance - generous by any standard, was approved. It's one thing to approve it as an initial allotment - quite another to approve it if he's contract is extended. That's just budget crap.