SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIAL MEETING (5:00 PM)

The LPFD supports large emergency incidents throughout the state in a reimbursable response model known as mutual aid. When the LPFD responds to a mutual aid request, personnel costs are reimbursed at around 120% of the employee's fully loaded (wages and benefits) overtime pay. The 20% above the personnel cost reimbursement is for the administrative impact of the mutual aid deployment. The amount of mutual aid deployments varies widely from year to year based on the number of requests received and LPFD's staffing levels that allow or disallow response. 4. Why doesn't the City cut all consultant contracts? Contracting is a standard practice in most city budgets and municipal operating structures. Contracting covers either services using specially trained and experienced persons or firms or providing city services that government employees would otherwise be required to deliver. The use of consultant support helps fulfill a range of public expectations, from maintaining high customer service standards, to meeting required timeframes, to accessing specialized expertise that would be impractical to maintain permanently in-house. There are strategic advantages to using consulting contracts, including specialized expertise for specific projects; cost efficiency through lower overall costs for short- term work compared to benefited employees; operational flexibility in adjusting service levels and resource allocation; independent perspectives that provide industry best practices; risk reduction from utilizing expert guidance; and organizational innovation that allows for testing new functions before committing to a permanent position/approach. A significant portion of the contract costs incurred by the City is related to capital projects such as construction work for streets and roads, parks, buildings and facilities, and water and sewer line installations/repair and maintenance. On the operational side, contract services are utilized for various areas such as park, street, and building maintenance, plan review and inspection services in which development service fees are also generated to offset certain costs, economic development, legal and claims management, audit services, mental health services, network support, and library reference services/digital materials. Cutting contract services may also mean delay in delivering priority community projects and reduction of services and programs such as park and street maintenance and library services. Additional employees may also need to be hired to provide the same services. 4of5