The Fredonia Board of Trustees reversed course Wednesday and authorized advertising for a paramedic, along with offering the hire a $15,000 bonus.
The board failed to pass the measure last week, voting for it 2-1 (with Trustee Michelle Twichell opposed) — but without three votes for it, it didn’t pass. With a full board at Wednesday’s workshop, it went through by a 4-1 vote, Twichell again opposed.
Fire Chief Joshua Myers said before Wednesday’s vote the union contract with the village demands two paramedics per shift. “In our current situation, because we had a paramedic resign… for other employment, we are down a paramedic. So that means those remaining seven paramedics are automatically, at the beginning of the work period, scheduled for an extra shift.”
Myers said overtime is running up to $6,000 a month just for paramedics.
Referring to Twichell’s concerns that the village cannot afford to fill the position, Myers stated the opening is boosting overtime costs and risks burnout of the current paramedics.
Myers was criticized last week by trustees for putting out a flier on the position, which appeared on social media, before trustees approved him to advertise for it. He responded Wednesday, “I will say to defend myself, I was told three times to proceed with a flier. I know that without a doubt, because I circled back to it three times. I said, ‘we kind of keep getting off the point, am I good to proceed,’ and the answer was yes.”
Trustee Nicole Siracuse backed the chief. “I don’t know where the confusion came from that he was never authorized,” she said. Siracuse was one of the two trustees who was unable to make last week’s meeting.
Twichell, who also objected to the proposed bonus for the paramedic, took a hard line on spending throughout Wednesday’s workshop. Prior to the paramedic vote, she admonished Department of Public Works Director Scott Marsh for bringing purchases to trustees for a vote instead of vetting them with Treasurer Erlyssa LeBeau.
“We have to stick to that, Scott. We really do,” Twichell said. “You have to submit those to the treasurer. We’re in a real money crunch right now and we can’t have these just be walk-ons like this.”
She also wondered, “If he didn’t go through the proper procedures, why are we having this as a resolution?”
“I thought we had a meeting about it,” Marsh said. “You know what, I’ll try to be more on top of it.”
“Not try, you must,” Twichell said.
One of the purchase orders was for $727.50 in mechanic work by Eastbound Express. Trustee Jon Espersen said he agreed with Twichell that prior authorization by LeBeau for routine purchases is necessary. “But there are some emergency things that come up that can’t wait for a board meeting. (That item,) I would argue, falls under that category.”
Twichell said, “I’m from the point of view that if Scott came to Erlyssa and explained that situation to her, that she would understand that and authorize that.” Twichell asked LeBeau if that was correct and the treasurer said it was.
“There’s a miscommunication here… you’re just assuming you can go out and buy certain items,” Twichell said to Marsh. “But really, you should go through Erlyssa. She’s our treasurer, she’s keeping an eye on the budget and the money.”
Marsh replied, “We spoke about this. We had a meeting last week.”
Mayor Michael Ferguson, running the meeting, then ended the conversation by stating, “Point made, on all sides, with respect.”