Issue involving overtime for Decorah Fire Department full-time drivers may be resolved

Decorah City Council members and members of the Decorah Fire Department sat down at the table Monday night to discuss a recent memo seeking to limit overtime pay for three full-time drivers.

Personnel Committee Chair Kirk Johnson said the goal should be for "a little better understanding in the city office of what's going on (with fire department overtime)."  In the last 12 months, the city has paid $141,566 in wages for the three full-time fire department employees, $7,500 in pay for substitute drivers and $2,800 in overtime pay to the three drivers.

City council member Gary Rustad said it is important to get a handle on overtime pay, but said he didn't think the additional $2,800 was out of line.  City council member Steve Luse said it should be possible for everyone to rally together and solve any scheduling issues.

The Personnel Committee members agreed with a proposal to make one of the three full-time drivers a "lead driver" who would discuss scheduling changes that create overtime pay situations with the City Hall staff before approving the schedule.