Loading...
Minutes 1948/01/12 971 Gilroy, California, January 12, 1948. This regular adjourned meeting of the CODlmon Council was called to order by his Honor, George C. Milias. Present Councilmen: J. H. Wentworth, Bay L Stevens, J. B. Thomas, George M. Mason and Nat Heiner. Absent Councilman: George A. l~rtin. The Mayor stated that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Fire Department program and directed the Deputy City Clerk to read two letters from the Gilroy Volunteer Fire Department. A letter, dated December 19, 1947, was read, stating that at a meeting called for the purpose of submitting a proposed wage scale to the Comraon Council for full time firemen had just been completed. In the letter the following proposed scale of wages TIaS submitted: Chief Firemen: starting salary, without any experience After 90 days experience After 1 years service All Drivers, after 1 years service Secretary, $275.00 per month. 230.00 " 240.00 " 250.00 TI " " " . 250.00 n It 5.00" " The letter also stated that all the men who attended the meeting were elegible for any or all of the jobs that were open. A letter was read, dated January.5, 1948, and signed by the Board of Directors of the Gilroy Volunteer Fire Department, recommending that the present Fire Chief, Jack Ramazane, be appointed as a full time Fire Chief, starting as of January I, 1948, at a salary of $275.00 per month. The Mayor asked for discussion on the recommendations set " forth in the letters. Councilman Wentworth asked if the Fire Chief was also to serve as a building inspector. The Llayor replied that it had been talked over but no action had been taken by the Common Council.to combine the two jobs. Councilman Heiner stated that he saw no reason why the Fire Chief could not qualify as building inspector and that Carl 9'72 Weppener, the present Building Inspector, had said he would help out until the new man was able to take care of the job. He stated that two n~aes were to have been submitted for a full time fireman. Chief Rffiaazane stated that any man in the Fire Department was eligible ~or the job as full time fireman, but that no one would want to apply for the job until the amount of the salary ~ was set. Mayor Milias stated that up until the present time the .....J Gilroy Volunteer Fire Department had been a self governing body and asked the City Attorney if the Co~~on Council had the legal right to appoint a Fire Chief. It was the opinion of the City Attorney that the Common Council had that right. Mayor Milias then presented the following facts to the Common Council and to the members of the Gilroy Volunteer Fire Department who were present: that the appointment of a Fire Chie~ by the Common Council would mean that the Gilroy Volunteer Fire Department would no longer be a self governing body, that the Fire Chief would serve at the will and pleasure of the COnID10n """11III Council, that he would be asked to attend all regular meetings of the Common Council and that he would be responsible to the .....I Common Council for the proper coordination of the Department. Fire Chief Ramazane stated that the members of the Fire Department brought the matter of appointments up themselves and that they were interested in having a better Department. The matter of combining the jobs of Fire Chief and Building Inspector was discussed and it was unanimously agreed by the Councilmen present that the two jobs should be combined. The matter of the proposed salaries of the full time Fire Chief and a full time Fireman were discussed and compared with salaries being paid to other City employees. It was stated - I that no provision had been made in this years budget for additional salaries and that in the next years budget it would .J be necessary to raise the tax rate to take care of this addit- ional expense. . Chief Ramazane was asked if he could act as Fire Chief and 5&"\~ Building Inspector and he could if the Department had another /\ full time fireman. Motion by CounciL~an Reiner, second by Councilman Thomas 973 and carried that Jack Ramazane be appointed as full time Fire Chief and Building Inspector to serve at the will and pleasure of the Common Council. Councilman 1~son, chairman of the Finance Committee, was asked by the Mayor for a redommendation on the salary to be paid for the combined jobs of Fire Chief and Building Inspector. ~ Councilman Mason recommended a salary of $235.00 per month as I ~ Fire Chief and $25.00 per month as Building Inspector. Chief Ramazane was asked if this was satisfactory and he replied that he would accept. Motion by Councilman Heiner, second by Councilman Wentworth and carried that the salary to be paid for the combined jobs of full time Fire Chief and Building Inspector be set at $260.00 per month, starting January 15, 1948. The matter of the salary to be set for an additional full time Fireman was placed in the hands of Councilman Mason and Chief Ramazane and the Fire Chief was directed to submit a name for this job at the next meeting of the Common Council. Councilman Heiner, chairman of the Fire Committee, presented ~..'~... a quotation from the Pacific Fire Extinguisher Company on a I - portable Floodlite Unit. No action was taken. Mr. Rubino of Rubino's Gilroy Garbage Disposal appeared before the Council and stated that their truck had burned up and that they were now operating with rental equipment. He said that they would like to buy new modern equipment, but that before investing they would like to apply for a new Franchise as the present one would expire in seventeen months. The matter of new franchise was placed in the hands of Councilman Thomas, chairman of the Public Health and Safety Committee for study and recommendation. Mr. Ed Hanna appeared before the Council asking permission to :-- lay conduit in the sidewalk on the north west corner of Fifth L an Monterey Streets for a siren to be used when it is necessary for fire trucks to come on to Monterey Street. Permiss ion was granted Vir. Hanna to lay the conduit. Adjourned subject to the oall of the chair. ~t8/~ Deputy City Clerk.