Dezzi feels heat from contract comments

Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi won’t be sitting at the table alongside Town Manager Dave Bullock when negotiations with the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Union begin. 

Bargaining on a new three-year contract begins at 2 p.m. June 16, at Town Hall.

Although Dezzi will remain the fire chief, Bullock decided May 14 to remove him from the town’s negotiation team following Dezzi’s remarks to approximately 25 Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key members at their April 23 breakfast meeting.

Dezzi told the group he’s worried he won’t be able to fill firefighter/paramedic positions after six veterans reach mandatory retirement dates beginning May 2016. The fire chief said he thinks contract negotiations should center on fixing what he perceives as a pension and wage issue.

The comments irked Bullock, who sets the tone for the town’s bargaining during negotiations with the union. 

Bullock spent three weeks holding multiple discussions with Dezzi, commissioners and even Kiwanians who attended the April 23 meeting to investigate Dezzi’s comments. 

Dezzi also held individual meetings with each commissioner last week to explain his actions. Commissioners then consulted with Bullock, who controls hiring and firing of town employees.

Dezzi learned of Bullock’s decision during a May 14 meeting with the town manager. 

After that meeting, Dezzi confirmed to the Longboat Observer that although he is still fire chief, he will not be a part of contract negotiations this summer.

Bullock told the Longboat Observer, “Paul Dezzi is the fire chief, and he will be the fire chief until he isn’t.”

Asked if he has lost confidence in Dezzi’s ability as a fire chief, Bullock said he has not. 

“I look at every decision I have to arrive at with one question in mind,” Bullock said. “Are the citizens of Longboat Key well served? In that case (the supervision of the fire department), they are well served with Paul’s leadership. You can see it in the department.”

Bullock also confirmed Dezzi won’t be part of his contract negotiation team next month.

“He won’t be at the table, and I’m not sure who will replace him or if I need to replace him,” said Bullock, whose other negotiation members include labor attorney Reynolds Allen and Human Resources Manager Lisa Silvertooth. 

Asked why Dezzi was removed from his negotiation team, Bullock said, “Because I have chosen not to (have him there).”

Firefighter Lt. Jason Berzowski, who will act as a union negotiator this summer, said he was surprised to hear Dezzi was removed from Bullock’s negotiation team. 

“In our opinion, the chief didn’t say or do anything wrong,” Berzowski said. “We have a hiring and a retention problem. Whether the town manager and the Town Commission choose to recognize that is up to them.”

Commissioner Lynn Larson disagrees. 

“Currently there is one opening in the fire department, and misstatements were made,” Larson wrote in a letter to the Longboat Observer. “This does not seem to be a time to run around saying, ‘The sky is falling.’”

“I agree it is a good time to be on the lookout for potential new employees, but I do not agree that things are so bleak,” she wrote.

Mayor Jack Duncan and Vice Mayor Terry Gans declined to comment, explaining that Bullock makes hiring decision.

Larson: ‘I do not agree that things are so bleak.’

Commissioner Lynn Larson submitted the following letter to the Longboat Observer May 4 in response to comments Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi made at an April Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key breakfast meeting. Her husband, Jim, is treasurer of the Kiwanis Club.

Recently my husband, Jim, came home from a Kiwanis meeting and said what a great speaker Fire Chief Paul Dezzi is. He then told me about the big problem we have because Chief Dezzi cannot find employees for open positions because of the low pay and poor benefits, including pension, the town offers.

I was shocked to hear this since I knew we did not have a turnover or vacant position problem.

Facts from Town Hall indicate that we have 34 total fire employees. In 2013, when negotiations went on and on to establish a new pension system, we had four resignations during the uncertain times. Since then, we have had one retirement in 2014, after issues arose with the employee, and in 2015, we had one resignation, which is a current vacancy. In 2016, we expect six members to leave our employment due to a generous town benefit allowing employees to retire, then continue working, collect their salary, and at the end of three years, collect three years lump sum retirement upon leaving employment from the town. This is called the DROP plan.

Currently there is one fire employee opening. I agree it is a good time to be on the lookout for potential new employees, but I do not agree that things are so bleak.

Misstatements were made. The starting salary is $51,309.44; however, annual salaries for the lowest paid employees are considerably higher, approximately $58,000 to $61,000, when overtime and incentives, such as driving the fire truck and even laundry allowance(s) are added. Due to the union contract, employees work two 24-hour shifts per week; therefore, employees earn eight hours of overtime each and every week they work. I asked for the number of evening calls we have had over the last several years. Consistently, we have averaged less than one call per night split between two firehouses. Looking at the emergency call numbers, it is very clear that due to these low call numbers, employees may actually be sleeping while earning overtime. Nearby towns, such as Sarasota and Bradenton, do not expect as many restful nights as Longboat has. Employee benefits, excluding continuing payments to the frozen pension plan, add at least 40% to the cost by the town of each employee.

It was reported that Dezzi indicated employees came from the other coast and then left the town for more money and benefits from surrounding communities. If this is true, then why have we only lost two employees in two years and one of them was due to retirement?

I respect our hardworking fire staff and appreciate the job they do. Please understand that their salaries and benefits are negotiated by union contract. We honor the union contract as negotiated.