OUR REQUEST TO COUNCIL

[Ed Note: City Budget can be found here. City Financial Statements can be found here.]

Attention City of Ferndale Council:

As citizens of Ferndale we are formally requesting in writing the answers and information requested below by February 15, 2011 in hard copy or electronic format:

1. Does the City have an employee benefits agent that analyzes claims and assists during collective bargaining to ensure least cost/greatest benefit plan designs are used? Please provide name and contact information of the agent. (Not carrier representative)

2. Have ancillary benefits (dental, life/AD&D, STD/LTD, vision, etc.) been consolidated where possible and when was the last time these were marketed to consider alternative carriers/vendors that may offer savings? Please provide this information and any quotes obtained.

3. Does the City have a Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution pension plan for employees? If it is currently a DB plan, has a DC plan been evaluated? Please provide this information and costs in detail.

4. Does the City have a designated Risk Manager? If so, have you considered outsourcing this position? Please provide name of Risk Manager, name of outsourced agent if applicable and applicable salaries.

5. Please provide a full list of all employees, their salaries, benefit packages, contribution levels, and any other compensation levels. Also provide contracts for contracted positions. Also provide job descriptions for each employee type.

6. Have you considered Volunteer Fire Fighters to supplement full time fire fighters when there is a surge in demand? Have you considered using volunteer firefighters during special events and gatherings?

7. Please provide an all inclusive list of all city bank accounts, investments, funds, retirement accounts and their balances and purpose.

8. Please provide a detailed budget for each department with itemized expenditures in full detail.

9. Will council take a voluntary pay cut and revert their salaries back to the city?

10. Please provide the costs of the following:

    1. Cost of holding a special election to increase millage this year.
       

    2. Costs of arbitration with each union per month ad to date 2010.

    3. Costs of all Attorney fees including during negotiations with unions 2010.

    4. Costs of all consultants yearly, used for any purpose for each year 2007-2010

Thank you,

Sean House

F.A.C.T.

Ferndale Against Council's Tax