With summer approaching, the City of Austin and all its departments are busy with old and new projects.

Wednesday, July 14, 1999

With summer approaching, the City of Austin and all its departments are busy with old and new projects. Among the old but continuing news is an upcoming discussion of the role of Riverside Arena – if a multi-purpose building is constructed at the fairgrounds – and the continuing negotiations between the city and the Austin Fire Department.

Fire Department

The city has reached a tentative agreement with the full-time employees of the Austin Fire Department, members of the Southern Minnesota International Association of Firefighters Union. The firefighters’ contract expired Dec. 31 with one issue yet unresolved; that of responsibility for scheduling in the department.

Firefighters were unhappy with a proposal for reducing all full-time staff to a 40-hour week which would have left the station with no experienced full-time personnel overnight. Since the department dropped to 10 full-time firefighters plus a Fire Chief, four have worked a 40-hour week and six have been on a 56 hour week, allowing for two full-time staff members 24-hours a day.

According to City Administrator Pat McGarvey, the latest proposal puts nine of the staff on the 56-hour week with fire inspector Ron Felten remaining at a 40-hour week. This would mean three full-time firefighters in the station 24-hours a day, less vacations.

McGarvey said the contract had been approved by the firefighters’ union; it only remains for the city council to vote on the issue at the April 5 meeting.

Riverside Arena

A town meeting to elicit public opinion on uses for Riverside arena if a multi-purpose building containing two sheets of ice is constructed is scheduled for April 8 in Riverside Arena. Park and Rec director Dennis Maschka said things are still very much in the discussion stage, but hopes to have a conceptual plan to present to the public by the meeting date.

City meetings

Unless otherwise indicated, all city meetings take place in the City Hall section of the Municipal Building at 500 4th Ave. NE. All meetings are open to the public.

Today

At 4 p.m. the council street committee meets in the lower level conference room to discuss the 12th Ave. NE area and downtown parking issues.

Wednesday

At 4 p.m. the council finance/personnel committee meets in the lower level conference room.

Friday

City offices will be closed for the Good Friday holiday.