In an about face, the city manager recommended sparing Fire
Chief Bill Garringer from layoffs after discovering Hollister is
legally required to have a fire chief.
In an about face, the city manager recommended sparing Fire Chief Bill Garringer from layoffs after discovering Hollister is legally required to have a fire chief.
Interim City Manager Clint Quilter recommended Garringer be removed from the city’s layoff list at a special city council meeting on the city budget Tuesday.
“I think it would be very difficult to function without a fire chief,” Quilter said. “Additionally, the city attorney advised that there were some legal requirements to have a fire chief.”
City Attorney Elaine Cass was unavailable for comment.
Garringer said he pointed out the law under the California Government Codes to former City Manager Dale Shaddox – who resigned in April – that says cities such as Hollister must have a fire chief.
“He didn’t feel it was relevant for some reason,” Garringer said. “I think his reasoning was if he made a captain the acting fire chief that qualified.”
Councilman Robert Scattini said he wasn’t aware of the requirements of the law.
“I don’t think any of us did until (Cass) came up with the law saying we have to have a fire chief,” Scattini said. “And citizens voiced a tremendous amount of dialogue about the fire chief. I probably got 50 phone calls from people upset about it.”
Quilter said he could not comment on the reasoning behind putting Garringer on the layoff list before he took over the city manager duties.
Garringer’s reappointment is not set in stone, but has to be finalized by the City Council at the June 7 meeting.
Garringer is not the only person recommended to be spared from cuts. Quilter recommended several other positions, including the airport manager, code enforcement officer and administrative services director’s jobs be saved.
With a new fire station being built, it is imperative the department have adequate leadership to usher in a new regime, said Hollister firefighter Bob Martin Del Campo, who is the president of the local International Association of Fire Fighters union.
“To put him on the list in the first place was ludicrous,” Martin Del Campo said. “He’s got over 32 years of fire experience and we need someone like that at the helm of the ship.”
Hollister Mayor Tony Bruscia, who has voiced criticism of the fire department and Garringer in the past, said the city had looked at captains taking over fire chief duties, but concluded the position is too crucial and needs to be filled permanently.
“With the (layoff list), it’s not about who do we like, it’s about what positions we can live without and what positions we have to have to provide basic service,” Bruscia said. “They’re all important, but some are more important than others – we have to prioritize.”
To compensate for Garringer’s return financially, the list is being shuffled, and some people vacated their city jobs voluntarily which makes it easier to eliminate positions, Bruscia said.
“It makes it far more friendly to employers,” he said. “But then the challenge is sometimes people vacate positions we need.”
Garringer’s salary will be discussed at the June 7 meeting, Scattini said.
“It’s very possible that it could be reduced,” he said. “Some of the money is coming from the General Fund and some coming from other funds to keep these people aboard.”
Garringer was relieved his name was taken off the list, although as his final day as chief loomed he had decided to “face facts and get on with his life,” he said.
“Now I have to turn back around the other way,” Garringer said. “But I’m happy I get to see the (new fire station) open up. It’s been a long time coming, and I can feel like I did something.”
