The Redwood City Fire Department can stave off “browning out” one engine by cutting one fire firefighter per truck on all companies — a move that significantly limits the ability to respond to emergencies but will protect service in downtown, Fire Chief Jim Skinner said last night.

“Is this the best solution? No, it’s not the best solution,” Skinner said. “Is this the best solution now? It is the best solution now.”

If accepted, the department will drop its current staffing rate of 20 firefighters daily to 19 by having one less on trucks. Currently, four firefighters work in teams of two with each handling either ventilation or search and rescue. Without two teams, another engine will be called in if both responses are needed, Skinner said.

The change is “extremely risky” and cuts response capacity by 50 percent but is worth managing rather than face browning out Engine 9 to save approximately $400,000 in overtime costs, Skinner said. “Browning out” a station or engine is an alternative to completely closing it, or “blacking” it out.

“We’re going to have to get creative because things have changed,” he said.

Skinner detailed the plan which only came to the City Council hours before it began a budget study session last night. While the council took no vote on that alternative or any of the recommendations highlighted during the session, members thanked Skinner for creative thinking, an approach they said was necessary to close more than an $8 million gap between revenue and expenses.

The city’s general fund has an increasing structural deficit which will grow if city officials adopt the recommended budget without further cuts, said City Manager Peter Ingram.

The goal is to divide the financial pain, he said.

“We are in a shared crisis,” he said.

Councilwoman Diane Howard said she just can’t cut anymore and the some of the others balked at being asked to slash other contracts.

Anna Olsen, associate director of services for the Second Harvest Food Bank, asked the council to hold off cuts to the Human Services Financial Assistance budget because it funds a number of groups relying on her agency. Of all its calls for help, the largest number hails from Redwood City, Olsen said.

The council will hold another study session next week before adopting its budget in July. Instead, the council began the onerous task of working through cuts across all departments — assessing the money saved and positions lost — to not only balance this year’s budget but also set a three-year course toward sustainability.

The proposed budget cuts spending by $2.1 million and includes another $4.2 million in reductions from programmatic cuts and $1.3 million from an across-the-board salary freeze. The budget also includes $79.7 million in revenue but the figure is $6.8 million lower than last year, said Finance Director Brian Ponty.

The loss of four auto dealerships in the city alone caused a $900,000 sales tax drop.

City leaders already determined the entire deficit for the fiscal year ending June 30 will be covered with the city’s reserve funds. After the salary freezes and program cuts, a $2.9 million deficit remains. Next year’s gap will be similarly tackled with reductions and reserves. In the two years following, reserves are anticipated to cover 25 percent and 10 percent of expected deficits, allowing the city to maintain reserves at a minimum of 15 percent of annual revenue thereafter.

While the council Monday was charged with considering the budget before them, Councilman Jim Hartnett used the hearing to also point out the connection between development like the pending Cargill Saltworks plan and city needs. Without growth, areas like parks and recreation will suffer, he said.

The council set aside Sept. 14 for further discussion of the budget with inclusion of state hits such as the taking of property tax which Councilman Ian Bain estimated could bring more than $1 million in more cuts.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 102.  

Info box:  The full recommended budget is available online at www.redwoodcity.org.

The second budget study session is 7 p.m. Monday June 22 at City Hall, 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City.