Mayor Supports $1,000 Legal Fee Payment to Firefighter Association

has requested that the City of Santee pay $1,000 worth of legal fees that the Santee Firefighters Association incurred in a recent showdown, rather than risk further costs in a legal battle

"I believe this to be a one-time, out of the ordinary request, due to past labor negotiation outcomes. In the interest of fostering good Labor/City relations, I request that [] directs our Finance Department to issue a check, in the amount of $1,000, made out to the Santee Firefighters Local 4373," Voepel wrote in an email to Till.

This request for payment was made in response to a letter from the Santee Firefighters Assoc. to Mayor Voepel about healthcare payment increases that occurred over the summer during (see the letter in the media box).

A portion of the letter explains the situation:

"On July 7, 2011, all members of the Santee Firefighters Assoc. received an increased deduction for healhcare costs in their paycheck. This action occurred during active negotiations, during which healthcare costs were being negotiated.

Our membership considers this action to be a violation of our collective bargaining rights and illegal under the Meyers-Milias Brown Act."

Mayor Voepel said this is the first time in his 14 years as Mayor that he's requested such a payment.

"During our past labor negotiations, the City's and Firefighter's representatives, in my opinion, were more adversarial than I was comfortable with," Voepel wrote.

"The City is not legally required to do this but I feel it is the morally correct thing to do. I figure the firefighters will probably spend the money, as they do every year, on stocking fish at Santee Lakes for the annual fishing tournament for the kids, or some other Community activity."

The Mayor is not asking that this be put on the , as it is within the power of the City Manager to take care of the relatively small amount of money. According to Mayor Voepel, the approval limit for the City Manager is $10,000 for professional services.

"Legally (according to the City Attorney) we could have fought the $1,000 in court, maybe have won, maybe not," he said. "It is way cheaper to amicably settle this last issue outside of a Courtroom."

"It's the fair thing to do," he added.