Reimbursement Lags: Housing Inspectors: Gas Drains Wallets

Reimbursement Lags

Housing Inspectors: Gas Drains Wallets

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

Housing Inspectors who use personal vehicles to complete their daily rounds are demanding that the city's gas reimbursement rate - set in 1999 when fuel was $1.40 a gallon - be immediately updated to reflect today's soaring prices.

JOSEPH CORSO: Won't get fueled again. Inspectors said even with a guaranteed daily reimbursement of $8.40 for gas and repairs, many still have to dip into their pockets now that fuel averages $3.39 a gallon in the city.

'They're Losing Money'

"You've got to consider that [the reimbursement rate] is also supposed to cover the wear and tear on a vehicle - the oil changes, the ball joint changes, the tire changes, and so on," said Joseph Corso, president of Local 211 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents Inspectors who work for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. "Many individuals are now telling me that they are losing too much money by using their own vehicles."

Dennis Sullivan, director of research and negotiations for DC 37, said there are several hundred employees in titles with similar job duties who are in the same position.

DENNIS SULLIVAN: Wants gas cap lifted. Mr. Sullivan is currently negotiating the citywide contract that covers issues such as reimbursement pay with the Office of Labor Relations.

Because bargaining the citywide contract can be a lengthy process (the existing one expired in 2002), Mr. Sullivan said he had tried to get the city to consider the issue of reimbursement rates separately so workers could get some immediate relief from rocketing fuel costs. "We have said to the city that we believe that these circumstances in particular warrant an immediate resolution, but they did not agree," he said. "We have our next bargaining session on May 15 and we'll see where it goes."

Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley confirmed that the bargaining talks included proposals to increase the reimbursement rate for employees who use their vehicles for city business, but declined to discuss specifics.

Mr. Corso estimated there are approximately 150 Housing Inspectors who use their own cars to complete their daily round of inspections assigned by HPD.

Like other city employees who do similar work, Inspectors are reimbursed at the rate of 28 cents a mile if they go over 30 miles in a day, excluding travel to and from HPD headquarters, and are guaranteed reimbursement for a minimum of 30 miles even if they travel less than that amount, which Mr. Corso said they often do.

Assignments are organized by borough so Inspectors don't have to criss-cross the city during the course of the day, but Mr. Corso said they cover significant chunks of territory.

"If we had to rely on public transportation to get us around to all our daily assignments, we'd be doing half the number of inspections a day that we can do now," he contended.

Neill Coleman, a spokesman for HPD, didn't return calls requesting comment.