There will be no overnight staffing at the Austin Fire Department beginning New Year’s Day.

Austin firefighters learned Tuesday evening, their work schedule has been changed, and there will be personnel on duty only from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The change begins a week from now.

Eight months ago, the Austin City Council voted 6-1 to staff the fire department 24 hours per day seven days a week.

What has caused an apparent shift of Austin City Council Members’ opinions remains unknown.

Troy Tigner, president of International Association of Firefighters Local No. 598, said firefighters were disappointed at the news.

“I thought we had this thing settled eight months ago, when the council voted to continue 24-hour staffing,” Tigner said.

“This means there will be no one at the fire station overnight, and every firefighter will be on-call.”

“We are all disappointed,” he added. “It’s up to the city and what they want to do.”

Tigner said rumors were alive the city would try to make the change, but seeing it on paper Tuesday night was a surprise.

The city’s spokesman said the news was not to be unexpected.

Jim Hurm, city administrator, said negotiations with IAFF Local No. 598 are continuing. The union’s contract with the city expired a year ago.

Bound by confidentiality rules, Hurm could only say two closed sessions with representatives of the local union took place Monday, Dec. 15 and Thursday, Dec. 18.

The content of the closed doors dicussison could not be revealed; neither could any vote of council members on the staffing issue.

The Austin City Council is scheduled to hold its first meeting of the new year Monday, Jan. 5.

Hurm scoffed at suggestions the staffing change was some kind of “punishment” being handed down by the city for the stalemate in contract talks with the local union.

“Where did you hear that?” Hurm said Wednesday. “That’s completely untrue.”

“Staffing is only one piece of this issue and how both sides are working to solve it,” Hurm said.

“We want whatever is good for the city as a whole,” he added.

The city of Austin faces a $450,000 reduction in Local Government Aid from the state of Minnesota.

In an effort to balance the state’s budget, Gov. Tim Pawlenty reduced state spending by $271.4 million a week ago.

A total of $110-million of that amount was in the form of credits and aids to cities and counties.

In making his spending reductions announcement, Pawlenty said protecting spending for “public safety” was a priority along with K-12 education, military and veterans.

Peter Christopherson, out-going Austin City Council Member At Large, said, “I have always been an advocate of 24-hour staffing. I didn’t vote for it.”

Christopherson pointed out the city is home to Hormel Foods Corporation and its flagship plant and other facilities.

“When they made LGA cuts in 2003, public safety, protecting the fire and police, was a priority,” he said. “They made cuts then without harming the fire and police, and I think it could be done again.”

Austin Mayor Tom Stiehm and Austin Fire Chief Dan Wilson were unavailable for comment for this story.