KALAMAZOO (WKZO) -- A two year plan to drastically reduce Kalamazoo city staff by using early retirement incentives isn’t going as planned...its going better, according to City Manager Ken Collard, who says they are currently projected to save considerably more than they originally expected.

It was driven by the need to trim 6 million dollars out of their annual costs by 2014, because that’s where they project revenue will be. Collard says a well funded pension plan is making it possible.

He gave a quarterly update on the Early Retirement Initiative to Commissioners Monday night.

City Commissioners also approved a new ordinance restricting use of fireworks to 10 legal holidays and the days just before and after.