Rural fire board says it will sit down with city

The Whitefish Fire Service Area board appears to be willing to sit down at the negotiation table with the City of Whitefish regarding the contract under which the city provides fire service to the rural area.

Board chair Mark Carlson said he reached out to the city to set a meeting time to discuss the contract, though the board made no formal vote on the matter.

The city, in negotiating a new five-year contract, sent a proposal in March to the rural board proposing to increase the district’s payment to $325,000 in 2021 and then to $426,000 in 2026. The rural district’s most recent payment was $296,500.

In turn, the rural board in May sent out a letter to households saying it was considering whether to renew its contact with the city that expires in June 2021 or operate its own volunteer fire department.

The rural board held a special meeting Wednesday attended by about 50 people, many of whom told the board they are in favor of extended the rural district’s contract with the city. A meeting the week before had about 100 attendees, many of whom gave much the same message that they’d like fire service to stay with the city and they’d be willing to pay an increase in taxes to make that happen.

The board also spent more than an hour reading through about 300 emails it had received on the matter after sending out a letter last month to about 3,200 property owners in the district seeking input. Most of the emails, the board said, were either in favor of renewing or negotiating the city contract.

Whitefish City Manager Dana Smith said the city is willing to negotiate the contract and expects to meet with the board this week.

Board member Dennis Oliver said he needs additional information from the city before making a decision about the contract.

“I want to understand where our money is being spent,” he said. “They say 40 percent of their expenses are ours because they say that 40 percent of the calls were ours. I want to know what I am getting for my money.”

Oliver said the rural board has no say in how the city’s allocates the funds for its fire department. The rural district should not be paying for the city’s Emergency Services Center because it doesn’t benefit the rural area, he added.

The board noted that in the past the rural fire board has donated fire trucks to the city fire department, but they aren’t being given credit for that in the contact.

Board member Scott Alexander urged the board to negotiate a fair agreement, but continue with city fire service. Alexander’s term on the board expired at the end of May, so he will not be on the board when a decision is made.

“Make sure you’re not delinquent on having fire service,” he said.

City officials say that the proposed payment schedule is reflective of the services already being received — about 40% of fire calls each year come from the rural district, but its most recent payment was only 25% of the city fire department’s current $1.17 million budget.

The major sticking point for the board in renewing the city contract appears to be an increase in the payment the city is seeking, with the board saying five years ago it already increased household rates from $90 to $144.

The board has said that if it were to pay the increased cost to the city that would deplete its reserves of $1 million, thus leaving it unable to start its own volunteer department later.

The board has said it needs 10 to 15 volunteers to start its own department, along with a paid fire chief. Last week the board said it has five individuals who would be willing to volunteer.

Carlson said the rural board has been looking at the issue since January attempting to make a decision, but is concerned about raising the household rate.

“If the fee goes up every five years and the fire protection stays the same then what are we getting,” he said. “There’s no new fire hall or no new employees.”

The rural fire area is about 86 square miles in size outside Whitefish city limits.

The rural fire board has not said when it will be make a decision, but the contract with the city requires a decision by the end of June unless the board seeks a temporary extension.

The rural board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for June 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the rural fire hall at 1345 Hodgson Road. Agendas for the meeting are posted in the window of the fire hall.