CCP 03-14-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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v? ~ 2-Focus News- Tues.,March 8. 1994 t · MOUNDS VIEW · . Contract makes fire dept. part of ~ity government SHELBY NICOLAus-DUNSKI Under the contract signed last week by the Mounds View City The Blaine/Spring Lake Council, the department will ParklMounds View Fire Depart- become as much a part of the cities ment is expected to soon be a as their police deparunenlS. branch of city government "This has truly become a wing of The fire department and the three govemment." Orduno said. , cities it serves are inking a contract Under the agreement, the depart- which makes the department a part ment will nun over to the cities the of the those cities. land, buildings and equipment The deparunent currently operates owned by the deparunent as an independent contractor, pro- In exchange, the cities are agree- viding services at a cost to Blaine, ing to allow the department to be Spring Lake Park and MOunds the sole provider of their fJre protec- View. The department selS its own tion for a minimum of 10 years. budget and has its own board of The contract has received directors. approval from Blaine city officials The cities provide funding based and the fire department's board. on a fomlula of property valuations The proposal is expected to be con- . and the number of calls per city, but sidered next by the Spring Lake bave very little input into the budget Park City Council. which bas out- process, revenues, spending or bir- lined several concerns the main ing procedures of the organization, being its length. Mounds View City Administrator AGREEMENT~DP. Q Samantha 0nJun0 said - - Agreement From page 2 be applauded and appreciated. To During a January workshop, Blaine, the alternative is unaccept- able and unaffordable - developing Spring Lake Park offJCials disaJssed a full-time paid fire department." the IO-year lime commitment, say- Poss wrote in a letter to Spring Lake ing they would be more oomfonable Park City Administrator Donald with a five-year term, renewable in Busch. five-year increments. Orduno agreed the contract is in But Blaine City Manager Don the cities' best interests. Poss said the longer-term conlIaCt is "The fJre department that exists inevitable. today is not the organization which "In the eyes of the fire depart- 'existed prior to the (1990 fJre bond) . ment, the IO-year term is non-nego- referendum - it is a far superior tiable ... Rather than viewing the department." she said. fire department as a contractual FJrefighters "are giving up a lot," adversary, it is Blaine's position that she said, adding that they would like the willingness of neighbors and cit- job security in exchange. "This is a izens to couunit to long-term ser- very unique relationship that we vice as voIwueers ... is an offer to would like to continue." .