Negotiations near for city fire contract with CIFR

Melissa Collins, city clerk, administers the oath of office to first-term councilman Timothy Pearce (left), and incumbent councilmen Conrad Ryer and Leonard Kelley. PHOTO BY KELLY RUHOFF | STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS December 31, 2011 looms on the horizon.

When the city signed a contract for emergency medical services (EMS) with Camano Island Fire and Rescue (CIFR) in May 2005 followed by an interlocal agreement for management and supervision of its fire department that September, both were set to expire the end of 2011.

A clause in the agreements requires negotiations for renewing the contracts to begin 18 months prior.

The process began at Thursday night’s Stanwood City Council meeting with a consent agenda item request to authorize Mayor Dianne White to sign a 2010 amendment to continue EMS with CIFR (Island County Fire Protection District No. 1) that included one change.

The city pays $250,000 in four quarterly payments to CIFR. The district then bills patients for transportation costs, which brings up the total contract cost to $550,000 per year. Anything collected in excess of $300,000 in transportation fees is allocated to the city’s costs as a reimbursement.

The proposed 2010 amendment requests the city waive any transport reimbursement fees.

That concerned Councilman Bill Carlton. He made a motion to table the item until fire negotiations begin later this year.

Darin Reid, Stanwood/ Camano Fire and Rescue fire chief in Stanwood, explained actual costs for providing service to the city in 2009 were $907,000 because of poor Medicare/Medicaid settlements, which averaged about 67 percent in collection rates.

After Councilman Timothy Loney questioned what legal and financial ramifications were to holding off on approving authorization, he amended Carlton’s motion to vote on the issue at the first council meeting in March, which was approved by council.

Fire negotiations for both contracts will formally begin this summer.

In other city council news:

• The oaths of office were administered by Melissa Collins, city clerk, for Mayor Dianne White’s second term, first-term councilman Timothy Pearce, and incumbent councilmen Conrad Ryer and Leonard Kelley.

• Rebecca Lind, community development director, explained Ordinance 1264, which will revise the city’s regulations for administrative interpretations of zoning codes and establish a $60 fee to cover the community director’s time.

Lind said, although it doesn’t happen very often, portions of the city’s zoning code are not always “crystal clear” and when that happens, having established procedure and criteria in place to interpret code is needed.

• Councilman Arne Wennerberg was unanimously elected as mayor pro tem for 2010.

• Former councilwoman Shelley Klasse was unanimously elected to a five-year term on the city’s planning commission.

• Two city water utility extensions were granted to Lee and Theresa Duncan for properties located at 6133 261st Street NW and 6203 261st Street NW, outside the city limits but within the city’s Urban Growth Area. A current well at the first address is not safe to drink and is authorized for irrigation purposes only.

• City Administrator Joyce Papke recognized public safety departments, thanking both the fire chief and Stanwood Police Chief Ty Trenary for their dedication to serving and protecting the community.

• Stanwood High School student representative David Thomas reported that 90 students donated blood during a recent blood drive.