NEWS The Levy County Journal levyjournalonline.com The County Paper, Est. 1923 May 27, 2010 7B Chiefland hires two part-time firefighters as legal tussle continues with Fowlers Bluff By Terry Witt Staff Writer Chiefland city commissioners have hired two part-time firefighters to help battle fires and respond to emergency medical-service calls in the Chiefland, Otter Creek and Fowlers Bluff fire district, but Fowlers Bluff remains a thorny issue. Commissioners voted Monday to send the Fowlers Bluff Volunteer Fire Department board of directors a letter offering to provide fire services to the unincorporated town if it turns over most of its county fire tax dollars to Chiefland, but the letter made clear the city would cancel the current contract in 120 days if the new contract wasn't signed. The city will continue responding to Fowlers Bluff fire calls under the county's mutual aid agreement regardless of whether it has a contract with the Bluff fire department, according to Chiefland Mayor Teal Pomeroy. Should the city void the existing Fowlers Bluff contract in 120 days, it would leave the county commission with the responsibility of figuring out what entity would be assigned the job of fighting fires in the Suwannee River town. Chiefland would respond to mutual aid fire calls when it was free to do so, but another department would have primary responsibility for Fowlers a * . . ,.~ (352) 486-0113 On your way to Cedar Key Bronson, Fla. Retail & Wholesale Produce/Fruit/Seafood (WD8536) Bluff. Dr. Robert Mount, who sits on the five-member board of directors for the Fowlers Bluff Volunteer Department, Inc., said no decision has been made regarding the contract, which would give Chiefland about $30,000 of the $38,000 in county fire-tax dollars Fowlers Bluff receives annually. The city would use the money to provide Fowlers Bluff with fire services. "We're still reviewing it. We're giving it the utmost attention, but we have to do what's best for the people who elected us," Mount said Monday. He was not present for the city commission meeting earlier in the night. Chiefland commissioners began making changes in their fire services arrangements when Fire Chief James Harris approached them more than a month ago about his increasing fire-call and EMS-call workload. In addition, he said Otter Creek had asked him to take over fire protection in that fire district. Harris has secured an agreement with the Otter Creek City Council that gives Chiefland the $38,000 in county fire funds Otter Creek receives annually from the county. In return Chiefland agreed to provide fire services to the small town in the center of Levy County. Otter Creek has disbanded its volunteer fire department. Fowlers Bluff negotiations have been more complicated. Chiefland (352) 490-HUNT (4868) 306 S. Main St. (Hwy 19) Chiefland, Fla. has operated under a contract to fight Fowlers Bluff fires for a number of years. The contract became a point of contention last year when Fire Chief John Ward was representing the city. Fowlers Bluff wanted more of the county fire funds it receives from the county commission. Chiefland eventually signed the one-year contract, but it contains a 120- day termination clause. Either side can pull out of the contract with 120 days notice. The future contract became an issue when Harris said he needed to hire two part-time firefighters to handle the growing workload in Chiefland, Fowlers Bluff and Otter Creek. He said he was strapped for manpower at times and did not want to leave Chiefland unprotected to run calls to the other two towns. That's when Harris proposed contracts with Otter Creek and Fowlers Bluff that would use the fire tax money given to those communities to hire part-time firefighters for Chiefland. In return, Chiefland would handle the fires in both communities. Otter Creek quickly agreed. But Fowlers Bluff would get considerably less money under the new deal and hasn't approved the new contract. Pomeroy apologized Monday for the blunt language he used in a May 11 letter to Fowlers Bluff announcing that contract negotiations had failed. Commissioner Teresa Barron, the city's fire commissioner, had made a recommendation for an apology. She said the letter had been sent without her actually seeing it. She said city staff was trying to spare her the additional workload when she was grieving the passing of her father. While she appreciated their kindness, she said the letter wasn't worded the way the commission had discussed. The new letter being written to Fowlers Bluff will take a kinder, gentler tone, but the message will be the same. Either Fowlers Bluff signs the new contract or Chiefland will pull out in 120 days and respond only to mutual aid calls. 352-528-WOOD (96631 */ 824 NW Main St., Williston, FL Tues- frn0-00o a.-5 30 pm ,,:' ~ SaL 10 00 a n- 2.00 pm , Shop (352) 493-9361 * (352) 490-1591 Mobile Blades Sharpened * Chains Sharpened and Repaired We service and repair: Ayp * Craftsman * Cub Cadet * MTD - Murray * Much more Doing Business in the Tri-County Area for Over 30 Years.' ,*~E, ~ BUILT WRIGHT Custom Homes I /i I * *: ; *-: &i; ^ ! 'i ^ ... , ,. .......^ *'^ ^ ,, :' ?,;.:" :,.. . ......:, ... . �:,,, , . . � 2 , * , :. , : . , & : : . ' .FT" ' " ' %^ -&C|.'?'1'"s J. 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