East Hope tables fire annexation
EAST HOPE — Tempers flared and emotions ran high as council members debated whether or not the city should annex into Sam Owen Fire District during Tuesday's council meeting. After a lengthy debate — peppered with some insults and accusations — the council, however, postponed a vote on the annexation until late October. That, they said, will give them time to sort out public opinion, budgeting questions and thoroughly weigh all options regarding the controversial subject.
Under the proposal, East Hope would disband its agreement with Hope and annex into Sam Owen Fire Department for fire protection for the city. Two workshops were conducted earlier this month with both the Hope/East Hope Fire Department and Sam Owen Fire Department's participation.Making a formal presentation to the public, council member Tom Grimm said that his motive was to inform the public and separate fact from fiction regarding some of the rumors circulating around town.
“The workshops were not meant to make anyone look bad,” Grimm said. “Nobody appreciates the Hope/East Hope Fire department more than I do. They've gone above and beyond the call and shown the professionalism we'd expect. This was not meant to demean anything Hope/East Hope has done.”Grimm's presentation included a comparison of statements made at both workshops, focusing on questions such as current mutual aid agreements, the number of fire fighters and their training, the age of apparatus and the fact that Hope/East Hope is in need of a new fire engine.
What will happen if the council approves the annexation prior to January 2014 is that property owners will be taxed by Sam Own Fire District starting in 2015 at a factor of $173.37 per $100,000 of property improvements. That means the structures on the property, not the property itself. The city of East Hope would then save $13,140 per year which is their portion of the current budget for the fire department that could be put to use for street improvements and a new water system.
One of the benefits pointed out by Grimm was that the city's insurance rating, if they annex, could reduce from seven to six saving the homeowners on their insurance premiums. He also pointed out that over one hundred property owners would be paying less than $100 per year for presumably better fire protection.Property owner George Listug Jr. stated that he had attended the two workshops and didn't find a compelling reason to make the change.
“When I saw that this proposal is going to cost all of us $43,000 a year as opposed to the $13,000 per year we pay today, I really tried to understand how that cost difference could be justified. I couldn't,” Listug said. Listug rebutted several problem statements that he'd heard from the community. Those statements included the perception that Hope/East Hope doesn't have sufficient personnel to fight a structure fire.
“I don't think there was ever a number given to substantiate 'sufficient.' According to the National Fire Protection Associations for our area that would be six volunteers and we have nine volunteers,” Listug said.Several property owners objected that council had not brought this subject to public vote and were told that council had the right, as duly elected officials, to make this decision. The question then was whether as elected officials representing the majority of the city, they were making the correct decision if choosing to annex.
“We don't know what the majority of East Hope wants,” council member Jerry Clemons said, noting that if there was a vote of those attending it would probably be split. “We have to make decisions based on what we think is right. We've had six or seven meetings where we've discussed and studied this, but I'd feel better if we had 100 percent of the council's approval, so I move that we table until October.”In order to have all council members present, there will be a special meeting held on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the East Hope city hall.