Fire districts present alternative request

SANDPOINT — The Selkirk Fire Joint Powers Agreement is again on the City Council agenda, with a requested alternative from the fire districts to the council’s most recent action.

In response to the city’s proposal of a one-year extension of the JPA, Geraldine Lewis, Sagle Fire District board chair and Ken Deck, Westside Fire District board chair, said they believe a three-month extension would be more appropriate, since the fiscal year ends in September. 

The JPA, which combines the Sandpoint, Westside and Sagle fire districts, was established in 2014. Prior to that time, Sandpoint was an independent fire station. Since the JPA was formed, Selkirk officials have said the firefighters have learned coordinated 911 response plans and combined resources to provide more efficient services. 

Since its beginning, the agreement has operated on a term basis, being renewed every few years. Since it was set to expire in April, discussion about Sandpoint’s continuation in the JPA emerged earlier this year. During initial conversations, the council voted to extend the term until June to allow for further research and dialogue. In the meantime, Sandpoint officials have hosted a workshop and a special council meeting.

At the most recent meeting, the council voted to correspond with the fire districts about their interest in extending the JPA for one year. In doing so, Sandpoint officials said it would give the fire districts time to consider how an enhanced JPA that alleviates administrative burden from the city would operate. Before making a decision about the fate of the JPA, a council majority decided to give the districts time to address the city’s concerns, adjust organizational structure, and evaluate the new structure’s success. This would also give the fire districts time to pass levies they have voiced that they intend to work on. 

Instead the Sagle and Westside district boards agreed to a JPA extension until the end of the current fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2024, they said in a letter to the city. 

“We believe this to be the easiest term as related to the agreement, yearly budgets, and planning,” the letter said. 

The pair said that they understand the city may not have the data and information needed to make this decision at this time but they will be committed to providing monthly updates on their consultants' work, and the progress they are making with developing an enhanced JPA.

“We also would offer the city a shorter term in the enhanced JPA should they desire to explore the benefits to the city,” the letter said. “As an alternative, the city may desire to re-establish their fire department. lf that is ultimately the City Council's desire, Selkirk Fire, Rescue & EMS will continue to provide support to the city and is committed to remain a good community partner. ln the future, should the city desire to explore a new taxing district (regional fire district in Bonner County), we would be interested in being a part of those conversations as well.”

Following this request, the April 9 JPA board meeting sparked discussion regarding the potential ramifications of the three-month extension, including impacts on Sandpoint budgeting, the legal validity supporting such replacement arrangement, operational or administrative staff who would administer or run the entity, how the entities might proceed with the crafting of such an alternative framework, and who would be advising the JPA partners on the process and options, Grimm said. 

“The limited timeframe to consider the ‘enhanced’ JPA is unfortunate, and there was hope that, given the one-year extension proposal made by the council, we would have time to collaborate and work through the following matters related to this idea of an ‘enhanced’ JPA,” Grimm said in his letter responding to the district’s request. 

He noted that Sagle and Westside fire districts have contracted with AP Triton to guide the exploratory effort to create a framework. The consulting firm also would assist with their goal “to see the adoption of many of the components found in a traditional fire authority in the new version of the JPA,” Grimm said. 

“This work has not included a formal invitation to the city of Sandpoint to participate, nor have we been advised of the opportunity to participate in the preparation of an RFQ for consultant selection or the selection of the chosen consultant,” he said. 

Grimm said the shorter time frame does not align with the city of Sandpoint’s budgeting process, as the city is required to publish a budget for fiscal year 2025 before the clarification of what an enhanced JPA model might look like, how it would legally function and what specific benefits would be recognized by Sandpoint. 

“… As a result of the proposed Sept. 30, 2024, extension to the existing JPA agreement, the city of Sandpoint must budget for FY25 without Sagle and Westside and without shared JPA expenses or employees,” Grimm said. Likewise, the districts also acknowledged that they would budget independently for their operations, staffing, and related costs of providing fire services within their jurisdictions. 

Grimm closed his statement saying that he acknowledges the sacrifice and risk that all Selkirk Fire employees make in providing fire, rescue and EMS services to the community.