The debate over the future cooperation between the Sun Valley and Ketchum fire departments appears as if it's ready to ignite.
Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall told the City Council Monday that in the city's effort to "create efficiencies and save taxpayer money," he will be looking at the cooperative deal between his fire department and its Sun Valley counterpart.
"The fire department is on the list, too," Hall said of possible actions to decrease the expenses of different city services. "If Sun Valley wants access 24/7 and to ride on our coattails for their insurance ratings, they're going to have to pay for it."
Hall didn't elaborate on how such a payment would be made, but said that the amount the city spends to staff a department with full-time paramedics and firefighters has created an inequitable situation.
However, Sun Valley Mayor Wayne Willich has vociferously opposed this assertion, stating on a number of occasions that Sun Valley is subsidizing Ketchum's department. Hall said that through the current aid agreements between the cities, the Sun Valley Fire Department has been more active in Ketchum than the other way around.
As set out in the cities' mutual aid agreement, one department will respond to the another's emergency call when requested. For more serious emergencies, there is an automatic aid agreement through which both departments will respond without the need of a request.
For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, Ketchum budgeted approximately $1.06 million for its fire department operations, which doesn't include contracts for service with the Blaine County Ambulance District or personnel services for the Ketchum Rural Fire District. Ketchum receives around $850,000 for the paramedic ambulance service it provides in northern Blaine County, funding which includes more than $325,000 from Sun Valley taxpayers. These two budgets are separate, although both the fire and ambulance services are operated by the same staff.
Sun Valley, by comparison, budgeted just over $500,000 for its fire department this year.
"I just want it to be fair and equal," Hall said. "It's not appropriate for Ketchum taxpayers to bear the majority of the cost."
Hall pointed to a study commissioned by both cities in 2006 to look at the relationship between the two departments and investigate a possible consolidation.
However, at a Sun Valley City Council meeting last spring, Willich opposed the recommendation of the Illinois-based McGrath Consulting Group, expressing concern over the cost to Sun Valley taxpayers that would result if the two departments were to consolidate.
When the study was undertaken in 2006, the Sun Valley Fire Department received about 22 percent of the amount of funding of the Ketchum department. However, taking into account the number of calls for each department, the cities' populations and property valuation, the consultant recommended a formula that would have Sun Valley pay 30.2 percent of the budget and Ketchum 69.8 percent.
At that meeting, the council rejected a full consolidation of the two departments. Willich said that when the funding provided by the county ambulance district to the Ketchum Fire Department is taken into account, Sun Valley's portion for simple fire protection becomes much greater.
Willich has maintained that his department, staffed almost entirely by paid, on-call firefighters, provides a high level of service without the need for expensive, full-time personnel.
"I look forward to comparing response data and budgets, and we'll see who's carrying whom," Willich said last week.
At a Sun Valley City Council meeting on Wednesday, Willich said that while there is a disagreement between the elected officials of the two cities, he hopes not to bring emergency personnel into the issue.
"I don't want a political brouhaha to interfere with the work of our professionals," Willich said. "We need to make sure we don't goof that up."
Hall said he will discuss the issue with his council at an upcoming meeting, including what, if any, steps the city might take.
Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com
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