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La Cygne Accepts Aid Agreement
Council Rejects Stipulation That Fire Aid Be Restricted
By Corey Preston, Coreypreston@Miconews.com
The La Cygne City Council was approached last week with a proposal that would commit city firefighters to responding to rural county emergencies within five miles of the city.
The council agreed, but council members said five miles was far too restrictive, amending the agreement to say the department would go wherever in Linn County they were needed.
Fire Chief Doug Barlet brought the mutual aid agreement, which has been approved by the Linn County Commission to be entered into with all municipalities in the county, to the council at its meeting last Wednesday.
The agreement essentially compels city fire departments to assist with rural fires as needed and vice versa. Regarding liability, no matter where an incident happens, either damage to equipment or injury, the incident will remain the responsibility of the department to which the equipment or personnel belongs.
“We help you, you help us … we each take care of our own entities,” Barlet said.
The council, which has long entered into a similar spoken agreement with the county, was all for the agreement, but it rejected language that said the city should respond to fires within a five-mile radius of its borders.
Although city attorney John Sutherland advised that the language was just a guideline and the city is not bound to stay within that five-mile limit, the council agreed that it preferred to leave the agreement open ended.
“We’ll go as far as needed,” city Fire Chief Doug Lloyd said.
“I think we accept it, but leave the five miles out of it,” said council member Jerry Boone.
Barlet said the county would be glad to accept the agreement minus any radius limitations.
In other business, the council:
Was informed by Park Board chairperson Jodi Wade that the board will likely wait for more input on a new city pool — placing plans for the pool at area businesses — before deciding whether to move forward on trying to fund the pool with a sales tax increase.
Any ballot questions on a sales tax increase would therefore not come to pass until next April’s elections at the earliest, Wade said.
Granted permission for Linn Valley animal control to place animals at La Cygne’s city pound when there is room available. Linn Valley had been taking animals to Pleasanton, the council was told, but with rising fuel costs, officials were looking for a closer alternative.
Appointed Terry Weitman as council president for the next year.
Approved the hiring of Lisa Elmore to work in the public works department.
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The council agreed, but council members said five miles was far too restrictive, amending the agreement to say the department would go wherever in Linn County they were needed.
Fire Chief Doug Barlet brought the mutual aid agreement, which has been approved by the Linn County Commission to be entered into with all municipalities in the county, to the council at its meeting last Wednesday.
The agreement essentially compels city fire departments to assist with rural fires as needed and vice versa. Regarding liability, no matter where an incident happens, either damage to equipment or injury, the incident will remain the responsibility of the department to which the equipment or personnel belongs.
“We help you, you help us … we each take care of our own entities,” Barlet said.
The council, which has long entered into a similar spoken agreement with the county, was all for the agreement, but it rejected language that said the city should respond to fires within a five-mile radius of its borders.
Although city attorney John Sutherland advised that the language was just a guideline and the city is not bound to stay within that five-mile limit, the council agreed that it preferred to leave the agreement open ended.
“We’ll go as far as needed,” city Fire Chief Doug Lloyd said.
“I think we accept it, but leave the five miles out of it,” said council member Jerry Boone.
Barlet said the county would be glad to accept the agreement minus any radius limitations.
In other business, the council:
Was informed by Park Board chairperson Jodi Wade that the board will likely wait for more input on a new city pool — placing plans for the pool at area businesses — before deciding whether to move forward on trying to fund the pool with a sales tax increase.
Any ballot questions on a sales tax increase would therefore not come to pass until next April’s elections at the earliest, Wade said.
Granted permission for Linn Valley animal control to place animals at La Cygne’s city pound when there is room available. Linn Valley had been taking animals to Pleasanton, the council was told, but with rising fuel costs, officials were looking for a closer alternative.
Appointed Terry Weitman as council president for the next year.
Approved the hiring of Lisa Elmore to work in the public works department.