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discuss litigation strategy in Wells vs. City of Ramsey with legal counsel appointed by the <br />League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust (LMCIT). <br />Motion by Councilmember Riley, seconded by Councilmember Johns, to move to Closed <br />Session to discuss acquisition negotiations. <br />Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Strommen, Councilmembers Riley, Johns, Kuzma, and <br />LeTourneau. Voting No: None. Absent: Councilmembers Backous and Tossey. <br />The City Council meeting moved into a Closed Session at 5:33 p.m. <br />Councilmember Backous arrived at 5:34 p.m. <br />The City Council reconvened in Open Session at 5:52 p.m. <br />2.05: Continue Discussion from June 10 City Council Work Session on Shared Fire <br />Service Consultant Proposal <br />Acting City Administrator Brama reviewed the Council's past discussion related to shared fire <br />services, advising that consideration is currently at a standstill until the Council determines <br />whether to join the other three cities and hire a consultant to draft a Joint Powers Agreement <br />(JPA). He indicated Ramsey is the remaining City that has not yet adopted a resolution to hire <br />that consultant. Acting City Administrator Brama explained the JPA does not lock or commit <br />the City into a JPA. Rather, it is a working document acting as a baseline for Council discussion <br />and to make suggestions. Should the JPA not be adopted by the Council, it would be difficult to <br />hold further discussions on the option of shared fire services. He noted Fire Chief Kapler had <br />been asked to highlight the benefits of a Shared Fire Services Agreement, noting Mayor <br />Strommen is also a member of the Shared Fire Service Task Force. Acting City Administrator <br />Brama presented two alternatives for the Council's consideration and requested direction <br />whether to join the other three communities (Nowthen, St. Francis, and Bethel) to hire a <br />consultant to generate a draft JPA. He stated the funding source for the $5,360 would come from <br />the Fire Department's budget, Professional Services Account. In 2014, $15,000 was budgeted <br />for the shared services effort. <br />Fire Chief Kapler presented his analysis of the positive impacts with a shared fire service: <br />consolidation of recruitment which is now an annual activity and labor intensive from three <br />sessions to one session; employment pool as Ramsey is considered to be the hub for <br />employment, noting daytime firefighters are always the target; consolidation of payroll; <br />efficiencies with purchase of firefighter turnout gear and inventory; Fire Marshal <br />management/inspection work; and, consolidation of training programs. <br />Mayor Strommen stated she sees this conversation of shared services fitting into a much larger <br />conversation happening amongst local units of government in a number of areas that are looking <br />for more efficient and sustainable ways to deliver services. She stated this has been a good <br />discussion with the three cities and she found all had an open mind to this discussion with a <br />healthy dose of reality. Mayor Strommen stated Ramsey is now at a point where there are still <br />City Council Work Session / June 24, 2014 <br />Page 2 of 8 <br />