Laserfiche WebLink
City Administrator Ulrich stated that currently Nowthen pays $6,400 and Ramsey currently pays <br /> more to Nowthen for their response to calls in Ramsey. <br /> Councilmember Heinrich explained that the Fire Board came to a consensus to determine a cost- <br /> share formula that would be equitable to both cities. She asked how many years the cities <br /> operated at that deficit. <br /> City Administrator Ulrich replied that agreement has been in place since 2006. He noted that he <br /> was incorrect in the reporting of the fee paid by Nowthen, as the fee was raised to $8,200 two <br /> years ago. <br /> Councilmember Heinrich asked for additional input on the staffing demands and challenges. <br /> Fire Chief Kohner stated that the Ramsey Fire Code does not allow permit burning in <br /> commercial areas whereas Nowthen staff did recently issue a burning permit for unattended <br /> burning of construction material in a commercial area, even after Nowthen staff consulted him <br /> and he recommended denial. He stated that is one example of the challenges between the two <br /> cities. <br /> Councilmember Heinrich commented that it appears Ramsey and Nowthen are headed in <br /> different directions and asked for additional input. <br /> Fire Chief Kohner provided examples of discrepancies between the two cities using the example <br /> of call volume noting that Ramsey has an annual call volume of about 875 calls whereas <br /> Nowthen is around 135 calls. <br /> Mayor LeTourneau noted that the intent of the discussion tonight was to receive an update on the <br /> progress that has been made and the direction this is moving forward. <br /> City Administrator Ulrich stated that the Fire Board will meet on December 5th and if the <br /> Council agrees with this amount it can be presented as a proposal. He stated that Ramsey would <br /> want the contract to be amended to include this new amount in the 2020 fee schedule. He noted <br /> that each city would need to approve the amended contract. <br /> Councilmember Menth stated that he is confused as the last worksession discussion focused on <br /> the consensus to end the JPA and asked if Ramsey is changing directions. <br /> City Administrator Ulrich confirmed that Ramsey does not want the JPA to continue as is with <br /> the $8,200 contribution from Nowthen. He stated that if Nowthen is interested in the price <br /> Ramsey is willing to offer, the JPA would need to be terminated and a new JPA would need to <br /> be developed. He stated that the JPA has a two-year termination period and because the fee is <br /> not working, that is where discussion began. He noted that if the operational challenges can be <br /> worked out, then perhaps a new agreement could be negotiated that would serve both <br /> communities. <br /> City Council Work Session/November 26,2019 <br /> Page 4 of 7 <br />