WOOD VOWS TO SUE

FIRE BOARD

EXTINGUISHES

FIRE BOARD

For Now, Negotiations With City

For OFD Protection In Town Over

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – The Town of Oneonta Fire District is no more, (at least for now.)

As expected, Chairman Johna Peachin and her allies, Fire Commissioners Fred Volpe and Ron Peters, this evening voted for the dissolution, while the two new commissioners, Al Rubin and Michelle Catan, voted against.

Though no public comment was allowed – even Town Supervisor Bob Wood was denied an opportunity to answer a point the commissioners raised – more than 40 citizens crowded into the Sunday school classroom of the Elm Park United Methodist Church.

The vote ends more than two years of stalled negotiations after City Hall sought to raise the town Fire District’s payment for the services of the professional Oneonta Fire Department from $800,000 to $1.1 million.

In January 2017, a state judge imposed a two-year contract at the $1.1 million level, to allow for further negotiations.  Tonight, that proved fruitless.

“I don’t feel that dissolution was the right approach to get to this goal,” said Rubin. “I think public awareness was lacking. The threat of dissolution brought up more awareness, so let’s run with the momentum and let the townspeople decide.”

He proposed offering the city a one-year agreement, then using that year to hold public information meetings, then put the fire district’s future, its budget, and the current formula to a public vote.

Peters, however, argued that the fire district was a moot point, because the town is not planning to start its own fire department.

“The overwhelming sentiment of the town is to contract with the city for fire service,” he said. “There’s no reason to have a fire district if we’re not starting our own fire department. Maintenance of a fire district is an administrative layer with no merit. Dissolution simplifies things.”

In the future, if the town decides to start a fire department, Peachin added, a new fire district could be created. “It takes 18 months to start a fire department,” she said. “The fire district could be easily set up again.”

Peachin and the commission had explored starting a volunteer fire department, but after researching the costs associated with it, decided not to pursue it further.

But Wood has said the town will take legal action to block the commissioners’ vote. “This was not timely and it should have been done like adults,” he said.

“If they didn’t want to negotiate, they should have quit,” said Town Board member Pat Jacob. “Let someone who is interested in negotiating go forward.”

The dissolution will take effect Nov. 2, after which the town will be responsible for negotiating the fire contract. “Dissolution reduces the checks and balances,” said Rubin.

The town’s preliminary budget is due Oct. 1. “Negotiating the contract was their only job,” said Jacob. “And it was a job they chose to apply for.”

The board also voted 3-2, with the same split, to pass the proposed 2019 budget of $$395,000. A hearing on the budget will be held Oct. 16.

“I’m sad that the three who voted against didn’t have faith that the new commissioners could see it through,” said Rubin. “But I can sleep well knowing I gave it my best.”