City of WL/CRD disagree over Fire Services

Earlier today - I received the following press release from the Cariboo Regional District:

The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) and the City of Williams Lake negotiations on a new fringe area fire protection agreement have unfortunately broken down after the City rejected the new proposal.

Currently, under the Local Services Act, fire protection services are provided to the majority of CRD fringe area residents through an agreement between the Province of BC and the City of Williams Lake. In addition to the provincial agreement, there are two smaller agreements between the CRD and the City of Williams Lake for the provision of fire protection services to other residents in the Williams Lake fringe area.

The Province notified the City of Williams Lake and the Cariboo Regional District of the need to establish a new agreement and eliminate the provincial agreement. This new agreement would have seen the Williams Lake Fire Department continue to provide fire protection services to fringe area residents under one amalgamated agreement between the City and the CRD. The new proposal, developed by the Williams Lake Fire Protection Sub-Committee established last fall by the Central Cariboo Joint Committee, would have resulted in a more equitable cost sharing arrangement for all residents.

The Cariboo Regional District will now be investigating what alternative options may be available.

Meanwhile - at its' meeting on Tuesday - WL City Council will ratify the following In-Camera Motion:

“That the Cariboo Regional District and Provincial Government be advised that the City Council supports a continuation of the current agreements to provide Williams Lake rural fringe fire protection.”

In discussing this matter with local City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor -- the issue is whether or not the City of Williams Lake should provide fire services at less than "full cost recovery" or less than what it would cost Williams Lake to provide fire services to CRD Rural Fringe residents'?.  I think most reasoned minded taxpayers' would say 'no'.  He is also quite concerned that the current arrangement between the CRD and the City for solid waste does not factor in the recent success of the City's recycle program because if it did, that would result is savings to City taxpayers'

Meanwhile - CRD Area 'D' Director Deb Bischoff and I have also discussed this subject at length and the key question for her (and I suspect Directors' Kemp (Area 'E') and Sorley (Area 'F')) is:

At what point does it become more cost efficient to man/capitalize your own local fire department rather than to continually pay another Fire Department for the same services?

I think the above question will be one that CRD Directors' Bischoff, Kemp and Sorley will struggle with for the next little while and one that they will have to take back to their residents' and weigh out all the options (including pros and cons) and see what residents' are prepared to live with.  But I don't think no fire services is an acceptable option to either Directors' Bischoff, Kemp and Sorley and their respective residents' in the Rural Fringe Fire Protection Areas

SBF