02-12-01 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARYI2, 2001 protection because the City has rigs which are closer, fully manned twenty -four (24) hours a day but the City is using a department that has two (2) personnel from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, provided that both individuals are available. In rebuttal, Mr. Bodnar stated that he will talk to Chief Taylor about the possibility of dual responses. He stated that there is nothing in this agreement to prevent the City from supplementing a response during the interim. However, the City trucks do not have the capacity of a tanker for water. Mr. Bodnar sited some response times but asked that the Council focus on the issue of whether or not it is better to have this agreement in place during the next four (4) months. Councilmember King stated that Councilmembers are not firefighters and professional safety officers, except for Councilmember Kirsits, and it is difficult to listen to Mr. Bodnar on the one hand and two (2) professional firefighters on the other hand disagree so dramatically about what is apparently a straight forward proposition. He stated that he personally does not feel that the Council has been presented with adequate information to make a decision between those two (2) opinions and asked if there was some way more light could be shed on this matter and put the Council in a better position. Mr. King stated that it seems to him that the Council should be in the business of approving an agreement that comes to them well recommended by the people who will be living with it but in fact what they have is a difference of opinion from the administration and the firefighters. Councilmember Kelly asked if there was an alternative and what would happen if the Council did not adopt this Resolution at this meeting. Mr. Bodnar stated that the Resolution does not have to be adopted at this meeting but it needs to be approved some time during the time period of the Agreement. In light of Mr. Bodnar's response that it is not imperative that this Resolution be adopted at this meeting, Councilmember Kelly replied that some more study could be presented to the Council in order that they could make a reasoned decision. With approval not being necessary today, Councilmember Ujdak asked Mr. Bodnar if he could verify whether or not payments have been received by Centre Township per this Resolution. Mr. Bodnar stated that they received the first payment but not the February payment. In response to Councilmember Ujdak's inquiry of when the January payment was made, Mr. Bodnar replied that the Council will recall that this bill was on the agenda for a January meeting and it was made not on January 15"' but after that meeting. Councilmember Ujdak clarified that then it was made prior to the date of what would have been the Council consideration in January. Mr. Bodnar stated that he does not think so but does not know for sure. Councilmember Ujdak asked if that was legal given the fact that the Council has not yet adopted this Resolution. In response, Mr. Bodnar stated that they have performed the services and the obligation is there. Councilmember Varner indicated that if his understanding is correct, the reason this issue came about is because there is perceived to be a need and an ability to get water to the far south end of the annexation area. He noted that originally that was supposed to be place within the time of the completion of the annexation but was unable to be completed because the development partner was no longer involved in funding the process and therefore it has been delayed. He noted that the effective date of the annexation has taken place over a year ago and the concern remains that the City needs to provide or at least have the provisions available for this kind of service to the residents on the south side. With that in mind, the City entered into an Agreement to see that the service that was deemed to be necessary was there. Councilmember Varner stated that like Councilmember King's comments he agrees that the Council cannot sit here and have all the answers to the questions that have come about. This is somewhat of an emergency situation or of a needed situation and if the City has offered to provide services to these people the City should find a way to provide it. Councilmember Varner stated that if this is what the City needs to do then the City needs to do it. He stated that the Council should go ahead and get this done so the service is available. He asked what would happen if the February payment was not made and the services were not rendered.