A motion passed by the Village of Cremona on Jan. 22 serving notice for the termination of its fire services agreement (FSA) with Mountain View County has county officials scratching their heads.
"We were surprised, and certainly a bit disappointed, but we have to make sure that we're going to have fire protection in place for our residents there, so we're moving forward on that basis,î said county Reeve Bruce Beattie.
"It's unfortunate, but if they (Cremona) have considered it and they feel that's the direction they want to take. For me, it's a bit surprising.î
MVC is now working to coordinate fire protection coverage for the area currently serviced by Cremona and District Emergency Services, he said.
No meetings have been scheduled to discuss the matter with the Village of Cremona, and the county will move forward based on the letter they received, he said.
"We're in the process of evaluating the situation,î he said.
The Village of Cremona is required to give one year notice prior to withdrawing from its agreement to service the fire needs of MVC, which buys the county some time to find a solution should the decision play out, he said.
"We rely completely on volunteers for our fire departments right across the county,î he said. "We all very much appreciate them, and we try to support them and provide the best equipment and opportunities for training.
"From that perspective, we have never had a complaint from fire service, and we anticipate that that will continue.î
Cremona Fire Chief John Newbery explained that Cremona has a singular fire department with two stations ñ one in the village, and one in Water Valley.
"The one in Water Valley was built and is owned by the county,î said Newbery. "Cremona and District Emergency Services has care and custody of that facility in Water Valley as well.
"My position is that we're stronger together. Ultimately what we want to see, as a fire department, is the village and the county come to an agreement that is satisfactory for each party.î
In the meantime, Newbury said fire services for rural and urban residents of Cremona and Water Valley area will continue unhindered until the final decision is made.
"I'm not privy to what exactly is driving all this,î he said. "The village and the county have a difference of opinion on a number of issues that go beyond my area of responsibility.
"Each party is going in the direction I guess they feel is to their benefit.î
Village councillor Karel Beckman was opposed to the motion to terminate the FSA, an opposition noted on the correspondence the county received.
"I am not convinced that the county has been unwilling to negotiate in good faith,î said Beckman via email last week.
"My experience on this council suggests that I need to know a lot more before I blindly cast my vote.
"I have been a councillor for over two years and this is the first that I have heard of any issue surrounding this agreement.î
Presently, MVC contributes approximately 80 per cent of the operational costs for the Cremona Fire Department, and about 75 per cent of the costs for capital purchases, Beattie said.
Beckman added that, should the village terminate the agreement, it will no longer receive the 80 per cent for the operating budget from MVC.
"We would also have to buy out the county's 75 per cent interest in shared vehicles,î he said.
The Village of Cremona has first right of refusal to purchase the equipment its department shares with the county, and funds from any equipment sold would be allocated to the municipalities as they contributed them, said Beattie.
As it stands, MVC's current relationship with the village is mutually beneficial, said Newbery: Cremona Fire Department receives substantial funding from MVC, while MVC has all the benefits of a fire service without necessarily having to deal with the day-to-day operation of it.
Should the withdrawal continue in its current direction, Newbery said MVC and the Village of Cremona would have to negotiate new mutual aid agreements for what could be two separate fire department entities, resulting in twice the administrative work.
"If both parties let this run its course, we could end up having a village fire department and a county fire department,î said Newbery.
Even then, there are countless other variables that could turn the village's plan to withdraw in another direction, said Newbery, who described the situation as fairly complex.
"There's a possibility of a byelection, or an election in the fall. Or if the village dissolves, no election in the fall ñ then it's all county fire department anyway,î he said.
"It does give you the feeling of being caught in the middle, but that's just the nature of the beast. It's regrettable. It's politics.
"As firefighters, we're just staying focused on the fact that we provide service to the residents of the village and the county through all of this as though nothing has changed.î
As for MVC, Beattie said it will move forward in light of the correspondence received from Cremona.
"We need to get ourselves organized and have discussions around the county about how it might play out,î Beattie said.
"But we're ensuring that fire protection remains in place for our rural residents.î
Mayor Leslie Abrams could not be reached for comment at press time Friday.
"We're in the process of evaluating the situation."Reeve Bruce Beattie
