City, fire district agree to pursue joint advisory board

POLSON – The city commission unanimously approved a recommendation during a subdued meeting Monday to pursue creating a joint advisory committee between the city and rural fire departments. It came on the heels of an often-confrontational Rural Fire Board meeting Wednesday during which commissioners approved the same recommendation.

The joint advisory commission would consist of two representatives each from the rural and city boards with City Manager Mark Shrives serving as a moderator and overseer of John Fairchild, who serves as chief for both departments.

The joint commission would try and align on-scene operation guidelines so volunteer firefighters would have a seamless set of rules to follow at a fire, officials from both departments said.

Fairchild is the only paid firefighter in the greater Polson area.

“What we approved…is a letter of intent to move forward with the concept,” said Rural Fire Board Chairman Jack Clapp, who is also a volunteer firefighter. “We want to refine the inter-local agreement between the departments, and have an intermediary between the boards and the chief.”

Officials in both departments want to make sure they do not give up too much control and placed a one-year review period on the joint committee, at which time, either department could opt out.

“At the end of the day, the rural department will still control finances,” Clapp said. “But the joint committee will coordinate with city fire department.”

Karen Sargeant, who serves as city PIO, substitute city manager and volunteer firefighter, said only good can come from better communication between the departments.

“The city manager (Mark Shrives) is already Fairchild’s overseer,” Sargeant said. “All Mark would do is make sure the committee flows smoothly. They are just advisory so they have no power. As far as manpower is concerned, we are already the same department.”

The same volunteers respond to rural and city fire calls without distinction, she said.

The joint commission might also allow the departments to apply for unified grants, she said, which could have a major impact on fire response. At Monday’s meeting, Fairchild said the fire station building is old and needs to be replaced but he has no funds to do so.

“As a firefighter, not a PIO for the city, this (joint commission) updates and tightens up the inter-local agreement,” Sargeant said. “The two fire boards now only focus on fiduciary issues. When we are on scene, all the politics go away. We want to protect life and property and go home safely.”

At Monday’s meeting, city commissioners also:

 • Unanimously approved Special Use Permits for three proposed retail projects: Walgreen’s (40761 Hwy 35), Lake House Crisis Center (13th Ave East between 1st and Main St.) and a Valley Glass store (109 Ridgewater Drive). These SUPs to not guarantee the projects will be constructed but does give them the legal right to build on the properties listed.

• Unanimously approved raising impact fees from 20 percent of the maximum legal level to 50 percent. Fee are charged to builders for hooking into city infrastructure such as water and sewer lines. Commissioners lowered the fees in an attempt to attract more building.

• Unanimously approved contracts for the City Attorney and a newly hired Assistant City Attorney.

• During public comments, an audience member said some families living near the Skyline Drive Project fear that emergency vehicles would not have access.

The next regular meeting is 6 p.m., June 2.