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2020-07-07 News Article24 Lake Okeechobee News – merger or Okeechobee News, Clewiston News, Glades County Democrat, and The Sun July 15, 2020 Is an interlocal fire services a: reement legal? By Cathy Womble Lake Okeechobee News OKEECHOBEE — The possibility of having the city provide its own EMS services was on the agenda at the c y council meetinaTuesdav night, lu and City Administrator Varcos Montes de Oca went over the details, saying he and Finance Director India Riedel had gone over the figures so many times they practically had them memorized. In the end, he explained, if the city were to provide EMS services, city residents would no longer pay an EMS assessment to the county, and if they wens this route then revenue from transports is "basically paying for the fire department and EMS, and its future rate would equal about what the citizen is paying currently with millage and assessment. Ev- ery dollar recouped, revenue -wise, during transport Would be savings to the city." Councilman Bob Jarriel said he did not under stand why they were even discussing this when they did not have the figures from the county. Council member Monica Clark said she specif- ically asked to have the discussion on the agenda. She explained that every time they have a meeting, the fire department asks if they have looked at the numbers they provided, and she wanted to see the numbers again, and know what the possibilities are. Mayor Dowling Watford Jr. encouraged the council members to schedule meetings with the administrator so they could discuss the subject with him and ask questions to help them better understand R. The Okeechobee County Economic Develop- ment Council continues to support the idea of a merge/consolidation/interlocal agreement between the city and county fire departments, and once again a letter from the economic council was read during the meeting expressing this support. The letter voiced strong opposition to the proposed implementation of EMS services by the city. Mayor Watford went over each point of the agreement the task force worked out during their \ eejngs last month, and the council decided Special to the Lake Okeechobee News Marvin Roberts (center) Is presented with a certlflcate for 20 years of service to the city in the Public Works Department. Public Works Director David Allen (left) and Mayor Dowling Watford Jr. (right) are pictured with him. whether they wanted to abide by those decisions a county via an intergovernmental agreement, "but or send them back to the table to negotiate some if you were to ask me to take a bulletproof belt and more. Some of the items discussed were pensions suspenders approach, again, this is strictly from of the employees and use of the city fire station a legal standpoint, not from public perception or building. political standpoint, strictly legal, belt and suspend - At the very end of the meeting, City Attorney ers approach, it would be a dual referendum." He John Fumero brought up one last item. Mayor went onto tell the council that if they directed him Watford said he thought the discussion originated to do this through another means, he thought it with the county attorney. Mr. Fumero said the dis- could be done. cession was in reference to what needs to happen Mayor Watford said it's almost like the Con - once all the details of the deal between the city and stitution says one thing and the slate statute says county are ironed out. How do they transfer the another. He went onto say when they had the fire service to the county? There are constitutional task force meeting, the county attorney brought ft and statutory issues, he said. "The bottom line up, and mentioned it as a possible risk they were is we both believe that there is some discretion taking. "Zero risk is referendum," said Mr. Fumero, in terms of either effectuating the transfer of fire "from a legal standpoint." services through a referendum, in this case a dual "If you were to do it by the interlocal, if nobody referendum, or effectuated through an interlocal challenges it, there's no problem. The problem is if agreement." He said he knows of about half a doz- someone were to challenge that, then you would en instances where fire services were transferred to have a court case to go through," said Mayor Watford. The mayor went on to say the county attorney said he felt confident he would prevail in defending an interlocal agreement in court, but it would entail a court proceeding. "The question the city and county need to answer is, 'Do we want to do it the interlocal way, or do we want to propose a dual referendum?" He went on to say he was told they had until some- time in August to put it on the November ballot. This would be a binding referendum, nota straw poll. The council decided to go with the interlocal agreement route. The county commission met Thursday, July 9, at 9 a.m. In other business: • Anyone who is interested in volunteering to man the COVID-19 call center at the health depart- ment Monday through Friday, 8-5, should call to let them know, because ff they do not get volunteers, they will be dismantling their call line after this week, said Tiffany Collins, Okeechobee County Heath Department supervisor. She also mentioned a new trend among young people. Much like hur- ricane parties, they are holding COVID quarantine parties. "We just want to make sure everyone is not engaging in that kind of activity. That's not smart," she said. "Apparently, they are inviting who they know to be positive to a party with the intention of making themselves exposed to COVID." If your business or agency would like to distribute free masks to the public, please call Tod Hardacre 863- 462-5805. Okeechobee is now the sixth highest in the state of Florida for pediatric cases of COVID-19, she said. • Marvin Roberts was presented a longevity award for 20 years of service to the city in the Public Works Department. • An ordinance was adopted allowing package sales of alcoholic beverages on Sunday. • Okeechobee Main Street will be installing two signs in park #5 illustrating the cattle drive sculp- ture project, which is coming in the future. d� ity and county closer to fire services agreemen By Katrina Oaken Lake Okeechobee News OKEECHOBEE — The COVID-19 pandemic could delay plans for the county to take over fire protection services inside the Okeechobee city limits. At the Jtily 9 meetin[f_0 he Okeechobee. CountyC6mmtssion Ire/Rescue Chief Ralph rranktm said six of the city firefighters are in para- medic school. He said they could not be added to Okeechobee County Fire/Rescue until they pass the paramedic exam. Currently, they expect the exam to be given in May 2021. He said there will also be additional costs to the county while the new paramedics are completing the required three-month period during which they cannot work independency as paramedics. County Administrator Robbie Chortler said for the first year, the city has agreed In pay the equivalent of what the county fire assessment would bring in, were f1 charged in the city limits, based on the current rates charged in the county per residence, per RV space and per square foot of business structure. The assessment rate would generate about 5725,000, she said. The county had already planned to have a new rate study done. "The city has asked to be part of the fire assessment rate study and has agreed to pay for their part of that study," she explained. They originally planned to start that study this year. That study has been pushed to the first of next year due to COVID-19. "COVID has messed up the whole routine," staff, the city will pay for the additional costs Under the fire services agreement, the county explained Fire/Rescue Chief Ralph Franklin. "The until attrition provides positions for the extra city would add six new paramedic positions and one people who started paramedic school the first of employees. fire inspector. These positions would be paid from the year are probably not going to be finished until "Anyone above and beyond the number for the funding provided by the city. the first quarter of 2021. When they come on board Okeechobee County, the general consensus was The administrator said because the city would with us, it will be a minimum of at least three that we will pay for the paramedic training and the be funding the inspector, the inspection fees would months before they can function as a paramedic." city will pay their salaries until the county positions go to the city. Fire/rescue orientation is a minimum of three are opened through attrition," he explained. "They could use the inspection fees to offset the months. The probationary period is one year, "With the concept of losing the extra people costs," Chartier explained. commented Burroughs. through attrition, we can find a place for them, She said the city has asked for a five-year "For us to provide the service while they're third person on an engine, etc., but it doesn't dilute agreement and a guarantee for response times. going through their initial training, we're going to the need for them to be paramedics," said Franklin. The city will also pay for their employees to attend have costs associated with that. "If it is a paramedic that leaves, and it's a firefighter/ paramedic school. "In order to come over with us, they are going EMT who would be absorbed through attrition, In addition, at the start, the county would take to have to have passed their state test," said the that move could not be made." all of the city fire service employees who wish to chief. Commissioner Kelly Owens said the county transfer. If there are more than six paramedics and County Attorney Wade Vose said once the needs to know how many city employees want to one inspector, the city would pay the additional city employees move over to the county, the city be hired bythe countyand how manyare pare - salaries. As the department was right -sized through will stop providing fire protection service. He said attrition, the cost to the city would go down. the county will be responsible for fire protection medics or in paramedic school. County commissioners agreed they do not want services while the former city employees corn- "Since we don't know who is coming and what to reopen negotiations with the union. plete their required three-month orientation as their level is, don't know what our exposure will "If county does not open the union contract, paramedics. be," agreed Burroughs. these people would come over and they would "It will cost the county overtime while they are The city also wants to know how long the be treated like a new employee from the county's training," said Commissioner David Hazellfef. county wants to use space in the city's building. standpoint," said Commission Chairman Terry "I don't think the number of people is an "We will put an additional engine at station 1; Burroughs. issue," he said. "The city is talking about offering explained the chief. "The length of time we will Charnel- said allowing city employees to main- some of them an exit package. Not all of them be using city bays depends on when we can build tain their current seniority and rank could create a want to come over." more bays on station one. problem because county lieutenants are expert Okeechobee City Administrator Marcos Montes "Some of our reserve units have to be plugged enced paramedics while the city lieutenants are not de Oca said the city has agreed that il more than in continuously and not just pulled into a garage paramedics. seven city employees want to move to the county and parked," he explained.