Wayland town and village officials appear to have reached a consensus, albeit tentative, to create a joint fire district. The decision came Tuesday night at a joint meeting of the two local government boards. If approved, a fire district could take effect before the end of October.
Town Councilman Jody Tonkery said talks about creating a fire district date back at least seven years. Among the chief benefits for the community, Tonkery said, “It gets your village and town board out of the fire business.”
Officials will hear public comment at a hearing scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 17 in the LGI at Wayland-Cohocton Central School. Up for discussion if a proposal that would create one joint fire district, created by both local governments. If approved, town officials have indicated they will move forward with a separate action and public hearing to create a second fire district. A public hearing for the second fire district is scheduled immediately following the hearing on Sept. 17.
While final maps and boundary lines are still being finalized, the town and village agreed on a tentative outline for a district that includes all properties in the town of Wayland north of state Route 63 as well as properties east of state Route 21 and north of Emo Road. Final boundaries are being finalized by attorneys for the town and village and will be available at town and village clerks offices prior to the meeting.
Following the public hearing, the boards can create the final boundaries and pass a resolution to create the joint fire district. Personnel to cover this northern fire district are to come from what is now the village’s fire department.
According to preliminary figures from Tonkery, the assessed value of property in the northern district is just over $142.7 million.
The southern fire district, which takes in the remainder of the town including Perkinsville Loon Lake, has an assessed value of almost $82 million. Personnel for this fire district are expected to come from what is now the Perkinsville Fire Department.
Town board members present at the meeting all spoke in favor if the proposed districts, though village officials were more reserved in their comments. Following the village’s regular meeting that followed the joint meeting, village officials spoke with the Express about the proposal.
“We’ve got to work with the fire department on it,” Mayor Brian McCoy said. He added that the fire chief has given some advice and he expects village officials to support the concept as long as there is continued buy-in from village fire department leadership.
Wayland town and village officials appear to have reached a consensus, albeit tentative, to create a joint fire district. The decision came Tuesday night at a joint meeting of the two local government boards. If approved, a fire district could take effect before the end of October.
Town Councilman Jody Tonkery said talks about creating a fire district date back at least seven years. Among the chief benefits for the community, Tonkery said, “It gets your village and town board out of the fire business.”
Officials will hear public comment at a hearing scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 17 in the LGI at Wayland-Cohocton Central School. Up for discussion if a proposal that would create one joint fire district, created by both local governments. If approved, town officials have indicated they will move forward with a separate action and public hearing to create a second fire district. A public hearing for the second fire district is scheduled immediately following the hearing on Sept. 17.
While final maps and boundary lines are still being finalized, the town and village agreed on a tentative outline for a district that includes all properties in the town of Wayland north of state Route 63 as well as properties east of state Route 21 and north of Emo Road. Final boundaries are being finalized by attorneys for the town and village and will be available at town and village clerks offices prior to the meeting.
Following the public hearing, the boards can create the final boundaries and pass a resolution to create the joint fire district. Personnel to cover this northern fire district are to come from what is now the village’s fire department.
According to preliminary figures from Tonkery, the assessed value of property in the northern district is just over $142.7 million.
The southern fire district, which takes in the remainder of the town including Perkinsville Loon Lake, has an assessed value of almost $82 million. Personnel for this fire district are expected to come from what is now the Perkinsville Fire Department.
Town board members present at the meeting all spoke in favor if the proposed districts, though village officials were more reserved in their comments. Following the village’s regular meeting that followed the joint meeting, village officials spoke with the Express about the proposal.
“We’ve got to work with the fire department on it,” Mayor Brian McCoy said. He added that the fire chief has given some advice and he expects village officials to support the concept as long as there is continued buy-in from village fire department leadership.
At the joint meeting, village fire Chief Mike Cotter said the proposal was given with short notice; however, he said described it as “workable” as long as the details can be worked out.
Trustee Michael Parks said the lines proposed at this week’s joint meeting need to be represented in the final map. He further explained that there are details to be worked out. For instance, since the proposed boundaries for the fire districts are major roads, there will need to be an agreement as to who responds to motor vehicle accidents along those roads.
David Garwood, the attorney representing Wayland Hose Company, explained during the joint meeting that the boards will need to select fire commissioners, who must be residents of the fire district where they serve. There are no requirements or restrictions for commissioners related to land ownership nor service as a firefighter.
The creation of fire districts is also subject to referendum, and as such cannot go into effect for 30 days after the boards approve its creation, putting the earliest date for the district to begin operation in mid-October.
Another component that comes into play in the process is a plan to create an ambulance corporation that includes the entire town of Wayland and possibly the town of Springwater. Discussions to form the ambulance corporation are underway, and as Tonkery pointed out, “It’s still possible to have an ambulance corporation by the end of the year.”
Town Supervisor George Ott explained that the ambulance corporation is a separate matter and will be handled in its own process. He said that as currently operated with the fire department, ambulance costs must be picked up by the taxpayers. By separating the ambulance, most of those costs can be transferred to patients who receive service, mostly billed through insurance companies.
