Hamer Township considers joining Lynchburg area fire district

With final official votes still pending, the Hamer Township Board of Trustees has voiced its intent to join the Lynchburg Area Joint Fire and Ambulance District.

The trustees had an open meeting Thursday evening at the township building, located at 4844 state Route 138 near Danville, seeking public comment from area residents regarding the future of EMS and fire protection services.

Trustees Nathan Mootz, Tom Leininger and Jon Holbrook, fiscal officer Kim Walker and township counsel Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins explained the township's history [see sidebar] of contracting with the city of Hillsboro for those services and how there will be a permanent change by at least 2013.

Mootz opened the meeting by saying that they had not made a decision yet and were seeking opinions from the people who would be paying for the services and receiving the protection.

"We just want some sort of an idea of what the people want to do," Mootz said. 

Collins said the city has stated they will no longer contract with the townships EMS/fire services with the townships after 2013. The options the townships currently have are joining a new proposed fire district with the city of Hillsboro, joining the creation of a new fire district with Liberty, New Market, Jackson and Washington townships or joining the Lynchburg Area Joint Fire and Ambulance District. 

Collins said the city is requiring a decision be made on the matter by May 18. 

There were more than 40 people in attendance during the meeting, including Hamer Township residents, people affiliated with the Lynchburg area fire district, trustees from neighboring townships and some personnel from Hillsboro Fire and Rescue. 

Collins said, "The people here who are residents of Hamer Township, I want you to understand a couple different things. The first is that your trustees have tried very diligently to work something out that is to the benefit of the residents. And it's just not happening. The second thing is, if we don't do something, there will not be fire and EMS protection for you. We have to make a decision."

For 2012, the townships pay $22 per person to the city of Hillsboro for EMS/fire services. The Lynchburg area fire district has a 5.6-mill levy. Collins said that the city has provided no solid numbers on what their fire district would cost, but Collins said it could be between 5.2 mills to 5.5 mills.  

Once the trustees vote on where to go for the EMS/fire services, voters will not have an opportunity to vote on the matter, even though that means an increase in what the residents pay. 

"That's why we're having these public meetings, so you can have a say," Collins said. 

According to Lynchburg Chief David Manning, the district currently services the village of Lynchburg, along with Dodson, Union and Salem townships. They have one station on state Route 135 on the south edge of Lynchburg and a sub-station in Pricetown. 

Collins said a term of the proposed fire district with Hillsboro is that the city would retain ownership of the fire station on North East Street, but district funds would be used toward paying off the 18-year bond on the structure at $134,000 per year. 

"I will tell you that the other townships are working hard at forming a district and checking into things," Collins said. "They are working actively to form a fire district without the city of Hillsboro." 

The Lynchburg district has 11 years left to pay on their fire station. While it was not immediately clear how much they still owe on the building, Collins said the district pays extra on the loan in order to pay it down more quickly. 

The revenue the Lynchburg district receives from its soft billing (money paid by insurance companies, Medicare or Medicaid on ambulance runs) is not factored into their budget, Collins said. If it comes in from soft billing, that revenue is applied to the balance on the building. Collins said district does not "hard bill," meaning a resident that calls a squad is not individually sent a bill for the service. 

When the bond levy on the building is paid off, according to Manning, the millage district residents pay will drop to approximately 5.5 mills. 

Manning said that according to the Highland County Auditor's Office, it is estimated a Hamer Township resident with property valued at $100,000 would pay approximately $120 more per year than is currently being paid for EMS/fire coverage. 

The board of trustees that runs the district is made up of five members, including a representative from the village, one from each of the townships and one member at large. If Hamer Township joins, they will also have a representative on the board. 

Joe Fraysier, a fire district board member, said that if Hamer joins the district, "the millage will go down and the bond levy will go down, and the plan is to put a more equipment in Pricetown, like a permanent squad."  

Collins said that she thinks being a member of a district is better for residents than a contracting situation because they will have an equal say in the decision-making process, how the money is spent and how the district is run. 

Mootz said something he does not like about the proposed district with Hillsboro is that the city wants three on the board of trustees and the townships each get one. 

Mootz said, "I know it's going to cost more money, no matter what we do. It's going to be, almost across the board, the same numbers (no matter what district they join. If they would have ran that city (Hillsboro) like we run this township. they'd be in really good shape. I guess I was accused of being a tight-ass, and I said, 'Well, that's what I'm elected to do.' I need to be (tight) with the taxpayers' money." 

The crowd gave Mootz a round of applause when he made the aforementioned statement. 

"All joking aside," Mootz said, "we're in a situation - I don't know how the others feel - where we're forced to go with Lynchburg. In the best interest for all of us." 

There is a potential, he said, for residential insurance rates to go down with a fire station being located in close proximity. 

Leininger said he knows that no one will be happy about having to pay more. 

"We've been paying a low millage for years," Leininger said. "It's going to be a quick jump all at once. But we're going to have to do something or we're not going to have homeowners' insurance without fire (protection). 

Collins said, "The bottom line is, you pay something, or they do not come. And that's the truth. If we aren't somewhere (with a fire district), there is no one coming. If (the trustees) don't vote to do something, you all may not have fire protection this time next year. And I don't want to see that for any of you."

Some residents questioned what happens regarding calling 911 and mutual aid agreements. Collins said that just as when Paint Township recently joined the Paint Creek Joint EMS and Fire District, the 911 operators at the Highland County Sheriff's Office will dispatch the appropriate station.

Manning said that in all emergencies, everyone should still call 911. 

Collins said that the countywide mutual aid agreement will still be in effect. 

Fraysier said, "If someone has a fire, we'll be there. We'll be there." 

Responding to questions from Hamer Township residents regarding whether or not the district had the personnel to handle another township, Manning said that he was the only full-time employee of the district and that there are 47 volunteers who comprise the staff. Of the 47, nine live in the "station two" Pricetown area. There are six paramedics, 26 people with cross-training, 12 who are finishing up EMT certification and eight who are only trained as firefighters. 

The trustees and Collins asked the Hamer Township residents to informally vote on the matter to gauge where the public opinion stood. 

Collins asked for a show of hands on who wanted to form a district with the city of Hillsboro and then who wanted to form a district with just the other townships. No one raised their hands. 

When asked who wanted to go with the Lynchburg area district, many hands went up, with some people raising two hands in the air. 

The trustees will officially consider a resolution to join the district during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting Monday, May 7. If they pass the resolution, the fire district will then have to vote to allow them into the district during their May 8 meeting. 

Fraysier said he had spoken to most of the district trustees and that they were excited for the opportunity to have Hamer join them and expand the district. 

Collins said another decision the trustees would then have to make would be if they wanted to stay with Hillsboro through the remainder of the 2012 contract - which would be cheaper than going with the district - or if they wanted to join the Lynchburg area district as soon as possible. Collins said the contract with Hillsboro can be terminated by either side with 60 days' notice. 

The trustees reiterated that leaving the city contract would cost them more money than waiting until 2013.

Hamer Township resident Karen Munson said, "There are some things that are more important than money. Think of the response time for us down here."