By Adam Ophus

Stronger Together

Tri-Council working to ratify new fire services agreement

Feb 5, 2020 | 12:18 PM

In September 2018, the Town of Rocky Mountain House, Clearwater County and the Village of Caroline held a Tri-Council Meeting to re-endorse the Stronger Together agreement and begin the discussion of a possible amalgamation.

The Stronger Together agreement, originally created on September 13, 2013, was intended to create opportunities for new partnerships for the provision of municipal programs and services and resolve matters of mutual interest.

On June 14 of last year, the Tri-Council held an Intermunicipal Collaboration Committee (ICC) to initiate discussions on various agreements such as regional waste and fire.

Four days later, Clearwater County announced their intention to pull out of the Regional Fire Rescue Service Agreement.

“Council’s intent with leading the change to the fire agreement is to continue in the spirit of partnership and the best interest of the region as a whole,” responded former Clearwater County Reeve Jim Duncan.

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In their letter of intent, the county stated that a restructuring of the agreement was needed and that they owned the bulk of equipment and assets, and that the current agreement was “not effective.”

The agreement was set to end December 31, 2019.

A mediator was brought in in September after negotiations between the three municipalities accomplished little. Mediated negotiations began the following month and a draft of the Collaborative Discussions/Negotiations Protocols was drawn up, with the official signing taking place in November.

With the termination deadline of the Regional Fire Rescue Service looming in mid-December, Clearwater County agreed to extend the date till January 31, 2020 to allow for the completion of a new agreement.

The Town of Rocky held a special council meeting on January 30 and approved the draft of the new Intermunicipal Regional Fire Rescue Service Agreement. A special public Tri-Council Meeting was then scheduled for February 4 to ratify the agreement.

While both the Town of Rocky and the Village of Caroline approved the agreement, Clearwater County Clearwater County did not and the Feb. 4 meeting was postponed.

“The Town feels we are close to having a new regional fire service agreement with two of the three regional partners agreeing to the draft agreement,” Mayor Tammy Burke said in a statement. “The Town is hopeful that one more negotiation meeting to address the concerns of Clearwater County will result in strong agreement that serves all residents with exceptional fire service that is fair and equitable for all.”

The next mediation meeting is set for February 14.