Town of Blackfalds and Lacombe County upgrade fire services agreement
Lacombe County and the Town of Blackfalds have both approved a new Fire Services Agreement, which would move payments to Blackfalds to a fee for service model and improve cost recovery for the Town.
As a part of the agreement, Lacombe County will be purchasing a 50 per cent stake in the Blackfalds Fire Hall to the tune of $1.37 million; Blackfalds Director of Corporate Services Justin de Bresser said this revenue will be put into a reserve account in the event the agreement is terminated in the future, as the Town would need to purchase it back.
Tim Timmons, Lacombe County Manager, called purchasing a stake in the fire hall a “critical element” of the agreement, as it addresses the fact that 50 per cent of the calls for Blackfalds fire department services are for Lacombe County residents and businesses.
Another stipulation of the contract is that the Town buys out equipment that is currently jointly owned by it and the County at a cost of $195,115. This expense will be taken from the General Capital Reserve.