Altoona council delays vote on fire fees

Thursday, December 21, 2017
Andrew Dowd | Leader-Telegram

City officials ponder cost threshold before nontaxpayers, visitors would be charged for crashes, spills, rescues

ALTOONA - City Council members are interested in recovering costs from nontaxpayers for incidents that prompt a large fire department response but worry what proposed fees could mean to low-income visitors and local nonprofits.

For incidents where nonresidents or properties that don't pay city taxes - including churches, railroad property and county facilities - proposed fees for fighting fires, performing rescues and containing chemical spills will return for the council's consideration in January after further drafting and research.

Fire Chief Mark Renderman told the City Council during Thursday night's meeting how much Altoona would've charged this year, had an ordinance with those fees been in place.

"We're at $9,200 to $10,000 that we could've billed this year for incidents," he said, noting that such fees are usually handled through insurance.

One of those - a June 27 fire from a truck carrying hay bails in Altoona - cost the city about $2,800 to take care of, Renderman said.

These proposed fees are common, according to Renderman, who said they were in place at his former department, Owen-Withee-Curtis Fire District, and others in that area.

But Altoona's neighbor, Eau Claire, does not charge fees for fire trucks responding to fires, crashes and fuel spills. (Eau Claire Fire Department does provide ambulance service to Eau Claire and Altoona, which does bill patients.)

Councilman Andrew Schlafer noted an Eau Claire driver who crashes in Altoona would be billed for firetrucks that respond but that wouldn't be the case for an Altoona driver in Eau Claire.

While he does appreciate the intent of the fees - especially in situations where a large fire response is needed - Schlafer said he does worry they could be a burden on low-income people who have the misfortune of a crash while passing through Altoona.

Under the proposal, there would be base fees - $500 for a fire call, $250 for crashes, rescues and spills - plus additional costs. Labor would be billed at $18 an hour, water would be $3.20 per 1,000 gallons and fire-retardant foam would be $25 a gallon.

Councilman Tim Sexton suggested that the city create a minimum amount of costs incurred by the Fire Department before it would charge for handling an incident.

City staff will produce another draft of the ordinance with options for cost thresholds, city Administrator Michael Golat said. The proposal will return in January for the council's consideration. Golat also pledged to provide revenue estimates showing how much the city would've recovered in previous years if the fees had been in place.

While the idea of a cost threshold seemed to make the fees more palatable to others on the council, Councilman Red Hanks remained resistant.

"I don't agree with it at all," he said.

Councilmen pondered different scenarios: out-of-towners who crash while visiting family in Altoona, a church that catches fire, multiple-car pileups on U.S. 53 and incidents involving the railroad passing through the city.

"So we would charge for a church fire?" Councilman David Rowe asked.

The fire chief said he didn't have to face that in his previous job, but did warn the council against trying to write exceptions to the fees because that could be challenged in court.

"You can't single out if you're not going to charge a church or other nonprofit. You have to include them," Renderman said.

Contact: 715-833-9204, andrew.dowd@ecpc.com, @ADowd_LT on Twitter

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