The Village of Oakfield will cease providing Fire Protection to the Town of Oakfield effective November 30, 2021, according to Village Mayor David Boyle. The Village will not allow Oakfield Fire trucks to respond to any calls in the Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The action was authorized by Village Trustees at their regular monthly board meeting on September 13, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The only exception in coverage would be the Oakfield-Alabama Central School District. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Boyle and the Village Trustees, the traditional contract between the Village and Town has expired and the 2021-2022 Fire Protection Contract has not been negotiated. Boyle says the Village has been shouldering the entire burden of providing Fire Protection to the Town of Oakfield for the last 15 months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The Village Board has chosen to give the Town substantial extra time to obtain the Fire Protection coverage believed to be legally required,” Boyle said in a recent letter to Town Supervisor Matt Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a June 2021 Regular Town Board Meeting, Supervisor Martin explained to the the Town Board members that in the past few months that he and Councilperson Carol Glor have been trying to negotiate with the Village a service contract that is equal. Currently, the Town pays 58% of the fire budget, Martin requested that number become a 50\/50 split over a three year period. Martin says that Mayor Boyle and the Village Board refused to entertain that offer. The proposal to the Village of $63,000 per year for three years was rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Martin went on to say during the June 2021 Town Board meeting, “At this time the Town has not paid the village for the last budget year. This is not a contract it is a service agreement and should be treated as such.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Village of Oakfield Special Board of Trustees meeting in early August 2021, Village Trustee Michael Cianfrini made a motion to approve the commencement of legal action against the Town of Oakfield for non-payment of the Fire Protection Agreement for June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021, the motion was seconded by Trustee John Igoe, with Trustees John Mullen, Cianfrini and Igoe voting yes and Trustee Michele Graham voting no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the approved Resolution #17 commencing legal action against the Town of Oakfield for non-payment, the 2020-2021 Fire Protection Agreement provided for a budget in the amount of $135,600 to be split between the Village of Oakfield and the Town of Oakfield. The Village of Oakfield is responsible for $56,952(42%) and the Town of Oakfield pays $78,648(58%) of the 2020-2021 Fire Department Budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During this time period, the Oakfield Fire Department has continued to provided services in good faith, fire protection as agreed under the 2020-2021 Fire Protection Agreement. Mayor Boyle says during the 15 month period without payment, the Oakfield Fire Department has provided service, responding to accidents, alarms and 5 structure fires in the Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boyle says the Town did send payment for half of what is owed after the Village Attorney contacted the Town for payment, but the Village does not accept partial payment on a bill that is 15 months old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This has put a strain on us in the Village, now we are going into a second year. There is no fast resolution to this, we can’t keep doing this on the backs of the Village taxpayer,” says Boyle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boyle says there was a committee formed made up of members from the Town and Village along with the Fire Department to look at the department budget at the beginning of 2020. Boyle says when the Town started making demands during the meetings, communication started to break down between all those involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oakfield Fire Chief Sean Downing says the department is caught in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It puts the Fire Department in an unjust situation because we have a responsibility to provide services to our community,” says Chief Downing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Town, by law, has to provide Fire Protection for its residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The Fire Department is hoping there is a formidable outcome, what it is, I don’t know. It is not sustainable for the Fire Department to operate the way we have been.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Village of Oakfield owns the fire trucks and all the equipment and the Fire Department supplies the manpower and owns the building and the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Fire protection is expensive,” says Boyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a letter going out to Village residents in their next water bill, Boyle says the maintenance of a fire department involves the constant purchase of gear, hoses, fire trucks and all other associated equipment. Village residents pay about twice as much in their tax rate compared to the Town’s tax rate for fire protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boyle says Village residents pay $1.62 per thousand of full value, which is included in the Village total tax rate of $6.02, which is more than one quarter of the Village General Fund budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not included in the budget, the Town pays for Workers Compensation and the Village pays for insurance on the trucks and the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Boyle remains hopeful that the Town will pay the amount already past due and will agree to a contract once again with the Village for fire protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The best solution is to continue our relationship and looking into other possibilities and exploring all options. We are willing to offer the service at a reasonable fee.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Town Supervisor Matt Martin did answer the phone today at Town Hall, but opted not to comment on the Fire Protection issue since it is now being handled by the Town Attorney. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The Village of Oakfield will cease providing Fire Protection to the Town of Oakfield effective November 30, 2021, according to Village Mayor David Boyle. The Village will not allow Oakfield Fire trucks to respond to any calls in the Town. The action was authorized by Village Trustees at their regular \u2026<\/p>\n