10-27-1993 Informational Meeting MinutesSTATE OF MINNESOTA An Informational Meeting concerning
COUNTY OF WRIGHT Albertville Fire Dept. Service was
CITY OF OTSEGO held this 27 day of October, 1993,
at 7:30 P.M. Norman F. Freske,
Mayor, Doug Lindenfelser, Floyd Roden, Larry Fournier, and
Ron Slack, Council Members, Jerome Perrault, Clerk, Elaine
Beatty, Dep.Clerk/Zoning Adm., and Judy Hudson, Secretary,
were present.
The Meeting was called to order by Mayor Norman F.
Freske. Mr. Koshak reminded the residents in attendance that
this was an Informational Meeting and no final decision of
Fire Service Contracts would be made tonight. He then turned
the meeting over to Ron Black, who has been serving on a sub-
committee to negotiate a Fire Dept. Service Contract with the
City of Albertville.
Mr. Black began his presentation by giving a little
background information on how the current Fire Dept. Service
situation came about. When Otsego became a City in Nov. 1990,
we were receiving Fire Dept. Service from Elk River and
Albertville. In December 1991, we received a one line
statement from the City of Albertville for Contract dues with
no explanation as to how the amount was arrived at and for
double the amount for Contract dues in 1990. In Dec.,1992, we
got a notice from the City of Albertville that service would
stop on Dec.31 because no contract had been signed. The
Otsego Council then contacted the City of Monticello and the
City of Elk River and they agreed to service the area which
had been served by Albertville with Wright Co.19 as the
dividing line.
In Sept., 1993, Otsego and Albertville agreed to a
contract for Albertville to serve the area of Otsego South of
the Freeway.
In the Elk River area, Otsego pays contract dues based
on a share of the cost of operating the Fire Dept. The share
is calculated by using what percentage of the total fire
calls answered by the Fire Dept. are Otsego calls.
Albertville uses the total tax capacity of the area
served by its Fire Dept. and bases Otsego's share on it's
percentage of the total tax capacity.
Ron Black then presented a series of slides on the
projector showing what the per unit cost for Fire Dept.
Service would be if the particular area, would be in the
Albertville Service area. The per unit costs ranged from
$75.00 to $103.00. In the Elk River area the per unit cost is
$37.00 and in the Monticello area $35.00.
Factors not considered is replacement costs for
equipment, response time, and the amount of training for each
Dept.
Helen Weidenbach asked why her area was not considered
in any of the maps( Sec .13 , Range 24 and Sec. 14, Range 24 for
her son Mike)? The Council advised her they could include the
South 80 rods of the SW 1/4 of Sec.13 and the South 80 rods
of the SE 1/4 of Sec. 14, in the Albertville service area.
All the other houses in Sec.13 are located on Co.39 and
CITY OF OTSEGO CITY COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL MEETING HELD
OCTOBER 27, 1993 Page 2
prefer Elk River.
Larry Fournier commented that the per unit cost for the
Albertville Service Area could drop to $50.00 to $60.00 per
unit if Sections 14,15,10 and 11 of Range 24 would remain in
the Monticello Service Area as that area accounts for nearly
half of the tax capacity of the total area formerly served by
Albertville.
Elk River Fire Chief Russ Anderson commented that the
ambulance service in Elk River is operated by the Fire Dept.
The State designates the area served by the ambulances and
Elk River serves the area of Otsego East of Co.19, the
Monticello ambulance (operated by the Hospital District) the
area West of Co.19, and the Buffalo ambulance area of Otsego
South of the Freeway.
Albertville Fire Chief David Vetsch reminded residents
that the first response service provided by the Albertville
Rescue Squad can not transport people, only ambulance crew
can transport people.
Nancy Duerr commented that if the Insurance Companies
knew how far some Otsego residents are from the Fire
Dept.that serves them, their insurance rates would go up.
Roger Kirscht suggested a referendum election to
determine residential preference as to what Fire Dept. they
want service from.
Anthony Berning said it looks like most of the people in
the area of Otsego just North of Albertville want service
from the Albertville Fire Dept.
Motion by Larry Fournier to have the City of Albertville
give us some contract cost figures on Map # 23 (Otsego
Sections 31 & 32 of Range 23) (Sections 34, 35, 36 27, 26,
25, 30, 22, 23, and 24 of Range 24) on Map 4 24 (Otsego
Sections 34, 35, 36, 27, 26, 25, 30, 22, 23, and 24,of Range
24 and Section 31 of Range 23) on Map 4 25 (Otsego Sections
34, 35, 36, 27, 26, 25, 23, and 24 of Range 24, and Sections
30 & 31 of Range 23) and Map # 25a which would include the
Sections in Map 25 plus the South 80 rods of the SW 1/4 of
Sec.13, Range 24 and the South 80 rods of the SE 1/4 of Sec.
14, Range 24. Seconded by Ron Black, all Council Members
voted in favor of the motion.
On Motion the mee ,i ng adjourned.
NORMAN F. FRESKE
FLOYD RODEN, COUNCIL
RONALD BLACK
DOUG LINDENFELSER, COUNCIL
LARRY FOURNIER, COUNCIL
ATTEST: Jerome Perrault, Clerk
JP/co