Tom Clevenger

Joseph Fire Chief Tom Clevenger has received the support of the city council in a dispute with the Wallowa Lake Rural Fire Protection District.

Councilors voted unanimously Dec. 10 for him to continue to negotiate a renewal of the city’s contract for service to the lake, despite disgruntled district board members.

Clevenger briefed the council on a situation that could result in statewide publicity for the district and Joseph Fire Department.

“I just want the council to know what’s going on,” he said.

The fire chief said he’d talked earlier that week with Richard Cockle, the eastern Oregon correspondent for The Oregonian, who had approached him about reports that the district “was very, very unhappy with me” and claiming there was a crisis at the lake because of the dispute.

Clevenger told the council the district would like to see “one big fire district” that included Joseph. He said that at present the district has a new fire hall but no firefighters, and if such a district was formed most of Joseph’s volunteer firefighters likely would resign.

“It’s a fabricated crisis, a difference of opinion on the future of fire service here,” Clevenger said. “We have no intention of not providing fire service to Wallowa Lake.”

However, the chief said that relations had deteriorated to the point that board members would refuse to hold a meeting if he was present.

The current two-year contract is due to expire at the end of June 2010.

Clevenger said he plans to increase the contract fee from $25,000 a year by 10 percent or $2,500 a year. The extra money would be used to help replace Joseph equipment, such as breathing apparatus. Clevenger estimated that the district is now paying Joseph about $70 per residence per year. Individual contracts for other rural property owners are going up from $100 to $120 per year in 2010.

Clevenger said there is no danger that the district couldn’t afford the increase because of its tax revenue. He said that some homeowners in the district now pay $250 a year in district taxes compared to the $100 they used to pay Joseph for an individual contract “and the very same service.”

The district “is going to be given a contract within their budget, nothing wild and crazy, and Joseph is going to continue to fight fires and provide service as we have all these years,” he said

“I don’t mind taking the heat,” Clevenger told the council. “I just want to know what your feelings are.” The council answered by endorsing Clevenger as liaison between the city and district.