The Joseph City Council is scheduled to consider and possibly adopt a new fire protection contract for Wallowa Lake Tuesday, April 7, ignoring a request for negotiations made by the attorney for Wallowa Lake Rural Fire Protection District.

The proposed contract drawn up by City Attorney Brandon Eyre, Mayor Dennis Sands and Fire Chief Tom Clevenger:

? Includes a 15 percent rate increase, although the council could change the figure.

? Continues to name Clevenger as the district’s liaison with the city. District directors had asked to deal directly with the council as equals and had stopped notifying Clevenger of their meetings.

? Removes a clause requiring the city and district to work together to recruit new volunteer firefighters. Joseph has a full roster of volunteers while the district has none, although the district board has said it has a plan to round up four firefighters.

? Requires the district to name the city as an additional insured on district vehicle insurance policies. This was a recent point of contention as the city refused to operate any district rigs.

The council meets at 7:30 p.m. at the community center.

The district board had hired Eugene lawyer J. Kenneth Jones and instructed him in February to begin negotiations for a “mutually acceptable” contract that would bypass Clevenger, instead having district directors deal directly with city councilors and other city officials.

Jones and Eyre reportedly have had a brief phone conversation and follow-up letters but no serious negotiations. The council several times has confirmed that the district’s point of contact with the city is the fire chief.

The current contract, signed two years ago, expires June 30. With no firefighters and no operating engines or trucks, the district is ill-equipped to provide fire protection by itself and county fire officials have said no other fire department is close enough to serve the lake.

After the board moved to take a hard line with the city, numerous lake residents have been discussing a possible recall. The board, which recently lost two of its five members, meets next on April 16.

If the district board refuses to sign a contract, Clevenger has said Joseph will offer individual fire protection contracts to property owners as it did before the district was formed in 2002. They would, however, still be paying taxes to the district.