Fire and financial officials in West Newbury are trying to figure out the best way to purchase a new aerial ladder truck for the town. You can check out the details in today's Daily News.
The timing of the campaign coincides with Newburyport's own fire truck dilemma, as in we need a fire truck (or two) right now but we can't afford one.
Hmmm. Is there any way we can pool our resources?
Before I get blasted, I do recognize the West Newbury and Newburyport are pursuing different types of truck. West Newbury needs a ladder truck. (A neophyte like me might ask how badly given the lack of height in most of the town's buildings. But I suppose their used frequently in house fires?)
Newburyport needs an engine. I'm not sure of the particulars. I'm just going by what I read in the papers.
But Newburyport has a ladder truck. I know this because we've been providing support to West Newbury along with Byfield and Georgetown. I don't know how many calls there has been for a ladder truck in West Newbury since their truck apparently went down. I'm guessing not a lot.
My basic question is this. Does regionalization make sense here? Can our ladder truck provide West Newbury the service it needs in exchange for an annual payment that could help us build out own fleet of engines back up. Could this arrangement be expanded so our fire departments better coordinate their needs and assets?
There may be 10 million valid reasons why this won't work. If so, I'd like to hear them.
But right now, this seems like a prime example of how municipal governments could operate more efficiently and, I think, just as effectively.
6 comments:
You are on the right track I think. Also personnel savings potential by having a central dispatch station. Why not? Because it implies reduced numbers of employees and loss of local union leverage. Better than laying off teachers IMO.
If you enter into an agreement like that and then there are two fires at once that require the use of a ladder truck...
...who gets the ladder truck? The owners of the ladder truck OR the people who are paying to use the truck?
If, in the case above, Newburyport gets to use the truck and West Newbury relies upon mutual assistance agreements with Byfield, Groveland, etc, then by logical extension West Newbury has no incentive to pay Newburyport for the use of the truck to start with, since in case of an emergency needing a ladder the current mutual assistance deal allows the potential use of several ladder trucks without paying a recurring fee.
(cue Emperor Palpatine's voice from 'Star Wars'): I'm afraid, my little friend, that Newburyport will have to pay for it's OWN ladder truck, and the Dark Side of the Force will demand...a tax over ride.
(Cue evil laughter)
And let's all be honest here: a tax override is coming. Sure, the Port could tough it out until Karp finishes his evil plan (hey, maybe HE'S the evil Emperor!) and the city collects more taxes, but I'm not sure we can afford to wait that long. There's too much unfinished business, and more importantly Newburport is basically built out at this point, so there won't be any new developments that'll generate property taxes large enough to start covering what's needed. That reduces it to two choices: up the property taxes or (more sneakily) up the property values. The first choice involves an override, the second involves letting Karp do what he wants (if only because at this point setting residential values higher would be lunacy).
Here's a surprise: I know nothing about mutual aid agreements.
However, I have to think they require participating communities to have a minimum level of in-house services.
So before qualifying for a long-standing mutual aid arrangement a community would have to demonstrate it either has a ladder truck or has made an arrangement to provide for a ladder truck.
But my thesis is based on the question: How often does a local town need a fire truck?
If there are regular--or even occassional--instances of simultaneous calls than we probably do need two trucks.
As for the override, I wouldn't be surprised if a vote were coming. But I have serious doubts about its passing.
I agree on one point. Tough times are ahead. Even if Karp stepped forward tomorrow with plans we probalby wouldn't see any tax revenue until 2010, 2011. (Would he qualify for TIFs?)
The Carrot said "Newburyport is basically built out at this point".
Not really. We may be built 'out' but we're not built 'up'.
We are very low rise and have several areas like the Circle or Storey Ave, Low St, part of Merrimack St,etc. where allowing 4-5 story buildings would be just fine. Sort of like the condos at Maritime Landing which I suspect more than pay their own way taxwise.
Newburyport entertained discussions of fire department regionalization in the past, and history is written to repeat itself.
As far as any Proposition 2 1/2 measure, whether an override or something else, consider there are many existing bonds that need to paid off while also entertaining new bond services, such as this fire truck. The city's revenue taskforce releases its report to the school committee at the end of the month, and such issues will be mentioned.
Fire Truck ? I'm sorry, I don't think we can afford it. ;-)
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