The future of Bellevue's Volunteer Fire Department looks brighter after the City Council moved closer last week to stabilizing the city's draft 2005-2006 budget.
Council members have struggled to erase a $123,000 budget shortfall since May, when voters rejected a request to hike property tax rates to add $300,000 to the city's treasury. As a result, funding for several of the city's programs has been reduced or eliminated entirely in the past two months.
The council successfully erased the deficit and balanced the budget Thursday, July 28, but the cuts will not become official until the council's Aug. 11 meeting.
While members of the council have been reluctant to disband the Fire Department, which would place the city under the protection of the Wood River Fire District, the option has been considered. Patrick Rainey, a Bellevue resident and member of the Hailey Volunteer Fire Department, has cautioned the City Council that eliminating Bellevue's Fire Department would be a mistake.
Rainey believes annexation into the Wood River Fire District would offer only a temporary solution and prove more costly in the future. He also said it would be a blow to the pride of Bellevue.
"I'm here in support of the city and for us to join together, work and grow as a city," he told the council Thursday, adding that he doesn't want someone else to take care of Bellevue. "Let's take care of ourselves."
Former Bellevue Fire Chief Dennis Cannon, whose position was eliminated last month—saving the city $41,168 a year—proposed hiring Greg Beaver as the city's part-time chief. Beaver would be paid $10 an hour for 20 hours of work per week. Cannon has taken a job with a rural fire district in Oregon.
The council made a motion to hire Beaver, who's also a member of the fire department at Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey.
Cannon also alerted the council that he's found a buyer for the Bellevue Fire Department's tender truck, which is for sale for $40,000. The Sam Owen Fire District, located in northern Idaho, has offered $35,000 for the truck.
"This is maybe one of the best offers we'll receive," Cannon said.
Cannon added that Ada County is selling a structure engine, which he believes is a priority for the Bellevue Fire Department, for $30,000. The sale of the tender and purchase of the structure engine would create a profit of $5,000 for the department. The City Council made motions to approve both deals.
When Councilman Jon Wilkes wondered about approving such actions since the future of the Fire Department still appears in limbo, Councilman Steve Fairbrother responded, "I think this is a step in keeping them at home."
Also facing the council is an upgrade of the city's wastewater facility, which would raise sewer fees from $19.55 a month to $35 a month. If improvements are not made to the facility, the city could suffer significant fines from the federal government. A public hearing is set for Sept. 12.
In addition to slashing city programs to erase the deficit, the City Council has faced attacks from local residents—mostly via anonymous letters—about their actions and intentions.
In response, a group of local residents and volunteers expressed their support for the council last Thursday.
Bellevue resident Eric Allen, a former member of the council, called the authors of the anonymous letters "weak" and encouraged the council to remain strong.
"It's frustrating, you get a lot of people who donate a lot of time volunteering and then when the city tries to pick up the pace and help out the community by raising taxes, you get a lot of apprehension," Allen said from home earlier this week. "People you never see out volunteering and helping are the first ones to criticize."
Allen, along with his wife, Joy, organizes volunteer work for the Howard Family Preserve, a 12.5-mile section of riverfront property in Bellevue. Volunteer days will be held this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to begin construction on a trail through the preserve.
"We need some big, burly guys," said Joy Allen.
