BONNYVILLE – How the MD of Bonnyville intends to recover costs from fire suppression services has caused a whirlwind of debate and frustration among council and the public, however, a compromise may have been found prior to the amended Fire Suppression and Cost Recovery Policy taking effect May 1.
The MD has had a standing policy in place for fire suppression and cost recovery since 1993, which allowed the municipality to bill for fire suppression services. The policy has been enforced sparingly over the last 30 years, acknowledged administration.
On Jan. 24, an updated version of the policy was passed by council during a regular meeting. The updated Fire Suppression and Cost Recovery Policy clearly identifies the process for billing, communication methods between involved parties, and other administrative procedures and is set to take effect on May 1.
Once in effect, the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) will be required to complete a cost recovery report that identifies the resources used during fire calls within the MD. The municipality will use that report to invoice property owners for fire services.
Changes to the policy created backlash among MD residents who felt fire suppression was a municipal service covered through municipal taxation.
Petra Aylesworth, a resident of Goodridge and a long-time volunteer firefighter with the BRFA, shared her concerns with Lakeland This Week after learning of the updated policy.
“I’m aware the policy has been in existence for quite a few years, that bills for fire services in the MD were sent out at times, but mostly not collected because previous MD of Bonnyville councils and MD administration held on to the belief [that] fire suppression was part of the MD’s service to taxpayers,” said Aylesworth.
As a volunteer firefighter, along with her husband, Aylesworth shared another contentious issue with the previous policy that billed ratepayers for fire suppression.
“The fact that under this pay schedule the MD would bill taxpayers for volunteer firefighters' time. The keyword being volunteer – especially in our community the old ethic of ‘neighbours helping neighbours’ is very much true and alive. The thought of someone getting a bill from the MD for a person’s volunteer service irks quite a few,” she said.
Aylesworth and residents who shared her beliefs on the change of policy made calls to councillors and the reeve.
Council would later direct that the Fire Suppression and Cost Recovery Policy be brought back for further discussion at a committee of the whole meeting scheduled for Feb. 21.
During the committee of the whole meeting, council directed that in addition to what had already been approved, a clause be included in the amended policy specifying that residents would be required to show proof of insurance status on the property affected by the fire and at no time would the MD charge more than the maximum amount indicated in an insurance policy for fire suppression.
On March 14, the policy that included the additional clause was brought back for council’s approval.
“I've never been in favour of trying to bill residents for fire calls,” said Coun. Dana Swigart, adding that he would have preferred to see the new invoice protocol run as a trial period before enforcing payment of fire suppression services.
“If it's a good idea and we're going to recoup money on it, I just think we should have had more details and more discussions with everybody in the Fire Authority, not just [having] our council decide that we're going to do this – that is just my two bits worth,” said Swigart.
Referencing the policy’s new amendment, Coun. Ben Fadeyiw stated, “We are not billing the residents. We're actually looking for the insurance companies to not get away with [residents’] claims.”
Fadeyiw added that the policy is an important way for the municipality to cover the high costs associated with fire services and provides a straightforward method to charge for those services without affecting the ratepayer.
“We've spent $2.1 million on new apparatuses. There has to be some sort of cost recapture,” he said.
The new clause added to the policy states: “If proof of coverage, or lack thereof, is provided, the MD will only invoice the resident or ratepayer for the coverage provided for in their policy at the time of the incident. If the resident or ratepayer declines to provide proof of coverage, or lack thereof, the MD will invoice them for full recovery of the costs incurred.”
The MD’s CAO Al Hoggan followed by saying, “The issue here is not to try to be punitive to a resident. The issue here is, if you've got coverage, tell us you are covered for $7,500 worth of fire suppression coverage and that is the maximum that the bill would be at that point. If you decline to give us any information, then you'd be billed for the whole thing.”
According to the updated policy, residents impacted by fire have 30 days after receiving a fire suppression invoice to make a written request to council to have fees waived. Otherwise, cost recovery charges must be paid within 60 days of receiving an invoice from the municipality.
RELATED STORY: MD council encourages residents to review fire insurance policies before May 1 - LakelandToday.ca
