Minnetrista joins talks with three neighbors on joint fire services

Mayor Lisa Whalen said Minnetrista is negotiating a joint powers agreement, or JPA, with the cities of Mound, Spring Park and Saint Bonnie to formalize shared fire services and improve long‑term sustainability.

Whalen said the four communities have discussed the idea for years and resumed focused talks last year after chiefs in Mound and Saint Bonnie urged a smaller, more workable partnership. She said the change would let Minnetrista “actually have a seat at the table. We will have a voice in how things are operated.”

Why it matters: Whalen said the current contracting arrangement — Minnetrista pays two departments under separate contracts — is becoming less sustainable. The city’s current annual payments for both departments total just under $731,000 and represent roughly a 10.44 percent levy share. The mayor estimated a conservative, worst‑case budget impact to Minnetrista taxpayers of about 2 percent, or roughly $30–$36 per average household per year.

What the partnership would do: Officials said a JPA would let the communities share personnel and capital equipment, avoid duplicate purchases such as multiple ladder trucks, and align formulas for billing or cost allocation across jurisdictions. Existing formulas differ: Saint Bonnie’s contract currently uses a 50/50 split of service calls and market value, while Mound uses service calls, population and market value. Whalen said the partners are working to simplify and standardize a single formula.

Process and timeline: City staff and the chiefs are drafting JPA language and working through allocation formulas (examples discussed included blends such as 50 percent service calls / 50 percent market value or other splits). Whalen said the partners hope to finalize details in time to reflect changes in the city’s budget and are targeting January 2026 for implementation if agreements proceed as planned.

Open questions and community concerns: Councilmembers and residents asked about whether the JPA would expand to other services such as police or public works; Whalen said the current effort is limited to fire to keep the process simple and workable. Officials also discussed branding — chiefs and firefighters would determine whether departments keep local identities — and the possible location of a satellite station in Woodland Cove, where the city already owns a small parcel identified for future use.

Next steps: Staff will continue negotiating JPA language, finalize the cost‑allocation formula and return to council for further decisions and any required budget adjustments. No formal council action was taken during the town‑hall discussion.