Josephine adopts ordinance creating city fire department on paper to qualify for grants

The City of Josephine council adopted an ordinance that formally creates a City of Josephine Fire Department in the municipal code, a step city staff said is intended to make the city eligible to apply for certain grants.

City staff member Lisa explained the ordinance "is creating the fire department essentially on paper by ordinance. We'll continue our relationship with the Josephine Volunteer Fire Department until such time as we're actually ready to start and coordinate everything about the fire department." She said the ordinance will help the city apply for potential grants, including FEMA funding typically released in March.

City legal counsel addressed a council question about whether a "savings clause" was required in the ordinance. Counsel Rob explained, "Savings clause usually [is] put in to say that any offense created by the previous ordinance will continue to be prosecuted under that ordinance and that saves that prosecution for for the future even if you repeal it and change the ordinance. But this doesn't supersede any prior fire department ordinance so that so it's not really necessary."

Councilmembers voted to adopt the ordinance. The vote was taken after the council reviewed the final version in their meeting packet and after staff described the relationship with the volunteer department and the timeline tied to hiring a chief and completing the new public safety building in the fall.

Adoption does not immediately change operational responsibility; city staff said formal operational changes will occur only after hiring a chief and completing necessary facilities and coordination with volunteers.