Council approves firefighter training trip; debates proposed fire‑response fee

Boone — The City Council approved an out‑of‑state travel request for two firefighters to attend the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, and later discussed a proposed fire‑department response fee that drew some council concern.

Engineer Alex (the agenda presenter identified in the record) asked the council to approve travel for at least two firefighters to attend the five‑day, hands‑on instructor conference. He said no additional budgeted money was required for the travel. The council voted to approve the out‑of‑state travel on a roll call as recorded in the transcript (Mormon — Yes; Hilsbeck — Yes; Lamson — Yes; Angstrom — Yes; Hammer — Yes; Henson — Yes; Kahoho Kelly — Yes).

During department reports, the same agenda item series included a discussion led by the presenting official about a potential fire‑department response fee to help offset costs. The speaker described sample figures used in other jurisdictions and in preliminary research: a residential response fee of about $500 and commercial fees up to $2,500. The presenter also estimated such a fee could generate roughly $20,000 annually based on recent incident history.

Councilmembers expressed concern about charging residents directly when insurance may not cover a claim. Speaker 13 said charging a $500 fee could be a hardship for some households. The presenting official responded that the intent was not punitive, that fees would generally be submitted to a homeowner’s insurance carrier, and that waivers could apply when coverage does not exist.

No formal ordinance or fee schedule was adopted during the meeting; the discussion concluded with the presenter saying he would bring potential fee language back to the council for further consideration.