Council members question fire district budget increases, seek JPA work session

Isanti City council members and meeting participants pressed fire-district officials on proposed budget increases and asked the council to schedule a dedicated work session to review the Joint Powers Agreement before committing to long-term funding.

The most immediate concern was a reported 25% increase in CAD (computer-aided dispatch) costs. "I would and we discussed the 25% increase on CAD," a committee member said, asking how the rise occurred and pointing the group to line item 210-01 (software support, mobile CAD) for staff follow-up. The chair also asked staff to clarify whether that support covers new mobile licensing, maintenance or expanded dispatch services.

Members flagged several other line items. Under professional services (30007) the budget shows a $2,000 increase; members questioned whether that covers training, psychological screening or other recurring costs and asked staff to specify the purpose. Utility and repair costs also drew attention: line 380-01 reflects higher natural-gas usage after Station 1 began covering full-building expenses rather than a partial share, and one committee member described a miswired generator at Station 1 that "transferred power to the building" and "some stuff couldn't tolerate that and got fried," citing damaged computers, speakers and lighting.

Station 3 also showed an approximately $2,500 increase tied to concrete work. Members recalled prior arrangements to trade advertising and a liquor-store "boot roundup" toward the pad, and asked whether the expense should be recorded in the 2026 budget given prior partial funding.

Several members pressed for clearer capital planning. A committee member said the district is proposing $230,000 for capital replacement in the coming budget, up from about $100,000 in prior years, and noted a planned annual minimum increase of 3.2 percent to grow the capital fund. "I'll get that 3.2% — I'll get more clarity on it," the member said, and the group requested the historical capital-replacement plan and a formal replacement schedule.

Discussion also covered intergovernmental arrangements. Participants described townships contracting with neighboring departments for response coverage and confirmed those contracts were paid; one resident said joining the district "is definitely more expensive" but had been chosen for perceived service benefits and improved ISO rating prospects. Members asked for data comparing contract costs and district membership costs to inform future decisions.

At the end of the meeting the chair summarized next steps: request a special or work session with the JPA (with or without an attorney) so the council can review every item in the agreement; post minutes and agendas and consider video or audio recording for transparency; and direct staff to provide retirement-average figures for chiefs and volunteers and a clear capital-replacement schedule explaining the proposed increases. The chair’s summary noted the group "had a consensus amongst ourselves to ... request ... a special session or some sort of work session with the JPA."

A motion to adjourn was made and seconded (the transcript identifies the mover and seconder as council member Peterson and council member Rahimann). The chair called the vote and the motion carried 4-0. The meeting was adjourned.