Ammon council discusses 2019 Dodge Durango title and plate arrangements with fire district; city to keep licensing, district to reimburse

City officials on Jan. 8 discussed whether to change the title and license plates on a 2019 Dodge Durango assigned during a reorganization five years ago when the Ammon Fire Department split into a separate fire district.

City Administrator Micah Austin said apparatus, grounds and materials were left in the city’s name at the time of the split and that some items have since been sold or transferred. "At that time we were still a little uncertain as to where everything was going," the minutes state. Austin described the Durango as currently in use and raised the practical question of whether the city should simply switch plates and registration or take a different approach.

Chief John Molbert told the council he had misunderstood the original contract and said the vehicle remains in use; he said there was no plan to retire or trade it in. City Attorney Scott Hall explained the arrangement originally put apparatus under the city’s title so the city would be equipped to support the department if needed.

Council members expressed agreement that the city would handle licensing and that the fire district would reimburse the city for the licensing cost. The minutes record this as council consensus rather than a formal motion or vote.

City Engineer Morgan Stewart told the council a separate traffic item — a left-turn movement from the Albertsons parking lot onto 17th Avenue — will be disallowed as part of an upcoming project, but that change is not expected until 2027 or 2028.

No formal ordinance, title transfer or vote was recorded on the Durango during the meeting; the next steps are administrative coordination between the city and the fire district to implement the licensing and reimbursement arrangement.