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Clermont council tasks staff to evaluate alternatives as Wayne Township fire contract strains town finances
Summary
At a Jan. 5 special meeting, the Clermont Town Council reviewed legal and financial options to respond to rising costs under its contract with the Wayne Township Fire Department, assigned follow-up analyses to councilors and staff, and requested a Baker Tilly cost study and internal estimates.
Clermont — The Town of Clermont Council on Jan. 5 reviewed a range of options to address mounting costs and legal questions tied to its contract with the Wayne Township Fire Department (WTFD), and assigned a set of follow-up tasks to evaluate alternatives.
Councilor Beam opened the special meeting by reviewing a previously distributed "Fire Contract Options and Potential Action Steps" memorandum and an opinion memo from Town Attorney Bob Lutz (dated Jan. 2, 2026). Lutz told the council he had provided similar legal opinions to the town in 2005 and 2013. The council focused discussion on contract cost drivers, liability considerations, and prior efforts to resolve disputes with the WTFD.
The council agreed that continuing under the current property-value–based contract appears unsustainable over the long term. Councilors discussed several alternative approaches: commissioning an outside financial review by Baker Tilly to determine when the current cost calculation becomes unsustainable; asking the Clerk‑Treasurer to prepare an internal estimate based on the town's five-year financial plan and assumptions about future revenues; and evaluating alternate cost bases such as per capita or per-home assessments instead of property-value allocation.
Councilor Topf proposed evaluating fire protection costs on a per-capita basis, while Councilor Sauro suggested a per-home approach. Clerk‑Treasurer Larry Beiter said any town estimate would depend heavily on several assumptions and on data from the current state legislative session to improve accuracy.
The council also discussed governance and provider options, including approaching neighboring departments (Pike, Avon, Brownsburg) about fire protection, considering the formation of a fire territory, and monitoring state‑level legislative possibilities that might alter fire protection boundaries or lead to consolidation. Attorney Lutz summarized conversations at the state level and noted that elimination of townships in Marion County, if enacted, could lead to combinations of county fire departments.
Forming a volunteer fire department was discussed but councilors raised feasibility concerns, especially finding a qualified chief and reliable volunteer staffing amid statewide volunteer recruitment challenges. Contracting fire protection from the Indianapolis Fire Department was judged not viable because of distance and likely response-time issues; councilors noted IFD and WTFD continue to discuss interlocal arrangements, and that earlier talks had been limited in part by rank, seniority and civilian retention concerns.
The council reviewed Wayne Township's response to a Freedom of Information Act request for fire-run data and found address fields were omitted to avoid disclosing protected health information, preventing the town from isolating runs that occurred inside Clermont. Councilor Beam said he will work with Attorney Lutz to request fire-run data limited to run records only so the town can isolate Clermont activity without receiving protected personal information.
Action items assigned at the meeting included contacting neighboring providers and governing boards, collecting prior memos and legal opinions, reviewing alternative cost bases, and following up on FOIA/data requests. Assigned responsibilities included:
- Contact Pike Township Fire Chief and Trustee — Councilor Topf and Clerk‑Treasurer Larry Beiter. - Contact Brownsburg Fire Territory Executive Board — Councilors Beam and Lambard. - Provide copies of prior memos/opinions and information on state consolidation discussions — Attorney Bob Lutz. - Review alternate cost bases (per capita, per home, etc.) — Councilors Sauro and Topf. - Contact Wayne Township regarding FOIA results, current interlocal arrangements, and alternative costing strategies — Attorney Bob Lutz. - Councilor Beam will sort available fire-run data and work with Attorney Lutz to obtain run-only records for the town.
The council scheduled its next regular meeting for Feb. 12, 2026, at 7:00 P.M., and set an additional special meeting for Feb. 3 to continue follow-up. Councilor Beam moved to adjourn at 8:33 P.M.; Councilor Sauro seconded, and the motion passed on a 4–0 vote (Councilor Lemaire had left the meeting earlier).
