Council asks for revised invoice after dispute over joint powers effective date

Chair Chris Schmidt called up a joint powers agreement invoice under new business and members spent the meeting’s longest block of time debating how the bill’s date was calculated and what the city owes.

A council member said the invoice showed a May 1 effective date but “the agreement states when it becomes active” only after all signatures were on the contract. Laurie Cohen (Council member) told colleagues the signatures were completed July 17 and asked for an adjusted invoice reflecting July 17 through December instead of starting on May 1: “When it was approved the end of June… it was July 17. And that's what the agreement states when it becomes active.” The member asked that amounts already paid for workers’ compensation be removed so the levy reflects the correct split going forward.

Staff and other members acknowledged the discrepancy and discussed the levy split used by the fire association and truck association, noting the practical effect on other jurisdictions if Goodhue reduces its billed share. One participant outlined the alternatives: pay now and seek a credit, or file a formal grievance under the association process (referred to as “section 8”) and have the fire association resolve the shortfall. The council asked staff to request a new invoice and to document credits for amounts already paid so the city accounts reconcile correctly.

The article will be updated if the council receives the revised invoice or if the fire association issues a formal determination; at the meeting there was no final vote on reducing or withholding payment.