Unified Fire Dispatching Considered City, Fire Districts May Join In Money-Saving Partnership

The Spokane City Council will decide tonight whether to pursue a money-saving partnership with three county fire districts.

There are four fire dispatch centers, operated by the city, Valley Fire District and Spokane County Fire Districts 8 and 9. Sixteen smaller fire districts pay those centers to answer their emergency calls.

Officials from many of the districts believe a single center would be cheaper to operate. Consolidation also would make it easier for the various agencies to work together during disasters, said Spokane Fire Chief Bobby Williams.

Under the proposal, which was three years in the works, the single center would operate out of the city’s dispatch center in Riverfront Park. The fire districts and departments would remain independent.

If approved tonight by the council, the proposal also must be approved by the commissioners or city councils that oversee each of the other fire agencies.

In other action, the council may accept two grants from the state Department of Ecology to help build sewers in the Yardley industrial area.

The grants, for $193,000 and $60,000, would cover 50 percent and 75 percent respectively of the cost for two Yardley sewer projects. Other local funds, and landowners served by the sewers, would pay the balance.

Yardley is outside the city boundaries, near the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. It is inside the city’s utility service area, which means it can easily be annexed to the city if a majority of its land, by value, uses city water or sewer.

Under the schedule first used last week, the agreement on dispatch centers, the Yardley sewer proposal and other items on the city manager’s consent agenda will be considered by the council during a 3:30 meeting.

At 6 p.m., the council will consider various legislative issues and ordinances, and staff may ask for permission to refinance $87 million in bonds issued to pay for the waste-to-energy plant.

Refinancing would save taxpayers money because interest rates have fallen since the bonds were issued, said City Manager Roger Crum. The request may be postponed, Crum said, because there was little interest last week among New York traders who might have bought the bonds.

There are no hearings scheduled during tonight’s meeting. City residents can ask questions or express opinions during the 3 p.m. comment session or 6:15 p.m. public forum.

All sessions are on the lower level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Boulevard.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: MEETING City Council will meet tonight at 6 p.m. at City Hall.