CAMAS — The cities of Camas and Washougal are inching closer to an agreement to pay for new positions in the Camas-Washougal Fire Department.
At their meeting Tuesday night, Camas city councilors approved an agreement to share costs with Washougal for two new firefighters for 2019. Camas will also fully fund a new deputy fire marshal position in the agreement. Washougal councilors are expected to vote on the same agreement at their meeting Monday, according to Washougal City Manager David Scott.
The new firefighters aren’t expected to start until sometime around April, and Washougal will pay about $64,000 for the city’s share of the new hires.
When discussions about increasing staffing started last year, Washougal officials weren’t sure they could contribute any funds at all. Camas councilors included room for five new positions in the city’s biennial 2019-2020 budget, and looked at various options, from funding all five positions to delaying the new hires until Washougal could contribute.
Scott talked to Washougal councilors at a Feb. 11 workshop to go over the new agreement, in which Washougal will contribute toward two new firefighters and Camas will fully pay for a new deputy fire marshal.
“We’re challenged to keep up with the growth and cost of that program year over year with our current portfolio of revenues,” Scott said. “That is a challenge. If there’s going to be any growth in the program, we will need new revenues.”
One option discussed was the city’s levy lid lift, which expires at the end of 2020. The city could turn to voters in 2020 to vote for a new levy lid lift for more money.
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t bring any new revenues until 2021, short some other tools for new revenues,” Scott said.
Because of the uncertainty in regard to funding, Scott said Washougal was looking for an agreement to fund the new hires for only 2019. He said the two cities will continue to talk about the future of staffing in the department.
Future plans
At the Camas city council workshop Tuesday night, Camas-Washougal Fire Chief Nick Swinhart gave a brief presentation also focusing on the future of the department. He was interested in creating a new strategic plan and met with former Vancouver Fire Department Chief Don Bivins, who now works as a fire service consultant.
Bivins told Swinhart it sounded like he was more interested in a master plan for the department instead of a strategic one, Swinhart said, adding there are some “subtle differences” between the two.
A strategic plan typically looks three to five years out. Swinhart said the strategic plan would take an estimated two months and cost around $14,000. The master plan would take four or five months and cost about $40,000. Swinhart said the department has never done a master plan.
“We’re looking at a long-range plan — something 10, 20 years — to talk about what we’re going to need for staffing, what we’re going to need for new station placement in this community as it grows,” he said.
No decisions were made about what type of plan to pursue, but none of the councilors spoke out against the idea of a master plan Tuesday night.
