Pike County Times
The Pike County Times, PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295. Click here to donate through PayPal. Becky Watts: Phone # 770-468-7583 editor@pikecountytimes.com
 
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PLEASE NOTE: These articles are in date order with the oldest articles appearing at the bottom of the page and the newest articles at the top of the page.

 
 
Meansville Fire Department Signs Mutual Aid Agreement
By Editor Becky Watts

ZEBULON - The City of Meansville has signed an automatic aid agreement with Pike County for fire fighting efforts in our county. The agreement covers a multitude of topics including types of assistance, training, communications, incident command, personnel accountability, incident reporting, and Insurance Services Organization (ISO) ratings. The City of Meansville signed the agreement on March 9, 2015 and Pike County ratified and signed it on March 11, 2015 during the morning commission meeting.

The history of cooperation between the City of Meansville and Pike County has been rocky, and articles on this page (read from the bottom to the top if you want to read them in chronological order) show the history of a city that has chosen to stand on its own rather than join with the rest of the county as part of the county's volunteer fire department. Much of this argument has centered around a $5,000 payment that the county has paid to the City of Meansville for mutual aid.

There was a mutual aid agreement between the City of Meansville and Pike County that expired on December 31, 2009, and Pike County Times was advised that there was no payment for services in 2010. However, past County Manager Bill Sawyer paid $5,000 to the Meansville Fire Department in 2011 without a contract and an intergovernmental agreement was signed on October 4, 2011. The current mutual aid agreement replaces any and all former agreements between the City of Meansville and Pike County with regard to the provision of emergency services.

According to this agreement, the City of Meansville (Station 4) will be dispatched on all calls and will respond if they have personnel available. This includes but is not limited to the following: structure fires, requests for emergency medical services, reported hazardous material incidents, smoke or odor investigations, motor vehicle crashes and other emergency needs that come in to 911 at any time during the day or night.

The agreement goes farther to state that for all calls outside of the city limits of Meansville, Pike County will assume command of the incident. For all calls within the city limits of Meansville, Meansville will be in charge of incident command. If a member of the county arrives first on the scene, this person will assume command until an officer from Meansville arrives.

Joint framing exercises will be conducted semiannually at the very minimum and teaming exercises will be coordinated and observed by the Chief of Pike County Emergency Services (PCES) or a designee to ensure that coordination is maintained between the two departments with regard to procedures, dispatch, and communications.

Each department will provide its own radios for its personnel. There is a standard for incident command on a scene and accountability of personnel. Each department will be responsible for tracking incidents. Reports will be available between departments within two business days and according to Open Records requirements for citizens.

The agreement also states that each entity is responsible for maintaining its own Insurance Services Organization (ISO) rating including all purchases and maintenance of apparatus and equipment that is required to maintain ISO ratings.

The agreement is five pages long and lays out specifics for those providing emergency services in the county. Current County Manager John Hanson advised that the Mutual Aid Agreement between the City of Meansville and Pike County is a win for the citizens if everyone is working together, and the City of Meansville fulfills its part of the agreement. Hanson specifically praised members of the Meansville Fire Department for responding to emergency calls throughout the county over the past couple of months.

3.28.15
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Meansville Fire Department Paid $5,000 Without a Contract
By Editor Becky Watts

ZEBULON - Pike County Times confirmed on June 29, 2011 that the current Pike County Fire Department budget (2010-2011) was used to pay the City of Meansville $5,000 to maintain its fire department. This happened approximately four to six weeks ago according to County Manager Bill Sawyer. Pike County Times learned in this interview that Pike County does not have a current, written mutual aid contract with the City of Meansville for fire protection.

County Manager Bill Sawyer advised that the City of Meansville was paid $5,000 from the fire fund (the Pike County Fire Department/Pike County Emergency Services budget for the 2010-2011 year) to make sure that the City of Meansville Fire Department's equipment could pass their accreditation. "I'm disappointed that they didn't become part of the county department, but they are taxpayers and if we can do what we can to help them maintain the integrity of their equipment then we're going to do that," he said.

County Manager Sawyer said that his intent is to make sure that these funds are only used in the fire department for maintenance or integrity of their equipment, but when asked if the county has anything in writing to this effect, the answer was no. He advised that the verbiage is being worked on at this time by legal counsel. He said that the contract between Pike County and the City of Meansville will say that money specifically has to be used for the maintenance and upkeep of the equipment and stressed that accountability is needed on this. He said the contract should be tied to The Pike County Emergency Services Fire Chief going into the Meansville Fire Department to ensure that the $5,000 has been spent according to the contract.

County Manager Sawyer had told the City of Meansville in a previous meeting that if he had to give them $5,000 to update their equipment--and it maintains the equipment for the integrity of the county--that he would do that, but he had hoped that they would come into the county. He said that the county is willing to work with them to maintain the integrity of their equipment and that Fire Chief Mike Grant and Pike County Emergency Services have said that they will come down there and help them in any way that they can.

District 3 County Commissioner Tommy Powers (Meansville is in his district) and Pike County Commission Chairman Doug Mangham were invited to prior meetings about this matter, but the entire Board of Commissioners has not made any discussed the matter of payment without a contract in an open meeting.

This $5,000 was recently discussed at the June 22, 2011 Budget Workshop where two citizens mentioned the article from the Pike Journal Reporter that stated that the Meansville City Council voted 4-1 to maintain the City of Meansville Fire Department instead of joining with Pike County Emergency Services in the June 13, 2011 meeting. [Note from the Editor: One of those citizens was Pike County Times Editor Becky Watts.] Both citizens urged the Board of Commissioners not to pay $5,000 to the City of Meansville to maintain its fire department. At no time during this Budget Workshop, did the County Manager--or either of the two commissioners who had attended office meetings with the county manager about this matter-- tell citizens that this money had already been paid.

Click here to read the Pike Journal Reporter.

Click here to read the write up from the June 22, 2011 Budget Workshop.

County Manager Sawyer pointed out that the county manager is hired to conduct the day to day operations of Pike County and said that taking care of this matter is part of the day to day operations. [Note from the Editor: I don't agree that this is part of day to day operations and ended this interview with two questions based on similar questions asked by Joy Walker during public comment in the May 31, 2011 BOC Meeting during public comment.]

Click here to read public comment in the May 31, 2011 meeting.

How do you respond to the accusation that county business is being conducted without the public knowing about it? "The public has a right to ask any question that they want to, but the day to day operations of this county rest with me as long as I'm legal... [and] as long as I adhere to good sound business practices," he said.

How do you respond to the accusation that things are taking place in a back room without all five commissioners knowing about it? "That's your opinion," he said to me. He pointed out that he conducts the day to day operations of Pike County as he was hired to do. He went on to say that all five commissioners receive check registers of every check that is written in the county and reiterated that the county manager can move money within an $8 million budget. [Note from the Editor: The Commissioners are NOW receiving a summary check register but were not at the time. The first summary check register was received at the July 13, 2011 meeting.]

[Note from the Editor: We agreed to end this conversation with an agreement to disagree on the difference between making policy--which is what the Board of Commissioners is elected to do--and conducting day to day operations--which is what the county manager was hired to do.]

History of this conflict:

The City of Meansville and its reluctance to become a part of the Pike County Fire Department has been discussed at several Pike County Commission meetings over the past two years, but this topic has not come up in a County Commission meeting since the payment was made. And it was evident from the June 22, 2011 Budget Workshop that at least two commissioners had not been apprised of the fact that payment had already been made to the City of Meansville.

The City of Meansville used to receive $5,000 per year from Pike County in exchange for mutual aid with fire protection. However, the City of Meansville has not received this $5,000 since 2008.

Since 2008, City of Meansville Council Members have requested this $5,000 from the county and heard requests to join the county fire department. Just this year, County Manager Bill Sawyer, Interim Fire Chief Randy Snyder, District 3 Commissioner Tommy Powers, and Pike County Commission Chairman Doug Mangham attended the January 18, 2011 meeting and asked for the City of Meansville Fire Department to join the county fire department, and the Meansville City Council voted 5-0 in the February 14, 2011 meeting to draw up a mutual aid agreement with Pike County.

Pike County Times obtained a copy of the 2011 Intergovernmental Lease Agreement that the City of Meansville presented to Pike County. The April 11, 2011 draft of the contract requests monthly rent from Pike County to the City of Meansville which "shall be based on a cumulative total of the following items:
1. Rent for the real property;
2. Rent for all personal property including fire trucks, equipment, hoses, furniture and like items;
3. Utility Bills including water, electricity, gas, internet, sewer, trash, telephone and like items; and,
4. Insurance The City agrees to include the County as an additional insured under its policy of insurance."

Update 7.15.11: The contract includes a Memorandum of Lease that includes the City of Meansville being allowed (shall have the right) to make recommendations and/or suggestions related to the county fire department assigment in Meansville "with the full understanding by the City that the final decision regarding all such selections and assigments shall be the full authority of the county fire department and that both parties will make a "reasonable effort to cooperate and work together "to the fullest extent possible" on citizen complaints, ISO ratings, citizen open house programs, SPLOST, insurance, etc. *This lease was not approved by Pike County Emergency Services, the County Manager or the Pike County Commission. [Note from the Editor: Thank you to the county and all involved for NOT signing it. This lease sent from Meansville to Pike County is absolutely ridiculous.]

Update 7.1.11:

Info from Fire Ordinance and Pike County Manager Enabling Legislation:

From the 2010 Pike County Fire Department Ordinance that was signed in December of 2010:

Section 32.02(A) says, "Pike County shall provide fire prevention, fire fighting and other fire/emergency related services within the geographical boundaries of Pike County, Georgia including within the various municipalities within Pike County as may be authorized by law and/or agreement. The services may include fire prevention, EMA, EMS fire fighting services and operations as such may be deemed necessary and reasonable including services by contract or in cooperation with any municipality located within PIke County or in cooperation with any other fire protection entity or emergency service provider."

Section 32.02(C) says, "...In addition, the Pike County Fire Department may provide fire prevention, fire fighting and other fire/emergency related services as set defined herein subject to the review of such policies, procedures, rules and/or regulations by the Board of Commissioners and County Manager." [Italics is my emphasis.]

Section 32.02(E) says, "As with any other county department, the County Manager shall have oversight of the Pike County Fire Department, including but not limited to financial, budgetary and personnel related issues."

[Note from the Editor: I had some questions on whether what was done was legal and it is, but it appears that the 32.02(C) got dropped a bit with three commissioners and the Department Head not being fully notified of this payment to the City of Meansville until several weeks after the fact--after I find out about it to be exact. Common courtesy should have demanded that the commissioners be apprised of this since it falls under policies, procedures, rules, and/or regulations with the Pike County Fire Department. I would think that common courtesy would have demanded that the County Manager apprise the commissioners of this payment, period. Maybe this could be likened to putting calcium chloride on a road in a Commissioner's District (that really will get the phone ringing with thank you's!) or dissolving an authority (or two) in order to put under the county umbrella.

It is a sign of respect to keep commissioners apprised of what is going on in something that will start their telephones ringing so they can answer to the best of their abilities. Pike County's enabling legislation for the County Manager form of government clearly states that "[the county manager] shall be responsible to the board of commissioners for the efficient administration of all of the affairs of the county over which the county manager has jurisdiction." Shall be responsible to the BOC... Am I reading too much into it to say that the county manager should let ALL FIVE of the commissioners know what is going on in something like this?

Here is hoping that changes are being made even as I type. I don't want to see Pike County go back to a place where no one trusted county government and always questioned motives behind everything. I am not looking for things to be done my way, I just want the rules to be followed and for there to be an understanding that just because something is legal doesn't always make it right. The end doesn't always justify the means and we are judged by the mess that we leave in our wake. My resume: Ten years attending Pike County Commission meetings (I also attended meetings in Upson County for several years before moving back home to Pike County) and have spent almost five years providing Pike County Times as a public service to ensure that citizens know what is going on in Pike County government. ]

6.30.11
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Meansville City Council Says Draw Up the Agreement
By Editor Becky Watts

MEANSVILLE - The Meansville City Council met on February 14, 2011. During this meeting, there was discussion of whether or not to join with the Pike County Fire Department at the next meeting. There were several concerned citizens in attendance at this meeting. Council Members Melvin Colquitt, Betty Bradshaw, Sandy Mitchell, Virlon Rachels and Al Milby were present along with Mayor Gayle Burden, City Clerk Jerome Finley, and City Attorney Tom Morton.

Joy Walker spoke on the upcoming five year, $5,400,000 SPLOST with approximately one half is designated for the Courthouse and one half is designated for work on roads, streets, and bridges in Pike County. This is a one cent sales tax that would be paid on items bought in Pike County that is an effort to keep the costs of these projects off the backs of the property owners in Pike County. Subsidized 40% by people from out of our county. She said that if a person spent $100 in Pike County with this 1% SPLOST, the cost would be approximate to a cup of coffee. Said that in the last month of the past SPLOST collection, Pike County brought in between $8 and $9 million in sales which gave the county about $85,000 in SPLOST funds. She asked the Meansville City Council to encourage citizens get out and vote. Also encouraged citizens to shop in Pike County.

Other business: A public meeting on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant was to be held today at noon. Project was started in September of 2007 and is finished. Congratulations to the City of Meansville on this CDBG. Motion to approve the Easter Sonrise Service at the walking track. Approved 5-0. Other topics were addressed as well.

Fire Fighter Ron Snowden spoke to the City Council about his conversation with County Manager Bill Sawyer on Monday morning prior to the evening meeting. He said that they discussed the possibility of a six month and a year long intergovernmental agreement that could be renewed yearly and either side could back out of the agreement during that time. Said that the city will not lose its charter and could still get insurance rollback money but would be required to spend that money on certain things. This will give better and more training, more calls for the fire fighters to respond to because all have been trained with extensive schooling but not been able to use it, the county carries a higher level of Worker's Comp than the City, the county can help bring up roster numbers, better benefits for the fire fighters, and it will help the ISO rating around the city. Said that it could be written in there that nothing moves or changes and said that an agreement with the county could be a win-win agreement for all involved, but said that without Meansville being a part of the County Fire Department, the county will be forced to build another station real soon. Also said that if an engine went out on one of the trucks or a major equipment purchase was required or there was a liability accident, it would break the city. Said that if it doesn't work out, then tell them and no losses.

Several citizens spoke during the public comment part of the meeting and encouraged the City Council members to join the County Fire Department. Margie Trammell said that not joining will hurt everyone in the county and encouraged the members to get past what has happened in the past in order to help citizens in the city and outside of the city limits. Tommy Burnsed also encouraged Council members to join and Don Bailey said that he thought it would be a great idea for fire support.

Executive Session began at 7:28 p.m. and the meeting was called back to order at 8 p.m. Motion was made by the Meansville City Council to authorize the Mayor, the City Attorney, and the County Manager to draw up an agreement with the county on joining the fire department. Approved 5-0.

2.15.11
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ISO ratings, the City of Meansville, and Pike County Emergency Services
By Editor Becky Watts

MEANSVILLE - Meansville City Council met on January 18, 2011 with County Manager Bill Sawyer, Interim Fire Chief Randy Snyder, District 3 Commissioner Tommy Powers, and Pike County Commission Doug Mangham. This is a contination of meetings from 2009 discussing whether the City of Meansville would join the Pike County Fire Department. At the time, there was a mutual aid agreement between the City of Meansville and Pike County. That agreement expired on December 31, 2009 and has not been renewed.

Notes from those 2009 meetings are on this page in date order. Many of these same issues were rehashed at this January 2011 meeting: whether the county would give Meansville $5,000 to run its own stand alone fire department, whether the new fire truck bought with SPLOST dollars would leave the City Limits of Meansville, will the City lose its charter if it joins the County Fire Department, will ISO rating and level of protection change, what are the benefits of joining a large group versus standing alone, will the City of Meansville provide mutual aid to the County Fire Department at all, and how will citizens who live outside of the City Limits of Meansville be affected by the choice to stay out of the County Fire Department.

Scroll down to read the remainder of this article.

The Meansville City Council will be discussing whether or not to join with the Pike County Fire Department at the next meeting. At the heart of this matter is whether citizens are going to have to pay to build a new fire station in the southeast portion of the county to ensure adequate fire protection for citizens who live both inside of and outside of the Meansville City Limits. Some of the things that might be be affected include ISO ratings and the cost of homeowners' insurance.

Update 2.11.11: This article has been updated today. It also contains a letter with a list of concerns from council members, firemen, and citizens as well as the response from Interim Chief Snyder.

The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Meansville City Council to be held on Monday, February 14, 2011 at 7 p.m. at City Hall in Meansville.

Update 2.14.11: Joy Walker spoke on SPLOST tonight. Ron Snowden spoke to the City Council about his conversation with County Manager Bill Sawyer today. Said that an agreement with the county could be a win-win agreement for all involved but said that without Meansville being a part of the County Fire Department, the county will be forced to build another station real soon. Also said that if an engine went out on one of the trucks or a major equipment purchase was required or there was a liability accident, it would break the city. Said that the city would still get insurance rollback money but would be required to spend that money on certain things. This could be a six month or even one year agreement and if it doesn't work out, then no losses. It would be a written intergovernmental agreement. More on the specifics of this tomorrow.

Motion was made by the Meansville City Council to authorize the Mayor, the City Attorney, and the County Manager to draw up an agreement with the county on joining the fire department. Approved 5-0.

2.14.11
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Roadblocks to Joining the County Fire Department
By Editor Becky Watts

ZEBULON - A letter was sent to County Manager Bill Sawyer by Meansville City Clerk Jerome Finley on January 25, 2010. The letter stated that he had asked Mayor Burden's permission before approaching the County Manager with this letter. He did not openly state that he was writing on the behalf on anyone though the list of concerns are those "expressed by council members, firemen, and citizens".

"I am sending this to you in the hopes of getting 'good' information in the councils' hands prior to their making a decision [about whether or not to join the County Fire Department]", he wrote. Most of the items in the letter had already been addressed at the January 18, 2011 meeting but the writer said that "memories are short" and that "a written response will go a long way to quelling some of the worries of the council."

The City of Meansville's ISO rating and Charter were at the beginning of the letter. The writer said that a written statement from Pike County stating "that 'if the city's ISO rating is hurt by joining the county the city will be able to terminate the agreement and the county will aid the city in restoration' or something on this line" would quell some of the worries of the City Council. It went on to state that even though City Attorney Tom Morton has orally addressed the issue of the City's charter, a written statement would help to reinforce the point.

The letter then laid out demands for the Meansville Fire Department if it joins the County Fire Department: 1. Council will appoint the Captain for the department. 2. Personnel issues within the department will have council approval. 3. Robert Huckaby will remain as Lieutenant and supervise the facilities and vehicles. 4. All buildings and equipment will remain as property of the City of Meansville. ("No equipment or other property of the City of Meansville will be removed from the premises with council approval.") [Note from the Editor: I originally thought that the prior quote was a typo, but looking back at it again, there is a good chance that it means exactly what it says.] 5. There is a concern about 3 of the firefighters who pay into the State Firefighter's Pension Fund losing their pensions because the county doesn't participate.

The author gave an opinion toward three selling points for the County Fire Department: 1. The county will completely fund the fire department. 2. The city fire department will become part of a coordinated county fire department. 3. The county fire department will make sure that there are enough firefighters assigned to Meansville to answer calls in Meansville and Pike County. [Note from the Editor: All three of these issues were addressed at length in the January 18, 2011 meeting the week before.]

The final paragraph begins, "I hope that this helps out" and continues with a request that knowledge of his participation be limited to the County Manager, Doug [Pike County Commission Chairman Doug Mangham] and Gayle [Mayor Gayle Burden]. It ended with the statement, "...due to some of the ideas that I don't understand, this consolidation is opposed."

The response of Chief Randy Snyder to County Manager Bill Sawyer about this letter was one of disappointment. "It [the proposal from Meansville] contains everything I feared it would," he said by email.

He stated that Pike County Emergency Services, also known as the Pike County Fire Department, cannot guarantee Meansville's ISO rating but that it hasn't been an issue with the other cities. "We know that as soon as Meansville makes a decision either way, we'll have to do another ISO inspection," he wrote. He went on to say that ISO inspections were not that bad and that he would be happy to get it over with "so we can move on to bigger and better things".

"The other issues are in many ways untenable," Chief Snyder wrote. He said that no one has any plans to move personnel, equipment or change anyone's rank but that the County Fire Department had to have control over personnel and that there is no way that the County Fire Department could abide by a condition to promise control to a third party. He wrote: "Putting myself in the shoes of any of our officers, especially those from the former city stations, promising control to a third party - Meansville's City Council in this case - is unimaginable."

Chief Snyder went on to say that the truck ownership issue "could be sticky for liability and insurance" since the County Fire Department either needs ownership of the truck or a lease that gives near-ownership. "We have had not a single equipment, apparatus, or personnel issue with the other three cities since the merger," he wrote. "That track record should stand witness to our department's relationships within and cooperation."

Closing out the letter, he wrote that he had other concerns but that "these I've mentioned are too glaring to ignore." He also said that "the others can be solved by time, understanding, and teamwork."

The letter rehashed issues that have been heard over and over since 2009. This letter came one week after a Meansville City Council meeting that was attended by the Pike County Commission Chairman Doug Mangham, Pike County District 3 Commissioner Tommy Powers, County Manager Bill Sawyer, and Pike County Fire Chief Randy Snyder. City Clerk Jerome Finley has confirmed by phone that discussion about the County Fire Department is on the agenda for Monday night's meeting. This decision has been two years in the making.

Will the City of Meansville insist on having a stand alone fire department to serve the City of Meansville? Will the City of Meansville demand the $5,000 and a mutual aid agreement with Pike County? Will Meansville representatives choose to join with the County Fire Department to provide fire protection to citizens in the southeast corner of the county?

Citizens in Meansville and residents in the southeast portion of the county are going to be directly affected by this decision. If Meansville decides to merge with the County FD, it would be a win-win situation for both Meansville and the County as this section of the county will have adequate fire protection that citizens deserve and the County FD will cover Meansville FD's expenses and training. If the Meansville City Council decides not to join the County FD, it will be choosing to fund its own fire department as well as provide the state-mandated training and equipment which must be maintained for its ISO rating. It will also have to decide whether or not it will be a part of a mutual aid agreement with the county. And questions of whether to build another fire station in the southeast section of the county and how to fund it will have to be addressed as well.

The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Meansville City Council to be held on Monday, February 14, 2011 at 7 p.m. at City Hall in Meansville.

2.11.11
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ISO ratings, the City of Meansville, and Pike County Emergency Services
By Editor Becky Watts

MEANSVILLE - Meansville City Council met on January 18, 2011 with County Manager Bill Sawyer, Interim Fire Chief Randy Snyder, District 3 Commissioner Tommy Powers, and Pike County Commission Chairman Doug Mangham. This is a continuation of meetings that were held in 2009 discussing whether the City of Meansville would join the Pike County Fire Department. At the time, there was a mutual aid agreement between the City of Meansville and Pike County. That agreement expired on December 31, 2009 and has not been renewed.

At the heart of this matter is whether citizens are going to have to pay to build a new fire station in the southeast portion of the county to ensure adequate fire protection for citizens who live both inside of and outside of the Meansville City Limits. Some of the things that might be be affected include ISO ratings and the cost of homeowners' insurance.

Notes from those 2009 meetings are contained above. Many of these same issues were rehashed at this January 2011 meeting. Whether the county would give Meansville $5,000 to run its own stand alone fire department, whether the new fire truck bought with SPLOST dollars would leave the City Limits of Meansville, will the City lose its charter if it joins the County Fire Department, will ISO rating and level of protection change, what are the benefits of joining a large group versus standing alone, will the City of Meansville provide mutual aid to the County Fire Department at all, and how will citizens who live both inside of and outside of the City Limits of Meansville be affected by the choice to stay out of the County Fire Department.

[Note from the Editor: I did not get to attend this meeting so I listened to the meeting on tape. Every comment could not be understood but, having attended the meeting in 2009 when this was discussed and asking questions of some who were involved in this meeting, I have a pretty good understanding of what is going on.]

County officials met with City Council members to discuss whether or not the City of Meansville is going to become a part of the Pike County Fire Department. County Manager (CM) Sawyer assured Council members that the county has done everything possible to remedy the situation between the City of Meansville Fire Department and the County Fire Department. He asked the City of Meansville to give the County FD six months to prove this merger was the right way to go and if they didn't like it, they could go back to the old way of doing things.

Interim Fire Chief Randy Snyder advised that Concord, Molena, and Zebulon are a part of the Pike County Fire Department. Also said that he was in Zebulon at the time of the transition so he knows some of the issues that the City of Meansville is looking at. "I can't think of any single reason not to come into the County Fire Department merger," he said. Chief Snyder said that the County FD can bring the Meansville FD in training issues, liability will go to the county, etc. He said that mixing of personnel is not a problem and getting used to the County FD way of doing things is not hard because they have been doing the same thing for years.

Mayor Gayle Burden verified that the Meansville FD would become known as Pike County Station 4. A question was asked whether Meansville's ISO rating of 6 would remain the same. It was stated that the county is a 6 and that ISO would be notified of the merger through administrative process. City Council member Virlon Rachels asked if Meansville was below par [with equipment, etc.] right now? Chief Snyder said that he doesn't know what is on the trucks or know the training so he can't answer this question but said that the county would pick up the expenses for any needed items and that Meansville fire fighters can train with the other stations. Lt. Robert Huckaby of Meansville FD advised that they have everything that ISO requires and have been a class 6 for over 10 years and class 7 for over 15 years.

Concern was stated about Meansville losing its charter as a city and taking the Meansville name away because of this like what happened in The Rock when the Post Office was closed. City Attorney Tom Morton advised that state law requires at least three services be provided to citizens in order to maintain a charter out of a list of 11 items. (Click here for list.) "If you decide to go with the county, you will maintain your charter," he said. Concern about the county not paying the City of Meansville $5,000 with the automatic aid agreement and whether the County FD would respond to a fire within the city limits. Chief Snyder advised that the City of Meansville is within the county and there would be a response from the County FD. Lt. Huckaby advised that if the Meansville FD was paged out on a fire that they would respond five miles out of the city. Council member Sandy Mitchell asked if Meansville decides not to go with the County FD, will it still get the $5,000. Chief Snyder advised that was up to the County Manager. Council member Melvin Colquitt asked about whether equipment from the Meansville FD would be moved to another station. Chief Snyder advised that equipment would remain like it is. If equipment was needed, it would be added but not taken away from the city. CM Saywer said that the City of Meansville has nothing to lose to try this for six months.

Update 2.11.11:

Concern was expressed about the ISO rating in the City of Meansville being affected by joining the county. Chief Snyder advised that the merger worked for us [other fire stations or Zebulon] but that is was the job of the County FD to help or encourage and not to tell the City of Meansville what to do. He said that the County FD would upgrade equipment if needed. The CM said that Fire Fees for the budget year 2011 are non-existent now. He said that it never should have been. Mayor Burden asked if the City of Meansville went with the County FD, would Pike County have to build another fire station [in the southeast corner of the county]? Chief Snyder advised that the County FD has looked at land east and west of the City of Meansville for a future fire station [if the City of Meansville did not join the County FD] but said that the best place for the fire station is in Meansville. Chief Snyder said that the County FD has sent many fire fighters to Forsyth for training and provided 1st Responder and EMT classes for county fire fighters. Said that 1st Responders are on call with people scattered all over the county to make contact and start treatment, CPR, etc. if needed [when they come on the scene]. Mayor Burden also asked about positions in the County FD. Chief Snyder advised that the Chief would become a Captain in the County FD, Assistant Chief would become a Lt., etc. Meansville would still control the station but management of the station would come under the umbrella of the county. The next comment was unintelligible until it was said that everything would be put in writing.

It was then stated that the Meansville FD has gotten no money ($5,000) from the county since 2008. Some rumors were addressed and CM Sawyer said that the county is asking for an opportunity to work with the City of Meansville [with the County FD]. Question was asked whether Meansville would lose any fireman. Chief Snyder said that the County FD is hoping to attract more people in this end of the county [if Meansville joins the County FD]. Chairman Mangham said that he thinks that the City of Meansville will benefit more by being with the county and apologized for past conversations [between County FD and County Representatives and the Meansville City Council]. Commissioner Powers said that we are here to help each other. Commissioner Powers also said that he had tried to keep the $5,000 in there [the county budget] and Mayor Burden replied, "I know you did". He went on to say that with the board we had we couldn't do this but with a new board and new County Manager, he feels 100% better. [Note from the Editor: This sounds like part of the problem with the City of Meansville holding out for that $5,000 rather than joining the County FD since 2009.] Commissioner Powers concluded by saying that you gain much, much more by coming on with the county and working together.

It was stressed that the County FD would pay for insurance and Worker's Comp and insurance on the trucks if Meansville joins the County FD. CM Sawyer said, "If you don't like it, you can always go back to paying all the bills." Mayor Burden said, "If we should do it, everything should be in writing." [Note from the Editor: A signed intergovernmental agreement is required between the cities and the County FD.] City Attorney Tom Morton advised the City Council that when it is decided, everything will be in writing.

The citizens of Meansville and residents in the southeast portion of the county are going to be directly affected by the decision of the Meansville City Council on Monday night. If Meansville decides to merge with the County FD, it would be a win-win situation for both Meansville and the County as this section of the county will have adequate fire protection that citizens deserve and the County FD will cover Meansville FD's expenses and training.

If the Meansville City Council decides not to join the County FD, it will be choosing to fund its own fire department as well as provide the state-mandated training and equipment which must be maintained for its ISO rating. The City of Meansville will then have to decide whether or not it will be a part of a mutual aid agreement with Pike County. And questions of whether to build another fire station in the southeast section of the county and how to fund it will have to be addressed as well.

The public is invited to attend the next meeting of the Meansville City Council to be held on Monday, February 14, 2011 at 7 p.m. at City Hall in Meansville.

2.10.11
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September Meansville City Council Meeting
By Editor Becky Watts

MEANSVILLE - The meeting was called to order and City business concerning the prior meeting minutes and financials were taken care of first. Then citizen Margie Trammell was on the agenda to ask questions about the Pike County Fire District.

Margie presented the Council with a copy of the ISO map, a copy of the County Fire District Ordinance, and a copy of the letter from County Manager to the City of Meansville asking whether it was going to join the County Fire District for their benefit if they did not have this information already. [Note from the Editor: Margie advised me that she had spoken with Mayor Burden and Meansville Chief Scott Huckaby. She had been advised that she had been told that they did not know what Pike County was doing with the County Fire District and this is why she brought the documents to the meeting.]

Margie started out by saying that she understood that this had been voted on in a prior meeting. She said that she does not live in the City of Meansville and cannot vote for anyone on the City Council but stated that what they have voted on affects her and everyone who lives in the Meansville Fire District.

Her first question was how the City of Meansville was going to fund its Fire Department since the City has voted not to become a part of the County Fire District. “If the county doesn’t give you money, how are you going to be buy fuel and equipment for that Fire Department…?” she asked.

She was told by one member that they would do what they did before the county started giving them money. Margie then asked specifically where that money would come from because the City of Meansville does not tax its residents. Mayor Gayle Burden said that the City of Meansville gets Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), revenue from the City’s water department, business licenses, franchise tax from Georgia Power, an ISO check, and other resources as well as donations to the Fire Department.

Mayor Burden confirmed that the City of Meansville does not collect taxes at this time but may have to in the future. She said that the City might have to go up on its water as well. She said that the City of Meansville has always matched the money that the county has given to them to run the Meansville Fire Department.

Margie stated that she did not want to make any enemies and was not trying to be antagonistic but stated that there were several hundred people that live in the Meansville Fire District and everyone is concerned. She made a point to say that she wasn’t coming to discuss her own property because her house is so far off of a paved road that it would be gone by the time that the trucks could get there, but that she came on behalf of the citizens in the Fire District and everyone that pays the fire tax.

Margie’s second question was what the City of Meansville could do with $5,000. “How far does that $5,000 go?” She was told that specifics on how much fuel that could buy and other answers would have to come from the Meansville Fire Chief.

Margie asked if each Council person had considered the benefit of being a part of a $500,000 budget rather than a $5,000 budget. She asked how that might benefit the citizens that you serve as well as to those who live outside of the City Limits of Meansville. To support this, she said that if there were seven stations, she said that there would be $71,000 per station if that $500,000 was broken down evenly and if there were eight, it would be $62,000. She stated that Meansville could do a lot more with $62,000 than with $5,000.

Margie then asked: What is the benefit to the citizens in the Meansville Fire District for not joining the Pike County Fire District?

Update 10.10.09: Mayor Burden said that she didn't think that the county had this ironed out yet. Margie replied that was why she brought a copy of the ordinance that will be amended as cities join with the county in the Fire District so they would know what was going on. However, it was confirmed that County Manager Marro had brought a copy of this ordinance at the June 8, 2009 Meansville City Council meeting that he attended at Mayor Burden's request. Mayor Burden then advised that the City Council discussed the County Fire District at the July 14, 2009 meeting and they took a vote at that time. Everyone voted against joining the County Fire District except one person who abstained from the vote.

Council Member Al Milby then said that he was the member who abstained and that he was concerned about how the City was going to make up that $5,000 that the county gives each year. Discussion from other members included the fact that there has only been one fire within the City Limits in the past nine years and that the City of Meansville was spending money to buy gas to fight fires outside of the City Limits. However, it was pointed out that the Meansville Fire Department has a mutual aid agreement with the county until December 31, 2009.

Mayor Burden then said that the City of Meansville has to maintain so many services in order to keep their city charter. She also said that someone told her that SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax--a one cent tax on everything that is sold in the county) paid for the new fire truck. Mayor Burden disagreed with that because that money was allotted to Meansville and they chose to purchase the fire truck.

Meansville Fire Station Chief Scott Huckaby came into the meeting to answer questions around this time.

Margie Trammell then asked a question about whether comments from this meeting meant that the new fire truck only stayed within the City Limits of Meansville. Mayor Burden answered by saying the truck doesn't stay inside of the City Limits but that it does belong to the City of Meansville. Margie then commented that the new fire truck was a good expenditure of taxpayer funds and that truck is something that can benefit all of the citizens of the Meansville Fire District.

Margie then brought the discussion back to how the City of Meansville was going to fund the Fire Department if it is not a part of the County Fire District. She asked how does it benefit the average citizens in the Meansville Fire District--not those living within the City Limits--to not be a part of the County Fire District since a majority of the citizens in the Meansville Fire District live outside of the City Limits.

This question was not answered because discussion then went to the 6/9 ISO rating that the county has been given by ISO--the company that evaluated the County Fire Department for insurance purposes. [Note from the Editor: This question wasn't answered in the meeting, but in the letter from Mayor Burden to County Manager Marro which is documented in the article "Meansville City Council Says No", Mayor Burden said: “We don’t see that there will be a general benefit to our community or the southeast corner of the county by consolidating the fire departments.” This attempted to answer a question with a negative but really does not state the benefits of not joining the County Fire District for Meansville Fire District citizens who live outside of the City Limits. I don't live in the Meansville Fire District, but I have friends and family who do. And I am in disagreement with Mayor Burden's statement because pictures from a recent fire on the We Are Pike County page show members from seven departments in the County Fire District working together at a fire instead of one independent department. I saw fire fighters working together and several tanker trucks leaving to bring water to that afternoon house fire. If my house was on fire, I would want all of the help that I could get!]

Update 10.14.09:

Margie Trammell asked if the Meansville Fire Department would send a letter to her insurance company stating that the Meansville Fire Department will respond to her home on a first call basis if there is a fire. There has been some question on this because she does not live within the city limits of Meansville. Meansville Fire Chief Scott Huckaby advised that he would do this. [Note from the Editor: Meansville Fire Chief Huckaby did sent this letter to Margie's insurance company on the same week of the meeting.]

It was stated again at this point in the meeting that the City of Meansville Fire Department and Pike County have a mutual aid agreement until December 31, 2009. After that, it is up to the City Council. Meansville Chief Huckaby gave a report on calls that had been responded to and then left the meeting.

Council member Al Milby asked again about how the City of Meansville was going to make up the $5,000 that the county has been giving for Meansville's Fire Department. The answer given was that the City of Meansville might have to start charging taxes. He was told that they would cross that bridge when they got to it. [Note from the Editor: Councilman Milby was cut off rather abruptly when he continued to ask this very important question. It seemed to me like the City Council as a whole had made up its mind and doesn't want to hear about any other options. If this is the case, citizens living outside of the Meansville City Limits and those in that southern tip of the county are going to be the ones who suffer the consequences. However, there may be some benefits to those citizens for the Meansville Fire Department staying independent that I haven't heard or thought of. I would be happy to upload a rebuttal in full onto the Letters to the Editor page from citizens who disagree and write an article with a reference to the entire letter if a rebuttal is given by the City of Meansville or other Meansville entity on this topic.]

City Clerk Jerome Finley was sworn in by attorney Tom Morton. An Executive Session was held on personnel matters.

It was decided that public notices will be placed on an enclosed bulletin board so notices are current for the citizens. The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

10.9.09
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Meansville City Council Says No
By Editor Becky Watts

MEANSVILLE - The Pike County Fire Ordinance was passed by the Board of Commissioners on June 10, 2009. Section 103 of the Fire District Ordinance stated what services are provided: “Within the Pike County Fire District, the County shall provide fire prevention, EMA, EMS, Fire Fighting Services and Fire Fighting Operations as it may from time to time determine, including but not limited to the provision of such services by contract or in cooperation with any municipalities within the County or with any other fire protection entity.”

All of the city fire departments except for the City of Meansville have become part of the Pike County Fire District. Intergovernmental agreements have been signed and the bills have been sent out for the funding needed to operate this department.

Attempts have been made by County Officials to bring pertinent information and answer questions for all of the cities. On June 8, 2009, Pike County Manager Steve Marro attended a City of Meansville Council meeting to bring this matter to their attention and answer any questions that Council members had.

Pike County Fire Chief Danny Henderson advised that he had spoken to Meansville Mayor Gayle Burden about a month after County Manager Marro had attended the City Council Meeting. At that time, Chief Henderson offered to meet with the Meansville City Council to bring the facts about the County Fire District to them as well as answer any questions that they might have. This offer was declined. Chief Henderson advised that he has spoken with Meansville Fire Department’s Assistant Chief Ron Snowden many times but that attempts to reach Meansville Fire Chief Scott Huckaby have been unsuccessful.

Pike County Commissioners have asked many times whether the City of Meansville would join the County Fire District. Questions continued as the rest of the cities signed intergovernmental agreements that allowed the fire fee to go out with regular tax bills earlier this month.

When a question arose about mutual aid in the August 25, 2009 Board of Commissioners Meeting, Commissioners asked the County Manager to request specific, written response on the “actual intent of the city’s fire department as it pertains to the existing mutal aid agreement; especially the ‘automatic aid’ portion.”

County Manager Marro did this in a letter dated August 27, 2009. He went on to say that a prompt response would be helpful to the County Commission as it is on the verge of finalizing the Pike County Fire District and agreements pertaining to this and that the Pike County Fire Chief needs to know of these intentions as well since the mutual aid agreement with the City of Meansville is nearing renewal.

There was no notification from the City of Meansville on whether it would choose to join the County Fire Department or its intent with the mutual aid agreement with the county until a letter arrived at the Commission Office and was stamped as received on September 22, 2009. This letter was a response from Mayor Gayle Burden to a letter written on August 27, 2009 by County Manager Stephen A. Marro on the behalf of the Board of Commissioners.

The September 16, 2009 response from Mayor Burden was addressed to Chairman Doug Mangham and County Manager Marro though the letter itself was written to Chairman Mangham. Mayor Burden began the letter by saying that she was “sorry that rumors have caused Mr. Marro so much concern”. She then chastised County Manager Marro for not calling her or one of the Council members to answer questions about the fire department even though he had attended the June 8, 2009 Meansville City Council meeting.

Mayor Burden continued her letter by saying that the City of Meansville also has concerns about the consolidation of the fire departments. “We don’t see that there will be a general benefit to our community or the southeast corner of the county by consolidating the fire departments,” she said.

Mayor Burden praised the City of Meansville Volunteer Fire Department as being “dedicated and professional” and stated that it operates on a budget of $5,000 from the City of Meansville and $5,000 from the county. She said that the City of Meansville will continue to depend on its volunteers and stated that “a county of our size can not afford to have a full time paid fire department.”

County Fire Chief Danny Henderson told the Pike County Times today that a paid, county fire department “was not necessary, not a desire, and not a goal” of the Pike County Fire Department. He advised that the Pike County Fire Department was working toward a more effective, more efficient, and more professional fire department and that pay status has nothing to do with any of these things.

Mayor Burden then commented about higher taxes and reduced services and stated, “… it is our judgment that the county will not be able to provide the level of service that is currently received from the City of Meansville Volunteer Fire Department under county control” and that “It would be in the best interest of Pike County to continue to fund the Meansville Volunteer Fire Department as it is.”

The cost would be $5,000 per year for the county to fund this independent department and that the Meansville Volunteer Fire Department will continue to serve the entire county as needed as it always has. This includes operating under “any and all mutual aid agreements” and that the City of Meansville will consider any mutual aid agreements that are proposed to the City of Meansville.

Citizen Margie Trammell lives in the Meansville Fire District and attended the September 14, 2009 Meansville City Council to ask some of the same questions that were posed in the County Manager’s letter. Mrs. Trammell asked how the Meansville Fire Department would be funded funded as far as fuel and equipment and was advised the same $5,000 from the county and $5,000 from the City as Mayor Burden’s letter states. She also asked if he would provide a letter to her insurance company stating that the Meansville City Fire Department would respond on a first call basis even though she does not live within the city limits of Meansville.

Meansville Fire Chief Scott Huckaby advised during that meeting that the Meansville City Fire Department had responded to calls in the past and would continue to respond to mutual aid calls with the county. Meansville Fire Chief Huckaby said that he would provide a letter to her insurance company stating that the Meansville City Fire Department would respond on a first call basis even though she does not live within the city limits of Meansville. He has since given this letter to Mrs. Trammell’s insurance company.

During the Meansville meeting, Mrs. Trammell repeatedly asked how it would benefit the citizens in the Meansville Fire District to not be a part of the County Fire District. This question was not answered. Mrs. Trammell also asked, “Would it not be of more benefit to the Meansville Fire Department to be a part of the $500,000 budget than a $5,000 budget?” That question remains unanswered.

[Note from the Editor: I have moved this article up to be with my write up from the September 14th meeting. Councilman Al Milby asked more than once where the money was going to come from to replace that $5,000 that the county had paid in the past.]

9.30.09
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Pike County Receives ISO Ratings

ZEBULON - The Insurance Services Office (ISO) has given Pike County a Public Protection Classification rating of 6/9. Yesterday Chief Danny Henderson of Pike County Emergency Services (PCES) met with ISO officials and received their inspection report. Ratings in the report likely will become effective January 1, 2010.

If improvements resulting in a lower rating are made before January 1, 2010 they would be incorporated and become effective then. This would translate into further savings for taxpayers. However, Pike County has one year from the date of the rating’s issuance to deal with problem areas. After those issues are addressed the county’s rating can be reconsidered by ISO.

“There are definitely some areas where we can make improvements,” said Chief Henderson. “Some have already been dealt with following the initial inspection. We missed a Class 5 by only a few points. We will be working diligently to lower the rating before January 1st.”

The lower the Public Protection Classification rating, the greater the savings passed onto homeowners through lower insurance charges. Split ratings such as ours are very common and are dependent upon a multitude of factors. Properties within five miles of a PCES station are eligible for the “6” classification, while those in outlying areas beyond that distance will be rated at the “9” score. For homeowners in many areas this should translate into significantly lower homeowners’ insurance rates. In fact one homeowner has already taken advantage of the new 6/9 rating, receiving a 40% discount on homeowners insurance.

In November of last year ISO representatives inspected Pike County Emergency Services. Local officials have been looking forward to the report’s completion for some time.

“Now that the consolidating of departments is final,” said newly appointed Deputy Chief Randy Snyder, “we now for the first time have the ability to combine resources to accomplish not only the lowering of ISO scores in both the cities and county, but the ability to better serve the citizens as a whole.”

Submitted 9.4.09
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