Clear Lake Township reaches agreements for fire service

Trustees from Clear Lake Township have signed new 10-year contracts for fire service with the cities of Ventura and Clear Lake.  The agreements, which go into effect today (July 1), close the door on a controversy which spanned more than a year.

“There have been nothing but positive things to say about the agreements,” said Clear Lake Township Trustee Scott Pederson.  In essence, trustees decided to divide the township in half, from north to south, for the purpose of determining where their fire service would come from.  The west side of the township will be served by the Ventura Fire Department, while the east side will be served by the Clear Lake Fire Department.

Every two years there will be a financial update because the rates are calculated using certified assessed property valuations.

Clear Lake Township trustees were embattled with the Ventura Protective Association in early 2013.  At that time the now-defunct VPA had presented all townships using their services with new, more costly, contracts.  The cost for fire service for Clear Lake Township was set to rise from $11,556 to $42,551.  The contracts took into account the department’s increased effort to set aside funds for future equipment purchases and building needs.

Union and Grant Townships each signed new contracts, which were for substantially less than that charged to Clear Lake Township because of population and property valuation.

After months of negotiation, the VPA reached an agreement in March 2014 to provide service for Clear Lake Township, clearing the way for the dissolution of the 66-year-old organization. Under the terms of the one-year agreement, the township agreed to pay the VPA $31,250 per year for fire service.  The township also agreed to a one-time payment of $11,000 to the VPA for the replacement, maintenance and repair of its fire equipment.  In exchange, the VPA acknowledged the

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payment satisfies what it had claimed was underpayment for fire protection and equipment replacement under prior agreements.

Pederson said the one-year contract gave Clear Lake Township trustees time to craft fire service agreements which would be fair to all.

“We, as a board, concluded in the fall of 2013 that the best way to set up payment for fire service was to create two fire districts,” said Pederson. “Each side of the township will pay for where they are getting services from.”

Property owners in Clear Lake Township will see a slight change to their tax bill.  All township residents will see a charge for the Ventura Cemetery.  In addition, there will be a taxed amount for either Ventura or Clear Lake fire service.

Peterson said under terms the new agreement, annual payment by the township to the City of Ventura will be approximately $28,000, while payment to Clear Lake will be in the $24,000 to $26,000 range.

“This is a very calculated and thought-out process that involved everyone,” said Pederson.  Clear Lake Township residents were never at risk of being without fire service, but “we wanted to make sure this was a long term solution and took all of the uncertainty out of it.”

Paul Menke and Marsha Doebel also serve as Clear Lake Township trustees, along with Kent Thoe, who is the clerk.