WHAT’S NEXTThe Fort Oglethorpe City Council meets again July 26 at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall.
With nine days left under a termination notice, Fort Oglethorpe officials worked Tuesday to push back an ultimatum from firefighters that would end fire coverage next week.
Officials for Post, the nonprofit fire department that has handled fire protection for the city and parts of Catoosa County for decades, say they have no choice but to cease coverage because they haven’t been paid in three weeks.
“We can’t provide fire protection free of charge,” said Robbie Tester, chairman of the board for Post. “Every day we put firemen in stations we have to pay for.”
For months, the city, Catoosa County and Post officials have been in heated talks about fire coverage, with Fort Oglethorpe leaders pushing for a city-run department rather than the per-response reimbursement system now in place.
On Monday, Post officials handed the city a 10-day notice, saying they would cease fire protection after the deadline.
On Tuesday, Vice Mayor Louis Hamm asked City Manager Ron Goulart to draft a letter, asking for the notice to be extended five days so the City Council can have another meeting which he hoped would be more productive than Monday night’s.
Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Ronnie Cobb and Councilman Eddie Stinnett were not at the meeting Monday, forcing Mr. Hamm to serve in the mayor’s role without a vote and leaving only three votes. Changes to city procedures require three votes for passage, meaning that on Monday one dissenting vote would doom a vote.
A measure to add funding for the Post and another to reimburse the Post the $9,000 it’s owed were both defeated 2-1.
“Everything died for the lack of a majority,” Mr. Tester said.
City officials also were frustrated, according to Mr. Hamm, who said he would have voted for both measures if given a chance.
“That’s what happens when people are not there and the mayor’s not there,” he said.
Mr. Cobb announced at a meeting in June that he would be traveling this week, and Mr. Stinnett called and informed the city manager at 5:30 p.m. Monday that he would be absent because of work obligations in Nashville.
Mr. Hamm said he was a little surprised by the 10-day notice, but he could understand the department’s position. He remained hopeful that a positive solution could be achieved.
“I can’t blame them,” he said. “There are still some talks that need to be done and some talks that will go on.”
Mr. Tester said Post probably would honor the five-day extension request and that the department was ready to compromise on consolidating with the city.
The most recent disagreement stems from firefighters wanting to know how the city planned to staff and operate the stations once it took over, he said.
“They never would give us those answers,” Mr. Tester said. “I’ve never been part of something that says, ‘Give us all of your stuff but don’t ask us any questions.'”
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