Lincoln makes offer for Chester fire service

CHESTER – After negotiations during the last two months, Lincoln officials have presented the town’s selectmen with a potential contract for fire protection that’s more than the current rate, but less than what Lincoln residents pay per capita.

In a letter to Chester’s Board of Selectmen last Friday, Lincoln Town Manager Glenn Aho proposed that Chester annually pay two-thirds the per capita cost that Lincoln pays, which is $90.43 per person. Chester’s cost would be $59.68 for each of its 525 residents for a total annual cost of $31,332.

While the new rate is a substantial increase over the $13,623 Chester paid last year for fire services, it’s less than what Lincoln town officials had asked for in October. Aho had made the request that Chester pay the same rate as Lincoln residents, which would have tripled their annual cost to nearly $50,000.

Aho explained the request by saying that Lincoln’s Fire Department provides 24-hour fire coverage for both Lincoln and Chester, but Lincoln residents pay for the service all the time, while Chester pays for it on a per-incident basis.

The board didn’t accept the October proposal. Chester First Selectman Temple Ireland pointed out at meetings in December and January with Lincoln officials that Chester wasn’t, in fact, receiving the same service as Lincoln residents. Ireland pointed out that Chester generates fewer emergency calls and it also has to pay for any mutual aid response if Lincoln calls for assistance at a fire scene.

Those examples led Lincoln officials to suggest a two-thirds rate, which would cover the department’s costs, Aho said. The new rate also will allow for Chester’s portion to stay in line with Lincoln’s Fire Department budget, he said.

“As our expenses change, so too will the contract,” Aho said Wednesday. “As soon as our firetruck is paid off, I would expect the rate to go down.”

If Chester’s selectmen approve of the new contract rate, it still will need to be ratified by the Lincoln council, Aho said.

Ireland said Wednesday night that the selectmen had reviewed the latest offer, but he anticipated more negotiations with Lincoln toward an optimum range of between $20,000 and $30,000.

“The [recent] offer is closer than when we started,” Ireland said. “I still feel there’s a little negotiating room.”

Ireland said he planned to prepare a counteroffer that he believed would use a more equitable formula to reflect actual costs and be acceptable to both communities. Ireland said he hopes a two- or three-year contract could be negotiated and the issue could be resolved in time for the annual town meeting on March 15.

At the same time, the town recently has formed a committee to investigate options concerning the start-up of a volunteer fire department, Ireland said. Potentially a long-term option, a volunteer department would be beneficial for the town but would require a public safety building, as well as voter support, he said.