Liability and discipline issues postpone a deal allowing Largo Fire Rescue to oversee Belleair Bluffs' fire services.
By LORRI HELFAND
Published February 11, 2004
BELLEAIR BLUFFS - The city's Fire Department will have to wait a bit longer for a leader.
A contract with Largo Fire Rescue to run the Belleair Bluffs Fire Department hit a snag Monday after city commissioners raised concerns over a few issues in the agreement.
Liability was a key factor. Most of the commissioners were troubled by a clause that shielded Largo and all of its officials, employees and representatives from liability related to the execution of the agreement.
"The whole paragraph is bad. It should be thrown out or reworded," said fire Commissioner Dave Shimkus, who opposed the agreement in the first place.
Mayor Chris Arbutine, a supporter of Largo Fire Rescue's leadership, agreed with Shimkus.
"They're responsible for their negligence, and we're responsible for ours," Arbutine said.
Commissioners also had concerns about how disciplinary proceedings would be handled. The initial agreement gave Largo Fire Rescue the authority to discipline Belleair Bluffs firefighters. The City Commission asked for a revision to ensure that Belleair Bluffs' mayor and commission would be consulted in those cases.
Shimkus said the agreement was riddled with problems.
"I had heated words with the mayor on nine or 10 points," Shimkus said. "It's my job and the commission's job that we enter into the best contract."
Arbutine said the agreement simply needed to be fine-tuned.
Largo fire Chief E. Caroll Williams said he didn't hear any deal breakers at Monday's meeting.
"I don't think there's anything major there," Williams said. "We'll certainly take a look at the new language that they want to incorporate, and if we're okay with it, we'll move forward with it."
Three weeks ago, Belleair Bluffs commissioners voted 4-1 to negotiate a three-year agreement with Largo Fire Rescue to run their department, which serves about 9,000 people in Belleair Bluffs, the town of Belleair and unincorporated areas of Harbor Hills, Harbor Bluffs and Oakdale Manor.
Shortly after that meeting, Shimkus told officials he thought the agreement conflicted with the city's charter, which prohibits the commission from contracting for primary fire services with another party without a referendum.
Arbutine co-sponsored that amendment to the charter.
He said it was written to prevent the abolishment of the Fire Department without a vote from the citizens.
"It doesn't limit our ability to hire any administration we want," Arbutine said.
On Monday, most of the commission agreed. Members voted 4-1 that the agreement was not a violation of the charter. Shimkus was the dissenting vote.
Under the agreement, Belleair Bluffs would pay Largo Fire Rescue $136,500 the first year, with inflationary adjustments in the second and third year.
Largo's department would supervise and train employees and oversee fire incident reporting and fire investigations, orchestrate fire prevention activities and develop long-range plans for fire prevention.
Every day a district chief, training chief or deputy chief would visit the department, and a district chief would also be dispatched to all fires.
Belleair Bluffs will be required to have sufficient equipment, facilities and employees.
And both cities would be responsible for workers' compensation, casualty and liability insurance for their own employees.
Officials plan to vote on a revised contract Tuesday.
Both Arbutine and Shimkus think it will pass.
"It's another step toward making our department a career department where firefighters will come there and enjoy a long career," Arbutine said.
But Shimkus said the city is making a big mistake.
"Largo would be taking over the department, and we'd be paying them a nice chunk of money to do it."
