Orion Township and the Village of Lake Orion continue to squabble over a figure for dispatch services, though both sides think they are getting close to a solution.
The issue was first reported by The Review last December.
The township contracts with the village for its fire dispatch services, which cost nearly $70,000 in 2006.
There is currently no contract in place for this year, though the village continues to provide the service.
The village is seeking a 30-percent increase this year, with a three-percent increase in subsequent years (the previous contract called for five-percent increases).
‘The village chose to increase the dispatch service by 30-percent,? Orion Township Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said. ‘Our proposal back to them was a 15-percent increase.?
The counter-proposal was presented at a meeting two weeks ago involving township and village representatives.
Also attending the March 29 meeting were Fire Chief Jeff Key and Fire Marshal Bob Smith.
‘That was the first we’d seen of it,? Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel said of the counter-proposal.
‘The fire department was proposing a 15-percent increase, instead of a 30-percent increase,? she added. ‘But there was an indication that if we included services like dispatch training, they’d be willing to pay the 30-percent.?
The item was on the village council’s agenda for executive session this past Monday.
‘Council directed the attorney to redraft the proposal to include the things the township had requested,? Van Tassel said after the meeting, noting that she had already been in contact with the township on the matter.
Once the new proposal comes back to the township, it will likely end up on a board meeting agenda (there are two more board meetings planned for April).
Both sides said they hope the recent happenings are signs that this issue, which has been ongoing since November, is coming to a resolution.
‘In November, the village reviewed the draft agreement for the fire dispatch service,? Van Tassel said.
Van Tassel said after the board reviewed the village’s draft agreement, they requested a list of rationale for the increase, which her office provided shortly thereafter.
Included in the rationale was a 40-percent increase in population from 1990 to 2000 based on recently released census figures, additional responders and fire halls, more housing projects under construction and more medical calls, among other things.
‘There was a motion by their board to give the fire chief until March to review it,? Van Tassel said of the village’s proposal.
At their March 5 meeting, the township board removed that deadline and appointed a committee to meet with a committee from the village council on the matter.
The dispatch service is not the only thing the two committees discussed at the March 29 meeting.
‘We want to resolve not only the issue with the dispatch, but also the hydrants, which has been ongoing,? Dywasuk said.
‘We had hoped there would be some progress on this hydrant issue,? he added. ‘This is some serious stuff.?
Van Tassel agreed with the importance of the hydrant issue, but said the dispatch agreement must take precedent.
‘Let’s take care of the dispatch thing and then worry about the hydrants and other issues,? she said.