Politics & Government

Fire Services Focal Point of Council Meeting

Two motions on the Canton City Council agenda for Thursday evening's meeting deal with fire services.

When the Canton City Council sits down in their chambers at City Hall on Thursday evening, the topic on everyone's mind will be how the city should handle its fire services.

Councilman Bob Rush has a motion on the agenda to formally accept Ecological Planning Group's $14,940 bid to perform a fire services funding study on behalf of the city. The study will include a needs assessment, a review of fee rate methodologies in use by other Georgia cities, and a public presentation on the group's findings once research is complete.

During the March 21 city council meeting, councilmen had differing opinions on Rush's initial proposal. Councilman Bill Bryan said at the time that an outside consulting group would "de-politicize" the issue, while Councilman Glen Cummins felt it was premature to examine ways to fund fire services when the new fire services options haven't been fully explored.

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One of Cummins' three proposed fire services options included consolidation of the Canton Fire Department with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. To that end, Cherokee County has created a draft consolidation ordinance and consolidation agreement that would formalize the union of the two departments.

Council support of consolidation is lukewarm, at best. Councilman John Beresford has put forth a motion that would disallow the city council from examining any consolidation options until the county submits a proposal that details the cost to city taxpayers, a verdict on the senior tax exemption, and explanation on whether or not city assets will have to be transferred.

Find out what's happening in Canton-Sixeswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Beresford spoke during the March 21 meeting of a need to move past the ideas of consolidation and the failed fire bond referendum.

"I was hoping to have a fresh start tonight in trying to work through the issues we have in order to get fire services we need," said Beresford during the meeting, "But Mr. Cummins wants to belabor the point of consolidation."

Other items on the council agenda for Thursday evening's meeting include:

  • Selecting a new member of the Urban Redevelopment Agency
  • Action on a Planning Commission recommendation dealing with a church that wishes to operate in a light industrial facility
  • Action on a Planning Commission recommendation to increase the commercial area at 2000 Towne Mill Avenue
  • First reading of an addendum to the city's pension plan
  • Approving surplus city property for auction

The agenda for Thursday evening's meeting, along with the Ecological Planning Group proposal and Beresford's fire services motion, are attached to this article. If you cannot attend the 6 p.m. meeting in person, Canton-Sixes Patch will have a live stream of the proceedings.


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