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Around May 2022, the Board of Fire Commissioners for the Northshore Fire Department (representing LFP & Kenmore) approved a fire services contract to consolidate with Shoreline Fire. The contract has been working well and reduced costs by 1.4 million per year. But contracts can be canceled, and once an RFA is created, it's for good. LFP City Councilmember Paula Goode shares this concern:
Northshore Fire currently has about a 4 million dollar surplus that can only be used in Northshore, but the RFA would allow those funds to be used outside of Northshore. For example, Shoreline Fire recently purchased a property in Richmond Beach as a future fire station, and those funds could be reallocated as the RFA sees fit. Maybe even for a boat? The Shoreline Fire Department website doesn't show any budget documents on the website.
Screen shot of slide during Shoreline Fire Chief, Matt Cowan's presentation during LFP city council regular meeting Dec. 12, 2024On January 22nd, 2024, the LFP Town Crier asked via email that Chief Cowan provide district activity reports that were stated to have been "attached and incorporated by reference" to the January 4th regular meeting minutes but have not been responded to, as of this writing.
Now, the Shoreline Fire Chief and others strongly support the creation of a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) involving the same two fire districts. Shoreline Fire even hired a public affairs agency called Gallatin Public Affairs, which, according to their website, "...helping our clients navigate the public eye, overcome challenges and seize opportunities." On Fri, Jan 17, 2025, Gallatin representative Bruce Gryniewski asked if the LFP Town Crier "consider retracting, or at least correcting, the false statements in Dave Maehren's opinion piece." Since then, the LFP Town Crier has published a letter to the editor from Shoreline Fire Chief Matt Cowan and Dave Maehren's response to that (at the bottom).
One of the points made by Chief Cowan at the Dec. 12, 2024, City of LFP council meeting was that the current Interlocal Agreement between Northshore & Shoreline Fire is "just a contract" that can be canceled with two years' notice. His presentation slide is telling in that it states, "Locking-in..." implying this is a benefit to the public. The situation might be viewed in terms of state rights vs. federal rights. Each state has some autonomy to run things how they see fit. An RFA appears to be akin to giving up state rights to be governed by the Feds. Or to give up city rights to be governed by the county. Much industry jargon is used to explain the benefits of the RFA. Yet, one must ponder why they hired a PR firm and are pushing so hard for this especially since all five Shoreline Fire Commissioners are either current firefighters or spouses of Shoreline firefighters. LFP has no representation with the Northshore Fire Commission.
Screen shot of slide during Shoreline Fire Chief, Matt Cowan's presentation during LFP city council regular meeting Dec. 12, 2024Northshore Fire currently has about a 5 million dollar surplus that can only be used in Northshore; the RFA would allow those funds to be used outside Northshore.
100% Fact Based - Presented by David Maehren and Paul Hess
Thursday Night Zoom Invite - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87246118837?pwd=HRmKUEv2oVykqz4IPSaFYcNnuxtaK4.1
Friday Night Zoom Invite -
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82490330792?pwd=iaMTimxOJbj0fHzFlCYuR5i8h3ltGw.1
