WAITSBURG – Waitsburg's city council is in unanimous agreement that it would like to see the city totally out of the fire and ambulance business.

At the June 17 city council meeting, the council approved Ordinance 2015-1031, which will initiate the process of annexing the Waitsburg City Fire Department into Walla Walla County Fire District No. 2. Voter approval of the annexation will also be required.

Plans include transitioning the Waitsburg Ambulance Service (WAS) into the district as well. Because the WAS is a private entity, neither an ordinance nor a public vote is required for the ambulance service transfer.

In a memo to the mayor and council, City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe explained that the city has been pursuing annexation into Fire District No. 2 for many years, but has previously met with objections from the district fire commissioners. Recent financial hardships and a shortage of manpower faced by the WAS has forced the subject of annexation for both entities.

Waitsburg's current fire protection is provided by three entities: Waitsburg City Fire Department, Walla Walla County Fire District No. 2 and Columbia County Fire District No. 2. All are housed in the same building and share equipment and personnel through a mutual aid agreement.

Typically, the city fire chief is also chief for the two districts, but all three have a different set of commissioners or council members overseeing them. Jim Callahan currently holds all three chief positions.

Many of the fire-related expenses are cost-shared, with the city providing approximately $15,000 for the city fire department through the city's General Fund budget, according to Hinchliffe.

Hinchliffe said he and Mayor Walt Gobel have spent the last few months attending meetings that addressed the desire of the WAS to be included in Walla Walla County Fire District 2. It was made clear early on, Hinchliffe said, that the city would only support the WAS (and the EMS levy funds that pass through the city to the WAS) going to Fire District 2 under the condition that the city fire department be allowed to pursue annexation into the district as well.

WAS faces a lack of funding and volunteer support, as well as the loss of two paid staffers. Those issues, along with the positive example of Dayton's recent consolidation of three entities into one organization, have prompted the fire commissioners to consider annexation of the city fire department, Hinchliffe said.

At last week's council meeting, Hinchliffe said that even if the ordinance passed, the changeover would not occur until January 2017, with the city responsible for funding the city fire department in 2016.

"One of the biggest concerns for all the entities involved is that it takes so long to happen," said Mayor Gobel. "If we don't get it going this year, it will be 2018 before it happens."

During the meeting, council member Deb Callahan explained that Roger Ferris from the Washington Fire Commissioner's Association has been a part of the discussions and will continue to provide support through the proposed transition.

"This is a service they provide, and they provided it to Dayton," she said. "He goes through everything from discussions to elections."

Comments from council revolved around ensuring that all aspects of both fire and ambulance services, including items such as billing and equipment maintenance, would no longer be the city's responsibility.

"If we're getting out of the fire business, let's get out of it," said council member Marty Dunn. Gobel assured him that was the city's intent.

Following discussion, the council voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2015-1031. The ordinance puts the fire district on notice that the city would like the opportunity to place the annexation on November's ballot.

The fire commissioners will then approve or decline the request. If approved by the fire commissioners, the request will go before the Walla Walla County Commissioners for final approval before landing on November's ballot for a public vote.