December 12, 2024
On December 10, 2024, the City of West Liberty and the Rural Trustees, who both support the West Liberty Fire Department, reached an agreement on a proposed 28E Agency to provide fire protection to the residents of the City of West Liberty and the Wapsinonoc, Goshen, Pike, and Lake Townships in Muscatine County, Iowa; Iowa and Springdale Townships in Cedar County, Iowa; and Lincoln Township in Johnson County, Iowa.
The agreement now must be voted on by the township trustees and the West Liberty City Council.
Mayor Mark Smith, who participated in the negotiations, said he would encourage the City Council members to support the proposed agreement. “I feel the rural trustees were willing to accept provisions the City proposed as well as the City officials accepting provisions the rural trustees proposed. I believe this agreement creates the basis for the fire protection the people of this area deserve.”
Rural Fire District chair, Dick Brand, said he would also encourage the rural trustees to approve the establishment of the new agency. Brand said, “Reaching this agreement is a major step towards stabilizing our already outstanding fire and EMS services and brings to an end a long and difficult process. Residents of the rural, as well as the city, fire district now have equal representation in the decision making process of providing fire and EMS coverage and care to all of us.”
A key component of the agreement is establishment of the fire protection agency first, and within a year after execution of the agreement, emergency medical services will be brought into the new fire organization if approved by the Emergency Medical Services Board, the rural trustees, and the West Liberty City Council. There is a provision for additional time for transfer of emergency medical services if requested by the new entity.