Twin Cities' fire chiefs will iron out accord

The Clarkston City Council gave the fire chief the green light Monday to negotiate a mutual aid agreement with the city of Lewiston.

Clarkston Fire Chief Steve Cooper and Lewiston Fire Chief Travis Myklebust are now working on the fine print of a five-year plan for the neighboring departments to respond to fires on both sides of the Snake River.

The mayors of each city will be asked to sign the agreement when the fire chiefs are done hammering out the details.

Councilor Terry Beadles complimented Cooper at Monday night's council meeting for working diligently on the issue over the years.

Lewiston also should be applauded for considering mutual aid, said Councilor George Nash.

A previous agreement between the two entities came to an end about five years ago when Clarkston started its own ambulance service. At the time, Lewiston officials said they were worried about the smaller city relying too heavily on the larger department for coverage.

In recent months, Myklebust and Cooper have been in discussions about establishing a new agreement. Clarkston officials said they are pleased to see the plan move forward.

In other city business Monday:

• Asotin County District Court filing fees are being "fine-tuned" by City Attorney Todd Richardson before the council takes action. A tiered-rate system for traffic infractions and criminal cases is in the works, Beadles told the council.
• Beadles was elected mayor pro-tem for 2015. He will fill in for Mayor Kathleen Warren in the event she has to miss a meeting.
• Dick Jones, a former Clarkston fire chief, was appointed to the city's public safety committee. Jim Braddock, a former city building inspector, was appointed to the public works and public safety committees.
• The council authorized a letter of support for a grant application that would provide funding for resurfacing of the Southway Bridge. Local project costs will be shared by the cities of Lewiston and Clarkston and Asotin and Nez Perce counties. Lewiston is handling the grant application.
• Tourism contracts with the Hells Canyon Visitor Bureau and Clarkston Rotary Club were approved. Lodging taxes collected in the city are used to promote tourism in the area. According to the contracts, the Hells Canyon organization will receive $85,000 for various activities and the Rotary club will get $3,890 to promote a cycling event.

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Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2264. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.