Insurance payout for totaled fire truck offers glimpse into future city-county negotiations

Dec. 12--Debate over who should ultimately benefit from an insurance payout seems to foreshadow future negotiations between Somerset and Pulaski County over fire protection.

Last month Somerset City Council voted to replace a fire truck which had been totaled in an accident.

As it turned out, the wrecked truck had been purchased through an interlocal agreement with Pulaski County Fiscal Court which allows for fire coverage outside city limits.

As Tuesday's fiscal court meeting wound down, Pulaski County Judge-Executive Steve Kelley asked magistrates to consider turning over the $89,000 insurance payment they had received to the city so that it could be applied toward the purchase of a new truck that will be owned and insured by the city.

The Pulaski County Fire Commission previously voted to recommend the county turn the insurance payout over, since it had gone into their fund, but County Attorney Martin Hatfield questioned whether Somerset Fire Department would continue to provide protection services to the county if the truck is purchased and maintained by the city. Judge Kelley responded in the affirmative "until the agreement either runs out or we renegotiate a new agreement."

According to Deputy Judge Dan Price, the Fire Commission would retain ownership of the first truck and may be able to sell it as is.

District 5 Magistrate Mike Strunk made the motion with a second from District 2 Magistrate Mike Strunk. It passed unanimously.

A new truck, according to city officials, will cost $680,000. As previously reported, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck advised city councilors he hopes renegotiate the interlocal agreement so that the city will equip SFD in the future while the county contributes more than the current $50,000 per year.

SFD currently covers a county area that has roughly the same population as that of the city limits.

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