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Stacy and Lent still in deadlock on joint powers agreementBy Barbara Brown A meeting was scheduled for Lent Township and the City of Stacy to discuss, and possibly sign, joint powers agreements that would set forth procedures for operations, construction and shared costs of a proposed fire hall. However, an agreement could not be reached because the City of Stacy did not have a quorum of its council at the meeting. Council members Barbara Otterson and Katie Davidson attended the meeting. Mayor Kathi Lawrence and Councilman John Walz were not there. Walz was out of town. Lawrence said she did not plan to attend the meeting because she was advised by the cityís attorney, Peter Grundhoeffer, that the council should not attend the meeting because Lent Townshipís attorney would be there and Grundhoeffer would not be available. ìOur attorney advised us to have him present if their attorney would be there,î Lawrence said. ìI canceled the meeting.î Lawrence did not have the power to cancel the meeting, and it was held. Lawrence said she was surprised Davidson and Otterson appeared for the meeting. ìI expected them not to go,î she said. ìWe should go with the attorneyís advisement.î Regardless of Lawrenceís absence, the joint board discussed small corrections and changes to a proposed joint operating agreement for the Stacy-Lent Area Volunteer Fire Department. In the meantime, a conditional use permit that was granted by the Stacy City Council at a Jan. 22 meeting is still valid, according to Peter Tiede, the township attorney. Tiede said he believed a condition set on the granting of the permit that a joint powers agreement be signed by Feb. 8 was not a legal stipulation. Lent Supervisor Monica Dwyer Abress said the township plans to continue in the construction process. Plans will be reviewed for proper setbacks by the Stacy planning commission at its Feb. 19 meeting, Abress said. If the county planning department accepts the plans, the township will open the project for bids. Abress said that if the building is not bid out soon, the project could be pushed back a year and the price tag could jump by $500,000. ìLent Township is moving forward with this,î Abress said during the meeting. ìWeíve needed a fire building for five years.î ©ECM Post Review |