The Brighton City Council met in a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss matters relating to the fire dispute. While action was taken on all three items listed on the agenda, disagreements between the parties involved still remain. 

One such disagreement arose in regards to funding for the fire department. As part of the proposed memorandum of understanding, the department requested assurance of $2,000 annually from the city for building repairs and maintenance. Mark Cobb, who represented the department at the meeting explains, “The cost of running the fire department isn’t getting less. But we feel like we are making a concession from what was being paid for before, and this $2,000 is kind of a meet you in the middle position.”

Council member, Cathy Rich expressed concerns when the proposal of raising taxes to cover this amount was discussed. “My concern is we’re talking $2,000 now, but we can’t keep giving. So that’s why I’m in favor of the up to $2,000.”  With some uncertainty as to where that money would come from, the council approved the memorandum of understanding with language that the city would provide up to $2,000.

The Council also approved a 28E Agreement, the original 28E that has been in place since 2010. This despite disagreements on whether or not each township served by the department should have their own. The final action item taken by the council was to approve moving forward with the formation of a Fire Advisory Board. The Brighton City Council plans to discuss action on a resolution which would establish a Fire Advisory Board at their next meeting.