County verifies signatures to re-establish fire agency

Lincoln County Administrator Bill Bischoff on Wednesday confirmed the validation of signatures on a petition presented to Lincoln County commissioners Oct. 2 to re-establish a fire agency at Cabinet View.

Led by John Rios, the panel three weeks ago submitted 171 signatures from property owners that consisted of 51 percent of the property owners within the expanded, proposed district.

“We’re thrilled to learn the county has verified the signatures,” said Rios, the chairman of the group seeking to re-establish a fire agency at the site of the Cabinet View Fire Service Area. “The process is going well, and we’re grateful for the relationship with the commissioners.”

Rios said the group is seeking to establish a fire district in the expanded area that once included the Cabinet View Fire Service Area. 

With the confirmation of signatures, commissioners on Wednesday announced a public hearing has been set for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Pondersosa Room located in Libby City Hall. State statutes require commissioners to hold a hearing within 30 days of determining the validity of the petition.

The group proposing the fire district had sought to have the hearing at the firehouse located on Luscher Drive, but commissioners preferred the more neutral location at City Hall.

Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget said the county is fulfilling its obligation of conducting a public hearing within the days allotted after the petition verification.

“We’re going through this process,” Berget said. “We’ve set the public hearing, and the public will have its opportunity to respond.”

Troy Commissioner Ron Downey summed up the process in just a few words.

“I think it’s too soon,” Downey said, referencing the county’s dissolution of the Cabinet View Fire Service Area a little more than a year ago.

Eureka Commissioner Mike Cole echoed Berget’s sentiment.

“We’re following the process,” Cole said. “We’ll see if this is what the public wants.”

Panel members Patty Rambo, Mike Agresta and John Fredin, all residents of the proposed district, accompanied Rios with the presentation of the petition. 

More than a year ago, Lincoln County commissioners, after long legal wrangling, dissolved the previous fire agency serving the area, the Cabinet View Fire Service Area.

At issue was CVFSA’s right to self-dispatch. CVFSA officials believed they had the right to self-determination and dispatch while the county’s stance, which a judge upheld, was it had jurisdiction over fire departments within it boundaries.

The Cabinet View area continues to be served by Libby Rural Fire Department.

Residents in a fire service area pay a flat fee, such as $125 for a home and another flat fee for outbuildings such as a barn or shed.

In a fire district, taxes vary depending on the value of the home or structure.