July 10, 2023 |
Photo – Former interim justice center, new home of fire protection district – Bigfoot99 file photo
The county’s new fire protection district has found a location to set up its operational headquarters.
Last November, the citizens of the county voted for the creation of the Carbon County Fire Protection District. The fire district’s goal is to provide coverage to all rural areas of the county. Creating a brand-new governmental organization has been a slow process. Questions remained about when the protection district will begin responding to fires. One question that has been answered; however, is where the fire protection district headquarters will be.
During last Wednesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, County Attorney Ashley Davis said the fire protection district wants to occupy the vacant Interim Justice Center.
The Interim Justice Center, located at 812 East Murray Street in Rawlins, housed the county’s criminal justice proceedings during the Carbon County Courthouse remodel. With the courthouse reopened, the Interim Justice Center now sits empty.
Attorney Davis said she would modify the lease agreement to allow the fire protection district to move in as soon as possible. She also asked the board if they wanted to choose which portion of the building the fire protection district would occupy. Commission Chairwoman Sue Jones asked Rutherford if he had a preference. The fire warden said the district’s board wasn’t picky about where in the building they would be. Rutherford said he thinks being on the same side as the Sheriff’s Office would be the best use of the space.
County IT Director Matt Webster said the protection board requested him to keep the security system in place in the Interim Justice Center. Webster asked if the additional cost of continued surveillance was factored into the lease agreement.
Attorney Davis said the cost wasn’t taken into consideration when the lease was drafted. She said multiple county agencies would use the Interim Justice Center. Attorney Davis said the price of maintaining the camera system would be paid by the county.
The commissioners agreed that leaving the security cameras in the building was a good idea. Attorney Davis said the cost is negligible. The board agreed to sign the revised lease agreement with the Carbon County Fire Protection District. Fire Warden Rutherford said the fire protection board is willing to do whatever it takes to make the lease agreement work. He said he doesn’t want to have to move the fire district’s office more than once.
Rutherford said after the fire district moves into the Interim Justice Center, the board will begin working on contracts with the towns. The fire warden said the protection district board will personally visit each town council to hammer out the details of the individual agreements.
Fire Warden Rutherford said creating a new organization from scratch is a lot of work. He said the building is a big step toward getting the fire protection district up and running.
Rutherford told the commissioners that the fire protection district should have a revised website within the next month. The fire warden said the protection district board wants to be completely transparent with their actions and decisions.
The Carbon County Fire Protection District’s next public meeting is July 17th at the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga. Rutherford said future meetings will be held at the Interim Justice Center once the protection district finishes setting up.
