It isn’t within physician Belinda Merritt’s code of ethics to ask someone if they have insurance or can pay before she treats them.
“I take care of the patient and hope I get paid,” she told the South Fulton City Commission at its 5 p.m. July 17th meeting at the South Fulton Municipal Building.
Merritt was among a group of about 25 rural residents who showed up to voice their concern over a July 2 fire on Lakeview Drive in which service was refused because the property owner/resident had not paid a $75 rural fire protection annual fee.
It has been a part of the city’s fire policy since 1990 to refuse service to non- subscribers.
The house, occupied by the Richard Cruse family, was a total loss.
Merritt’s clinic is in Union City but she lives across the street from the house that burned.
It wasn’t until the fire department learned two homes of paying members were threatened by the home on fire, that the departme
nt came to protect them.
“We’re talking about life and property. You didn’t know someone wasn’t in the house,” Merritt said.
“Yes we did, from the 911 call,” said City Manager Jeff Vowell.
And Vice Mayor Charles Moody added, “It is in the ordinance that if it is a life threatening call, we will respond if the call is within a five mile radius, such as someone being inside in a wheel chair. And you don’t have to have paid the $75 fire service fee. That’s in our ordinance.”
Mayor Haskins said, “I hate they lost the house. But if I wrecked my car and I didn’t have insurance on it, they’re not going to pay for it and the city is not going to pay for it.”
Raymond
Staniszewski of South Fulton argued the homeowner’s insurance company reimburses the city for responding so why should rural residents have to pay the $75 fee.
And, he asked, if the fire department still needs the $75, why not put it on a utility bill to make it more convenient for rural residents?
Edward Yates, of South Fulton, said there ought to be a way to make the subscription fee mandatory, whether it is added to the electric bill, water bill, etc.
Haskins said the commission could not make it mandatory because it is outside the city limits and the commission has no control over that.
Yates also expressed concern over the department’s slow response to the fire, with regard to the two subscriber’s homes on either side of the home that was burning.
The homes are very close together out there, and nearly went unprotected, he said.
Haskins said he had gone to the site and agreed those three homes were close.
Paul Seger, whose daughter owns one of the homes immediately next to the one that burned, said he was upset when one of the neighbors had informed him that it took 40 minutes before the fire department responded to the two subscriber homes in danger.
Meanwhile, neighbors had tried to wet down those two nearby homes with garden hoses.
Ben Davis said he called 911 several times after the fire was discovered. He suggested one solution to this issue of no response would be to adopt a policy like the one Martin, Tenn. has.
He said they offer subscription fire service to rural areas but will respond to non-subscribers for a fee.
Davis said, based on his own statistics, the department should have the funds to cover the non-subscribers.
But Vowell disagreed, saying it costs more to operate the department than the specific calls it goes out on.
“It costs to operate this department in so many different ways and the $75 goes to make sure that the fire department is there,” Vowell said.
Commissioner Keith Curlin, recently annexed into the city limits, said that the fire department did not immediately respond when calls were made about protecting nearby homes.
“Something stinks and the policy needs to be changed,” Seger said. Jim Nelson suggested placing a decal or sticker on every home that had fire service.
He also asked about liability and lawsuits if a citizen took it upon himself to put out a fire or make a rescue.
Vowell said the decal idea merits further consideration.
City Attorney Karl Ivey said lawsuits are possible but very unlikely.
Robert M. Vanderford, opened the citizen response part of the meeting by asking a list of questions, ranging from budget inquiries to requesting commissioners appoint rural residents to the rural fire protection district. Vowell responded that it costs $205,000 a year to operate the fire department and that $75 fee goes to cover everything under the department, such as overhead, equipment and fuel costs.
David Bayer said, “Obviously we are in agreement that something needs to be done.
“You can point fingers and say this should have happened, this could have happened,” he said, “but the fact is, here we are and we can agree that the policy needs to change, so what can we do?”
Curlin said the issue will be discussed later and whatever the commission’s five members decide will be done.
Vowell said the city administration is following the current ordinance on this issue and if it is changed, he will follow the new provisions.
In other business, commissioners gave first reading approval to an ordinance setting the maximum costs of fines and court costs for a variety of offenses and violations.
In the proposal, all maximum court costs were set at $80, except no city sticker, where the fine was $25 and court costs was $40 and improper parking/illegal parking, $25 fine and $40 court costs. Maximum fees set included:
• Speeding, 0-20 mph over the speed limit, $40 fine; 21 mph or more, $50 fine.
• Stop sign violation/fail to yield/fail to maintain/following too close, all $40 fines.
• Unnecessary noise/pass on right/pass on yellow, pass in no passing zone/missile throwing, $40 fines.
• Improper turn/improper takeoff, $40 fine.
• Possession liquor/untaxed liquor/open beer, $40 fine. • Selling beer after hours, $40 fine.
• Reckless driving, $50 fine.
• Improper use of multiple lights, $40 fine.
• Loud music, $40 fine.
• Disturbing the peace, $40 fine.
• Disorderly conduct, $40 fine.
• Malicious mischief, $40 fine.
• False emergency alarm, $40 fine.
• Failure to appear, $40 fine.
• Loitering, $40 fine.
• Littering, $40 fine.
• Gambling, $40 fine.
• Fighting, $40 fine.
• Discharging firearm, $40.
• Cursing an officer, $40 fine.
• Lewdness, $40 fine.
• Loose dog, first offense, $10 impound fee and $5 per day boarding fee (non-dangerous); second offense (non dangerous), same as first offense except add $40 fine and $80 court costs.
• Dog tag - $10 annual fee with no prorate; Replacement tag, $3 fee, no prorate.
Offenses not listed may have maximum fine of $50 and court costs of $80.
