The town of Hope has disbanded its emergency services committee.
The committee mostly had oversight of the town’s contract with its volunteer fire department, says Town Council President Clyde Compton. The committee will be replaced by a group focused on emergency response, Compton said.
The town and fire department have had been at odds in recent years over that contract and went all of last year without a contract and most of the year without payments to the fire department.
Compton dissolved the committee at the town council meeting last night.
In the place of the committee the town will have a new group made up of representatives of volunteer fire department and other agencies from around the county. They will concentrate more on advising the town on emergency response and disaster planning, said J.T. Doane, the town manager.
Compton said that makes more sense for the town’s needs.