Officials in Richmond Co. have rejected a second offer for the Port Hawkesbury Volunteer Fire Department to provide fire service in Point Tupper.
Brian Marchand, the municipality’s warden, notified his Port Hawkesbury counterparts Monday.
Town officials had provided fire protection services for the nearby Richmond Co. community, which is largely industrial, through the Port Hawkesbury Volunteer Fire Department.
Municipal councillors, who rejected a $75,000 fire service contract for 2020-21 from their town counterparts, allowed the previous fire service contract to lapse in July; responsibility for Point Tupper returned to the Louisdale Volunteer Fire Department.
Brenda Chisholm-Beaton, the mayor of Port Hawkesbury, said the new deal was based on the 2019-20 contract, which cost a little less than $50,000.
After September regular town council meeting Tuesday night, Chisholm-Beaton said they’ll call an emergency meeting soon.
“We (need to) review items with our solicitor with regard to fire services, as it relates to the mutual aid agreements,” she said. “The legal aspects will be discussed in-camera, and anything that isn’t directly related to legal will be discussed openly in that emergency meeting.”
Chisholm-Beaton said they haven’t scheduled that meeting yet, and she’s not ready to make any further comment until after it happens.
