The Forest Grove City Council held a work session with Forest Grove Fire & Rescue Chief Michael Kinkade Monday, Feb. 13, about the possibility of forming a Western Washington County Fire Authority.
This is the second work session the council has held on the topic.
Currently, inter-governmental agreements allow Kinkade to act as chief for the five rural and city fire departments related to Forest Grove, Cornelius and Gaston.
But a fire authority would improve on that arrangemenet, Kinkade said.
It would save the city nearly $17,000 a year and slightly increase the number of employees the city could hire, probably equivalent to one half-time employee.