SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Dan Westman and his family had a weight lifted off their shoulders last week when council unanimously supported a $4,500 cap on firefighting fees.

Dan Westman and his wife Paula Tremaine gave a presentation to council in March asking that the city consider putting a cap on firefighting fees. The couple received a $12,354.54 bill after their Latham Island home went up in flames Dec. 23, 2010. Last week, the city voted in favour of a $4,500 cap for bills. - NNSL file photo

In March, Westman received a $12,354.54 bill for extinguishing the blaze at his Latham Island home on Dec. 23, 2010. He later made a presentation to council, not to dispute his own bill, but to give the city suggestions as to how to do improve their fees and charges bylaw.

At that time, he suggested, among other things, that the city implement a cap.

Westman and his wife Paula Tremaine were at city hall when the revised bylaw was passed without debate by city council, which reduces their bill by more than $7,800.

"I'm glad that city council came around," Westman said a few days later. "It's a lot better than $12,000."

Until the revisions to the fees and charges bylaw were passed by council last week, when there was a house fire, there would be a minimum charge of $500 for the first two hours the fire department spent responding to the emergency and an additional $200 minimum for each additional two hours, plus actual overtime costs for firefighters.

It took 12 hours to extinguish the blaze at the Westman's Hearne Hill Road home, resulting in a $12,354.54 bill, made up of the $500 minimum fee, plus $1,200 for additional hours and $10,654.54 for overtime paid to the firefighters.

The maximum charge of $4,500 will only be applied to residential buildings, while all other types of buildings will be billed according to the current fee structure.

Westman said before his bill arrived in the mail in March, he didn't know the city charged firefighting fees.

"It came as a total shock to me, being a ratepayer for 30 years, that I'm going to get a bill like that."

He said that shock was why he decided to go to make a presentation to council – to ensure that the rest of the community was informed.

"I wasn't going to go down quiet on this one and we accomplished something," he said.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said Westman's presentation to council helped the city move in a positive direction.

"They made some very reasoned and thoughtful recommendations and those are all part of moving onward and making sure that what we do makes sense for people in the future."

When the cap was brought to council as a recommendation May 9, city councillor Amanda Mallon said she was pleased with the work done by administration to lower the cost of fighting house fires.

"I think it shows that we really did listen to our citizens," she said. "I appreciate that."

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