Thursday, Mar. 18 2010 9:33PM

LS Council decides on Greenwood fire services

By Miranda Wycoff, the Journal Staff

After a request by Greenwood Mayor Rich DeCourcy to split the town’s payment for fire and ambulance services to the city of Lee’s Summit, the council approved the request, despite the complaints of Alderman Jim Van Acker and Greenwood mayoral candidate Marvin Megee.

Megee and Van Acker both testified that the payment remain in one lump sum. “I ask that you say ‘no,’” Megee said. “The city of Greenwood needs to grow up and learn the tough lessons every city has to learn.”

Van Acker told the Lee’s Summit Council that the Board of Alderman already passed the city’s payables allowing it to pay the full bill.

Greenwood Mayor Rich DeCourcey told the council that the BOA did pass the payables to authorize the payment, however, he believes that paying the bill in one payment will, “bankrupt the city.”

“I feel like we’re being thrown into a political game,” said Nick Swearngin, Lee’s Summit city council member. So the council decided to let Greenwood ultimately have the final say.

The ordinance approved by the Lee’s Summit City Council was an intergovernmental agreement, which would require the approval of the Greenwood Board of Aldermen as well.

According to the Lee’s Summit city attorney, nothing in the ordinance passed Thursday prohibits Greenwood from paying its bill in one sum.