The CLPOA Board met on November 13, 2012, at Italian Gardens. Those present: Jane Witherell (President), Valerie Enchelmayer, Gerald Riley (Vice President), and Robyn Jones (Secretary). Pope County Justice of the Peace (District 13), David Ivy, was also in attendance.
David Ivy spoke to the Board about the recent changes that Cove Landing is experiencing with water service being switched from Tri-County Regional Water to Russellville City Corporation. This change is in progress and is due to a trade that Tri-County has made with City Corp, concerning a water line that runs through the Gum Log area. Cove Landing residents should expect lower water bills with this change.
Recently, some residents in Cove Landing have “gotten word” that Crow Mountain Fire Department may be planning to increase annual fire dues. Mr. Ivy explained to the Board that if fire dues are to be raised, the proposed new amount should be brought to election by the quorum court.
Board members asked Mr. Ivy to explain how the fire departments in our area are organized to respond to fires. He explained that while Crow Mountain is designated as the first responder to Cove Landing, Pottsville Fire Department is set up as automatic mutual aide, meaning they automatically respond to fires in the area as well. Russellville Fire Department will respond to assist in situations when they are called upon to respond as “back up.”
Property-owner’s in Cove Landing are experiencing increasing homeowners’ insurance premiums. This is due to the fact that insurance companies are re-evaluating their customers and re-rating them at renewals, based on the fact that homes in Cove Landing are rated as Class 9 (Public Protection Classification or PPC) with the Insurance Services Office, or ISO, because they are serviced by Crow Mountain Fire Department. However, some homes in Cove Landing have been determined to be over 5 miles from Crow Mountain Fire Department, so those homes are considered to have a Class 10 fire rating with ISO. This is because fire trucks from Crow Mountain FD cannot take shortcuts to Cove Landing, by way of Alaskan Trail, or the steep hill on the eastern end of Bradley Cove Road (near Cliff and Stream). Rather, they must take Crow Mountain road down to Highway 124, then to Weir Road, Parkway, Hwy 331, and then Bradley Cove Road. This route causes many homes in Cove Landing to be over 5 driving miles from the fire department. Many insurance companies view homes that are over 5 miles from their designated fire department as too high-risk, and therefore uninsurable.
Pottsville Fire Department, however, is within 5 driving miles to all homes in Cove Landing. They are rated better than Crow Mountain FD with ISO, as a Class 4. If homes in Cove Landing were annexed under Pottsville Fire Department, homeowners’ insurance premiums could be significantly lower. The Board intends to look further into the possibility of having homes in Cove Landing sanctioned into the Pottsville Fire district. Board members asked Mr. Ivy to help with this effort, to help determine the procedures that would need to be followed in order to make that type of change. For more information about public protection classifications with the ISO, and how insurance companies use these classifications to help determine insurance rates, visit www.iso.com.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 1:15 p.m.