BY ALLISON LEVITSKY
Daily Post Staff Writer
The city of Palo Alto appears to have made peace with Stanford in a years-long dispute over the cost of its firefighting and paramedic services, which the city has provided the university since 1976.
In closed session this evening, City Council and City Attorney Molly Stump will discuss a possible lawsuit they fear Stanford could file against the city.
Then, in open session next Monday, council is set to consider the approval of two agreements between Stanford and the city: the agreement for fire protection services to Stanford for July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2023, and a settlement agreement for Stanford’s overpayment claim.
The settlement agreement hasn’t been released by the city, and Stump didn’t return multiple requests for details about it.
Stanford asked for a new contract after the city closed Station 7 in 2012, one of two fire stations on the campus.
After paying the city in October 2013, Stanford said that it wasn’t going to renew the contract and began shopping around for another fire department.
But Palo Alto was the only public fire agency that submitted a proposal to the university by the deadline.
Stanford paid the university $6.5 million for a year of services through Oct. 8, 2016. Prior to that, the agreement was $7.4 million per year.
In December 2016, the city agreed to let Stanford save $1.9 million by paying $4.8 million through June 30, 2017.
