Caledonia Argus

City council will administer fire department funds for now

Posted: 10/30/02

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

The city council and Caledonia Fire Department agreed Monday evening that the city would hold the proceeds from the pull tabs sold on behalf of the fire department.

The fire department began raising funds this year through pull-tabs sold at Sonny and Bevís. The fund-raising is done in conjunction with the Dover Fire Relief Association, an organization which handles all the paperwork and legwork required. That organization receives a share, and the rest is put into an account for the fire department.

The city recently received a check for $1,000 from the Dover Fire Relief Association, but no further checks will be distributed. From this point on, the funds will be distributed only upon a request from the city. Funds that go unused by the end of the year are taxes at 50 percent.

Technically, the gambling funds are available to any emergency service, and it was the concern of the CFD that the city might distribute the funds to other groups that qualify. Fire Chief Chuck Gavin commented that the fire department did the work in getting the project started to benefit the department and not other emergency services. The council agreed that the agency that benefits from the funds should be the fire department.

The question of who has ultimate approval of how the funds are spent and to what purpose was also discussed. Mayor Robert Burns said that he would like to check with the cityís auditors to see what reporting requirements exist for these funds.

The CFD has indicated that it would like to take the project over from Dover in several years and that two members have volunteered to attend classes to learn how to run the program and what the law requires.

In other news from the fire department, Jason Leahy and Adam Peterson were approved as new members of the Caledonia Fire Department.

In other news, the council heard from Scott Betz, who suggested that while construction of the sidewalks along Highway 44/76 is going on, the city might want to consider lining up the north entrance to Kwik Trip with the entrance to the Redwood Cafe across the highway. He said he has observed cars crossing the highway and going into the ditch because drivers think the road lines up.

Mayor Burns said that he will contact the state and see if it can be done.

In other news, the city noted that construction has begun on a road to the new school which is a continuation of Esch Drive. The road is intended to be temporary.

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