Caledonia Argus

Fire inspections wonít be forced on businesses

Posted: 3/16/04

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

Businesses who donít want fire inspections will not be compelled to have them, the Caledonia City Council learned at its meeting of March 8.

Fire Chief Chuck Gavin, assistant Chief Mike Meiners and Dan Schwirtz attended the council meeting to discuss the position of fire marshal. Caledonia has had a fire marshal for about 50 years, the most recent appointee being Walter
ìMacî Macomber. Chief Gavin told the council at a previous meeting that several businesses have objected to the inspections.

The fire department representatives told the council that they researched the issue and discovered that the city is not required to have a fire marshal. Only first-class cities have that requirement, they said.

Hotels. motels, day care centers and nursing homes are inspected by the state fire marshall. Chief Gavin said that the fire marshall has been inspecting day cares at the request of the day care providers, but is supposed to leave that job to the state fire marshall.

The main reason Caledonia has had a fire marshal is to safeguard the safety of the fire department, Gavin explained.

ìWe do it for ourselves so that if there is a fire, we know what hazards exist,î he said. ìItís for the safety of the fire fighters.î

Gavin said that the fire department keeps records of potential hazards at businesses so that if it is called out to a fire, the men know what hazards exist and can develop a plan to fight the fire. For example, a fire inspection will note whether there is overhead storage, whether flammable or combustible materials are on site and where the entrances are.

ìThe departmentís position is that weíd like to see it continue but we donít want it forced on anyone,î said Gavin. Businesses who turn down the inspections are noted. He said there are about six who have indicated that they donít want the fire marshal to inspect their businesses.

Schwirtz told the council that he believes Macomber has been doing a good job as fire marshal.

In another matter related to the fire department, Chief Gavin reported that the department needs to update its ISO paperwork in order to maintain its fire rating, a procedure required every 15 years. All fire hydrants must be checked and changes in water systems documented. There are almost 200 hydrants in the city which must be tested individually.Gavin said it will take about four men working every Saturday for the next two months to test all the hydrants.

It will take a lot of hours to complete the work, said Gavin. He said fire department personnel would be willing to do the work for additional compensation. Councilman Paul Fisch made a motion to approve up to $2,500 for fire department personnel to dot he inspections. The motion passed unanimously.

Housing development in ag area a concern

The council also heard from Nick Gengler, one of the owners of Sno-Pac Foods, who discussed concerns with a housing development planned east of the Catholic Cemetery on 249, outside of the city limits. Because Sno-Pac, an organic vegetable processing company, spreads wastewater across from the proposed development, Gengler is concerned that there may be complaints from residents about the smells.

Mayor Robert Burns commented, ìOrdinances are in place that say people who move into an ag district have to be ready to put up with odors, etc.î He said the city would support Sno-Pac in the face of any such complaints. (See related story elsewhere in this issue.)

Economic development issues discussed by council

The council passed a resolution designating the area in which the former elementary school stands as a ìslum and blight areaî to clear the way for the owners of the to quality for Small Cities Development Program Funds.

The school, now owned by Mike Nanof and Dawn Twaiten-Nanof, is home to a gymnastics school and there are plans for remodeling part of the building into retail and office space.

The area was recently rezoned to from residential (R-2) to Central Business District (B-1).

Scoring for JOBZ criteria was also discussed by the council.

Ron Chamberlin, president of Eitzen State Bank, urged the council to consider the criteria it sets carefully in order to reap the full benefits from the program. A model policy is available on the internet, he noted.

ìYou better have it the way you want it,î he told the council.

JOBZ, which stands for Job Opportunity Building Zones, offers businesses substantial tax breaks if they expand and increase their work force. Businesses will qualify based on how they score on a set criteria, which has yet to be formally established.

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