Posted: 5/16/06
CFD may get new ladder truck
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The Caledonia City Council authorized fire chief Chuck Gavin to spend up to $28,000 on a new ladder fire truck at its May 8 meeting.
Gavin and another fireman will travel to Pennsylvania to look at two different trucks.
The trucks, made in 1973 and 1974, have 75-foot telescoping booms and can dispense 1,000 gallons of water a minute. They were refurbished in 1989, Gavin said. New trucks like that cost $800,000-$900,000, Gavin said.
The trucks will be good for three story buildings, and will help the city keep its fire rating, which gives lower insurance premiums, Gavin said.
The cityís fire rating is class 4. Rural areas within a five mile radius are class 8.
The city has no place to keep the 38-foot-long truck, but Brad Jilek is willing to rent heated space to the city for $100 a month for at least six months, Gavin said.
Mayor Mike Morey said he was concerned with long term storage. He noted that the city has a new electric truck that is kept outside now.
Gary Klug made the motion to approve the purchase contingent on the Caledonia fire district approving it. The district is comprised of all of Mayville Township and parts of nine other townships.
The men who go to look at the trucks will also be paid $100 per day to cover lost wages, in addition to airfare, lodging, and meals.
In other fire department news, the council approved raising the Relief Association retirement pension from $850 to $950 per fireman per year of service.
Doug Ely, president of the relief association, made the recommendation. The pension has assets of $293,897.79 and liabilities of $270,436, giving it a vested amount of 108.6 percent. Raising it to $950 will bring the vested amount to 97.2 percent, which is in line with state recommendations of 95-99 percent, Ely said.
The other option would be to add more people to the fire department, Ely added.
The department currently has 32 members. Members are 50 percent vested after 10 years and full vested after 20 years. at which time a retiring fireman would receive $19,000. Eligibility begins once a fireman turns 50.
Zoning permits approved
Council members approved two zoning applications at the meeting.
One was for Josh and Amy Erdman, 324 West Caledonia Street, to construct a 8'x9' porch approximately 8' from the west property line and a 14'x28' patio approximately 2' from the west property line. The setback for a porch is 30' from front and rear and 10í from side property lines. Deck and patio setbacks are 30' from front, 20' from rear, and 10' from side property lines.
Gary Klug asked Erdman if he could pull it back a little bit. ìTwo feet isnít much,î Klug said.
Erdman said he would prefer not to because he wanted the extra space in front of the porch.
The vote passed 3-2. Morey, Paul Fisch, and Bob Standish voted for it. Klug and Randi Vick voted no.
The council unanimously approved a zoning application allowing Norman Snodgrass to build a 12'x16' addition onto a trailer house at 825 North Kingston Street. The motion states that the addition must be moved when the trailer is moved.
Dog on probation
The council voted to put a dog owned by Tina Luhman on probation for a year, meaning that animal control officer Mike Gavin will monitor the animal twice a month for a year.
Gavin made the request after the dog, a black labrador cross, bit a passerby recently. It had bit Luhmanís son in 2005, Gavin said. The dog is presently considered a potentially dangerous dog.
"Itís a gentle dog but itís a very protective dog,î Gavin said. He said he had placed the dog on an in-home quarantine, meaning it could not be release within three feet of its fence, but that didnít work and the dog was running loose on May 7.
If the dog is outside, it has to be under Luhmanís control. It must stay within the yard and be muzzled and restrained, Gavin said. ìIf he gets out, itís a problem,î Gavin said.
One glitch with the situation is that Luhman lives in a mobile home court at 1011 Sunrise Lane. ìThey can run around the trailer court because itís private property. Itís his back yard. If itís on the street, itís mine,î Gavin said.
He said he will seek permission from mobile home court owner Mike Rogich to go onto the property to get the dog.
Water main extension
The council discussed the possibility of extending the city water main to the west side of Highway 44/76 south of Main Street.
Davy Engineering met with city staff on May 9 to discuss the idea of extending it from Main Street southward to approximately County Road 12.
Standish said an extension would set up the city for future expansion in that area. It could also be looped back with another city line, which is better than having a dead end as is currently the case. ìIt would improve the water flow for fire protection and those kind of needs as well as the quality of water,î Nelson said.
"This is not a cheap endeavor,î Fisch said.
You canít expect a business to pay for it, Standish replied.
But housing developments pay for expansion of water lines to their property, Fisch countered.
Mike Gerardy, the city zoning officer, said he is concerned about fire protection. ìWe donít have any fire protection on the west side of the road,î he said.
ìIím still concerned with whoís going to pay for it,î Fisch said. ìItís a huge, huge project.î There is also no city sewer there, he said.
ìIím not saying itís a bad idea,î Fisch added. ìIím just saying whoís going to pay for it.î
Other business
ï Open house: Standish said he would like the city to set up an open house with all city personnel. ìI think itís just a good business type deal for the city,î he said. The city could provide lunch, and it would give older people a chance to see city equipment.
Vick added that she would like to see the city do a music in the park program once a week similar to what Spring Grove does.
ï Transformer insurance: The city approved purchasing insurance from Danielson Insurance Agency for its electrical transformers. The rate will be 6.4 cents per $100 value. The annual premium for the city will be $276 based on $431,554 worth of electrical transformers.
Caledonia Argus
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