Edgerton Fire District mulls move
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Edgerton city officials are asking questions about the Edgerton Fire Protection District's study of moving the fire station to a business park on the city's north side. The fire chief took questions from the city's public safety committee Monday night. Kyle Geissler reports. You can read more in Tuesday's Janesville Gazette.
EDGERTON — As Edgerton Fire District considers whether to move its fire station to a vacant building on the city’s north side, city officials have asked for more information on the possible plan.
Monday, the city’s public safety committee asked Edgerton Fire Chief Brian Demrow to brief the city on the possible move, which could put the station at the former Large Digital Format building at 111 interstate Blvd., in the city’s north-end business park.
The fire district, an entity separate from the city, plans to unveil a study at a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 1, at the fire station, 621 N. Main St.
The study will show costs for buying and retrofitting the privately owned 15,000-square-foot building, which has been vacant since March. The study also will provide information on how the move could impact fire and emergency response times.
The north side business park is about a mile north of the current fire station.
Early estimates provided by the fire department showed the move and retrofitting the building could cost about $1 million, compared to a $550,000 plan to add on to the existing fire station.
Monday, Demrow told the public safety committee that details of the study on the possible move were unavailable. He also the fire district isn’t packing its boxes yet, and that it’s unlikely the district will move forward with plans on a move anytime soon.
“We’re being prudent. We’re making sure all the bases are covered,” Demrow said Monday, adding he felt like he’d been “called to the principal’s office.”
The fire district board has the authority to decide whether relocating the fire station would be feasible from a financial or public safety standpoint. The city has no direct authority in the decision.
Edgerton Mayor Chris Lund, who is an emergency responder for the fire district, was at the meeting Monday. He said he asked the public safety committee to call the meeting after citizens called him with concerns that moving the station could increase response times to parts of the city.
“If it’s going to hurt response time, I can’t see (the move) being a benefit to anybody,” Lund said.
Demrow had said earlier that moving the fire station to the business park would increase response times for people on the southern end of the city and coverage area, but would improve responses to I-90/39.
Lund said he’s also concerned the city would lose at least $27,000 in property taxes annually if the vacant business district building became a tax-exempt fire station.
“It would be much better off to be kept as a private building for industry, where it would create tax-paying jobs instead of taxpayer supported jobs,” Lund said.
Jun 23, 2010 at 4:40 p.m.
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No, it's a publicly chartered public safety district, in the same manner as a school district. You may be misreading statements about the current ownership of the building.
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I suggested before that the option for a satellite station, perhaps just for an EMS unit, could be considered as a way to improve Interstate response times. I would also hope the fire district would consider that Edgerton will not always be a one-station district and that the current site could work if future expansion to another site were part of the master plan.
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I'm not sure I buy the argument that the industrial park building should remain on the tax rolls, except that if the fire station now in use were abandoned, it wouldn't be likely to be privately developed as quickly as a modern building in the industrial park.
Jun 23, 2010 at 3:02 p.m.
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I had no idea that the Edgerton Fire Dept. was a private entity..... Am I reading that right ??
Jun 23, 2010 at 1:05 p.m.
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Lets not forget that there are two representatives from the City Council on the District board. Ron Webb and alternate Matt McIntyre. These two are responsible to inform the Council of the discussions that take place at the District meetings. The fire Chief gave the information at the public meetings which at least one of these men were supposed to be at. The Council, and probably more so, the Mayor need to hold these two accountable. Reappoint two members that will be responsible. Also, the Mayor being an officer in the Fire Dept, was also privy to these discussions and he two failed to bring any info to the Council table.
Jun 23, 2010 at 11:28 a.m.
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Also, people need to go to the district meetings and voice their opinions. If no one does, it leaves the board to do as they please. The rules need to be changed to publish the dates of meetings and the agenda, just like town boards have to. Not just a sheet of paper on the wall at the station.
Jun 23, 2010 at 11:21 a.m.
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nemesis - I agree with you on a second station, but only when they run out of room at their current location. Two more bays at the current station should last a couple decades before more room is needed. Of course our elected officials have not been known to make the best choices for the taxpayer, their decisions have more to do with their own agendas. We need more individuals to run for the Fire Commission and the voters need to support them.
Jun 23, 2010 at 10:54 a.m.
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It's kind of odd to say "The Mayor Gets It".....this hasn't happened for a long time!! Good to see.
Jun 22, 2010 at 8:31 p.m.
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Anybody on the council or in local city government have any connections or relationships which could make money in the deal if this goes through? If they are so worried about serving the interstate what about having a second station closer to the interstate so that the citizens in Edgerton won't be compromised?
Jun 22, 2010 at 7:29 p.m.
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Sounds like the Mayor gets it
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