By Aaron Vehling

With the room at capacity and the furnace turned off so folks could hear the presentation, the Royal Wilcox Center was packed and cold, but this did not deter the crowd from patiently listening to the presentation before unleashing their questions to the Sunrise Town Board and the firefighters present.

Residents, officials and firefighters from Almelund gathered in Sunrise Township Thursday night to discuss the possibility of a new fire substation in the township.

Shane Stepp, vice chairman of the Sunrise town board, began with discussion about the current fire coverage agreement.

Presently, Sunrise Township contracts with two fire departments, Harris and Almelund, for fire and first responder coverage at a cost of about $60,000 annually, Stepp said. That value is attributed primarily to tax assessments.

ìThe service-providing areas have a somewhat similar market value to the township,î he said. ìThe township is paying a big portion of their operating expense.î

This, Stepp added, results in Sunrise paying the same rate but not necessarily receiving the same amount of coverage as Harris and Almelund.
A fire substation in Sunrise would offer better service to the township, he said.

In terms of what actually comprises the substation, Stepp said that the committee relied on the expertise of the Almelund fire department.

Bob Linder, treasurer for Almelund fire, described the facility. He said the station would be big enough to hold a frontline pumper truck, a tanker truck and a grass rig.

ìA critical part of the station is the well,î Linder said. ìA substantial portion of the cost is getting a well in there.î
The station would also house a meeting room, a kitchenette, a bathroom and a mud room, which he said crews use to clean up after fighting a fire.

Lee Larson, a member of the committee, said the estimated total cost for the substation was about $750,000, which would include installing the well, the cost of constructing the building and the cost of purchasing land.
He said the county was not giving them any leeway in terms of land.

ìWe're subject to same subdivision requirements as any homeowner,î he said. ìWeíre pretty much looking at a 5-acre or more piece of land. If something is platted already, good for us.î

Marty Johnson, Almelund fire chief, said the ideal location would be along CR-9 and Highway 95.
These roads are main corridors, he said, and the substation would be closer to helping not only the people of Sunrise but also some residents of Amador Township who are a bit too far away from Almelund to receive prompt service.

Sunrise Township would own the substation building and the property on which it rests. Almelund fire department would own the equipment and operate and manage the station, Stepp said.

While most committee members took the position of straightforwardly promoting the substation, Ken Anderson was a bit more careful.

ìI had a lot of reservations going into it,î he said. ìIf the vote goes up or down, I am not going to get too excited.î

He went on to say that the committee studied the various options and problems surrounding the construction of a substation.

ìOne thing we did was check on how the area is growing,î he said, referring to Sunrise and Amador townships and Harris. ìSunrise in the last 10 years has added about an 80 percent increase in the number of buildings that need fire protection.î

Ten years ago, 345 buildings required fire protection, he said, but today that number is up to 620. Anderson broke it down for the audience.

ìThere is going to have to be better fire service provided one way or another,î he said. ìIf this is voted down, another way will appear.î The committee addressed the issue of a tax increase, as well.

ìTaxes will go up with the tax bill that is payable in 2006 if the substation is voted for,î Anderson said.
Carolyn Drude of Ehlers and Associates said that the estimated tax increase for a residential homestead worth $150,000 will be about $83.

Some residents asked the committee why Harris seemed to have been left out of the equation. Stepp said that at this point only Almelund has been consulted.

ìIf the referendum passes, the Sunrise town board and Almelund and Harris fire departments will start communications to determine how this will work in the future,î Stepp said.

Audience member Jim McCarthy asked about the cost of fire protection. ìIt seems like we are paying a lot,î he said. ìDo we need all these services in every place?î

Anderson said that a new substation will allow Sunrise more control over how their fire protection money is used.
Stepp agreed. He added that while the fire budget will increase with the new building, more control in the hands of Sunrise is inevitable.

ìWhat the town board is trying to do here is influence the dollars to be spent for the maximum benefit of our township,î he said.

The issue will be on the March 2005 election ballot. If the referendum passes, the soonest the new substation will be constructed and ready to go is fall 2006, Anderson said. Some of the equipment will be brought over from the Almelund fire hall, but additional equipment will also be needed.

Said Anderson, ìThese people are just doing their jobs and are not out to take advantage of Sunrise township residents.î

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