Posted: 3/2/05
By Aaron Vehling
As residents of Sunrise Township prepare to vote on a new fire substation at the annual town meeting Tuesday, March 8, there is concern about the Harris Fire Departmentís lack of involvement in the project.
At a town meeting in January, Shane Stepp, vice chairman of the Sunrise town board and member of the fire substation subcommittee, said that the committee worked with the Almelund fire department to iron out what comprises the substation.
All of the fire fighting staff on hand at that meeting to answer audience membersí questions were from the Almelund Fire Department.
At the time some audience members wondered what role Harris played in the planning process.
Stepp told the audience that they had no input from the Harris department. Harris, he said, would be included in the planning process should the people vote for the substation.
ěIf 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 he said.
Harris Fire Chief John Pelant expressed concern with this plan, but would not comment on the record any further.
Sunrise town board chair Lyle Thompson said that the reason Harris wasnít brought into the planning process was because the board ědidnít feel it was necessary to bring Harris in on it until the substation was actually going to happen.î
As was reported in the Jan. 12 issue of the Post Review, Bob Linder, treasurer for Almelund fire, said the station would be big enough to hold a frontline pumper truck, a tanker truck and a grass rig.
ěA critical part of the station is the well,î Linder said. ěA 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 cost of the station would be about $750,000, which would include the well, construction and purchase of the land.
The location of the station, if the residents vote for it, would likely be along CR-9 and Highway 95.
Currently, 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.
Should Sunrise residents vote to build the new station, the tax burden will be felt in 2006. Carolyn Drude of Ehlers and Associates said that the estimated tax increase for a residential homestead worth $150,000 will be about $83.
A new fire substation wonít necessarily be any cheaper than the current contract, Stepp said, but the difference will lie in who controls the money and the level of service received.
ěSunrise is paying a good portion of its operating budget for two fire departments, but there is no opportunity for input,î he said. ěThis will give taxpayers ownership in the fire department.î
Ken Anderson, a member of committee who has expressed reservations about the fire station in the past, said that 10 years ago the township had 345 buildings that required fire protection. That number is up to 620 today.
ěThere is going to have to be better fire service provided one way or another,î he said. ěThese people are just doing their jobs and are not out to take advantage of Sunrise township residents.î
If the referendum passes, the soonest the new substation will be constructed and ready for operation is fall 2006.
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