By Megan Decker
Staff Writer
DENMARK TOWNSHIP – For the second time in just 48 hours, the Denmark Township Board of Trustees met to discuss the 2014-15 fire contract with the village of Reese.
Board members called a special meeting that was held on Wednesday after receiving a letter from Reese village manager David Tatrow in which Tatrow strongly urged the board to consider signing a one year contract with the village.
During the township’s regular meeting on Monday, board members did not vote on the contract, but instead decided to work with the village on a month-to-month basis until they further studied the viability of the township’s own fire department.
In a letter addressed to Denmark Township supervisor Don Petro, dated Feb. 25, Tatrow wrote: “The Village of Reese is not a rental company that sells service on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. My offer of selling services on a limited basis is confined to a total rejection of the contract, rather than due to the Township’s inability to govern.
“The Village would be willing to continue to service the Township during a brief transition period while the Township makes other arrangements for protecting your constituents. The cost of these services would be 1/12th of the yearly rate of the original contract, $1,197.83 per month and due no later than March 10, 2014.”
The village manager and council offered the Denmark Township board a contract for fire service for 14 sections of the township nearest to the village in the amount of $12,312. The township’s previous contract was in the amount of $9,100. The township budgeted $9,100 in its 2013-2014 budget for the fire service contract.
Tatrow said during the meeting that the village would be willing to accept the $1,070 difference in the current budget on July 1 in order to eliminate the strain on the township’s current budget.
“A 20 percent increase in cost is unheard of this day in age,” Denmark Township treasurer Dennis Weber said in response to the village’s increased cost from the previous year’s contract.
The increase in cost was due to the calculation of each fire and medical run made in those 14 sections last year as opposed to just a per section calculation that had been used in previous years. The village initially submitted a contract to the township in an amount over $14,000 but later reduced the amount by $2,062.
“The Village offered the Township a fair and equitable contract that was reduced in cost by $2,062 from the first contract. The second contract had an increase of $3,212 that brought the Township in line with the actual cost per run incurred by the Village. The Board’s rejection of the contract for the reasons given is absolute nonsense,” wrote Tatrow in his letter to the township supervisor. “In addition, if the Township is only now assessing the viability of your fire department, how long will it take to reach a conclusion? The Village entered into these negotiations with the township over a year ago. This is not like this has been dumped on you all of a sudden. I sincerely appreciate the challenges that the Township is currently facing with various issues, but we’re all in the same boat.”
Tatrow’s letter to the supervisor continued: “I would strongly urge you to consider signing a one year contract with the Village that would afford the Township time to assess the viability of your department and get your ducks in a row. I would also urge you to take that measure very very soon. Your next scheduled board meeting is on March 31, 2014 which is after the fact.
In the event that the Township fails to sign a contract with the Village, all services shall cease on March 31, 2014. In addition, the Village will take any and all measures necessary to ensure that mutual aid is not used by the Township as a means of bypassing a fire contract in order to protect and portion of Denmark Township.”
In response to Tatrow’s letter, Weber added during the meeting: “There are several issues I have with this letter. I don’t appreciate the tactics used and I don’t think it’s professional. This letter was totally out of line.”
According to fire department records, an average of five of the fire runs each year in the 14 sections have been for fire services. The other services have been medical runs which the township already has coverage through MMR.
“I don’t feel it’s responsible of us as a board to ask tax payers to pay double for medical services,” Weber said.
After a two hour discussion, the Denmark Township Board of Trustees voted down, 3-2, the motion to accept a one-year contract with the Village of Reese for fire services in 14 sections of the township. Clerk Chuck Heinlein, trustee Arnold Krumnauer and Weber voted “no” while trustee Steve Schwab and Petro voted “yes.”
Following the vote, the board of trustees scheduled another special meeting to be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 3 to discuss what measures will be taken to provide fire protection to the 14 sections within Denmark Township. The board will also continue to discuss the five to ten year viability of its own department.