At the request of Fire Chief Ben Silence, Grand Marais City Council authorized the addition of two new members to the fire department.
Speaking to councilors April 13, Silence said the membership “was getting down in numbers,” and participation in trainings, meetings and even fires is dwindling. “It’s fairly disappointing. I’d like to see people step it up a little,” Silence said. Adding to the problem is the fact that six or seven members can retire “at any time,” the chief said, “so the commitment just isn’t there.”
There was some discussion about how many new firefighters are needed. The current roster stands at 22, and although the department can have up to 30 members, Silence said he didn’t think that many were necessary. He said “it makes no sense” to keep 30 members on the roster if the same eight or nine are the only ones showing up to everything. Besides, the chief said, he’s trying to keep the numbers down so as to minimize the costs to the city, which must pay into the Firefighter’s Relief Association.
In response to a question from Councilor Bill Lenz about the minimum number of firefighters needed to respond to an emergency, Silence said, “We’ve never not had enough to roll the trucks.”
Silence recommended recruitment of two more members, and said he’d like to interview candidates and explain the duties of the job, making clear the commitment necessary before they sign on. “It’s tough to find people who are supercommitted,” Silence said.
City Administrator Mike Roth explained that because firefighters are actually city employees, council must authorize the recruitment process and then approve any new hires. Council gave unanimous approval to the addition of In other business: two new members, and Silence said he would begin publicizing the positions and seeking recruits.
Following the meeting, Silence invited councilors outside to inspect the city’s “new” used ladder truck, which he parked on Broadway in front of City Hall. The chief demonstrated the 50-foot ladder and pointed out some of the other features of the 1977 vehicle, saying he was still trying to find a way to remove or cover the lettering on the truck that was purchased from the City of Aitkin earlier this year for $10,500.
. Council granted a conditional use permit to Beth Ferry and David Mills allowing them to rebuild their garage at 820 Creechville Road that was destroyed by fire last fall. The permit, which had been approved by the planning commission, is needed because the structure does not meet the 25-foot front yard setback requirements.
. Council approved payment of $79,205 to SEH Construction for engineering services for Cedar Grove Business Park. The request was made by the EDA board.
. Councilor and park board member Bill Lenz reported that the park board scheduled a meeting April 18 to review site upgrade costs at the campground, and the plan is to bring a recommendation back to council April 27. Roth said the city did receive a number of local bids for the project.
. Councilor and library board member Jan Sivertson reported that the board recently met with the architect for the building expansion project, and options are being explored for relocation of the library during the upcoming construction work if the building needs to be closed.
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