Fire department business was the main topic at the Tuesday, September 15, 2015, Lutsen Town Meeting. Fire Chief Paul Goettl said that the fire department is having problems with its 2014 Freightliner fire engine. Firefighter John Groth said the technicians believe there is a problem with the turbo and it shouldn’t be driven. The truck will be towed to Boyer Trucking/Cummings Tech in Superior, Wisconsin to see what is wrong with it.
Supervisor Tim Goettl noted that the fire engine is not very old and asked if the work would be covered under warranty. Groth said the fire department would find out but noted, “No matter what, we need it to be fixed.”
Supervisor Andrew Beavers agreed, but asked where the money would come from if repairs were needed. “Would that come from the township truck fund?”
Groth, who is also the Lutsen treasurer, said he believed that would be an appropriate use of the truck fund.
In other fire truck news, after several years of sitting idle at the Lutsen Fire Hall, a 1974 LaFrance fire truck has found a home, thanks to a barter with local excavation contractor Mike Rose. The truck had mechanical issues as long ago as 2002 and had not been used, so the fire department was authorized in July 2014 to sell it for the best offer it could get.
The fire department advertised the truck for sale and got no offers, however in April 2015, Rose made a proposal to place landscape/protective boulders around the town hall in exchange for the fire truck. Over the summer Rose put the boulders in place and last month he took possession of the LaFrance fire truck.
Chief Goettl also reported that the commercial washer and dryer cabinet specially made for cleaning firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) was in place and working well. “You wouldn’t believe what comes out of those uniforms,” said Chief Goettl.
The purchase of the $13,000 equipment was authorized by the town board in February 2015 after the fire department and the board learned of the importance of cleaning gear to remove the carcinogens that firefighters encounter.
Goettl told the town board that the fire department had been approached by other departments asking if they could use the washer and dryer. He asked for the town board’s thoughts, noting that it would not be often, probably every three years or after a major fire incident.
Supervisor Beavers noted the expense of the washer and dryers. “But it doesn’t seem to be in the spirit of mutual aid to say no,” said Beavers.
Supervisor Larry McNeally, also a firefighter, suggested that the fire department request an annual fee to help pay for the washer and dryer. Chief Goettl suggested instead charging a fee per uniform.
Supervisor Goettl agreed and suggested $20 per PPE set. “I think that’s reasonable. We’re not out to make money off of the thing.”
The board passed a motion to offer the washer and dryer to neighboring fire departments for a fee of $20, with the stipulation that someone from the Lutsen Fire Department be on hand while the machines are in use.
Annexation plan progressing slowly
Supervisor Beavers gave an update on his work to see if some of the Lutsen unorganized territory properties could be annexed into the Lutsen township boundaries. Those properties are currently in the Lutsen Fire Department response area, but are not able to vote in township elections or run for town board offices. There are 67 residences that would be annexed at this point, said Beavers.
Beavers said he wanted to stress that no one was trying to “sneak this through.” He said before any decisions are made, citizens will have plenty of time to give input. He asked his colleagues how best to reach people to let them know this was under consideration.
The board agreed that it needed to be as transparent as possible. A public hearing, a mailing to Lutsen property owners and a posting in the paper were all discussed. There was consensus that all of those things should be done to give citizens a chance to ask questions and share concerns.
However, as the board reviewed the 2015 budget, it was noted that expenses had nearly been reached in a number of line items. Treasurer John Groth said the supervisors could move funds around between line items, for instance if money is left for lawn care, it can be applied to snow removal. However, the board decided that it should not spend money on the annexation process at this time to ensure that it stays within the set budget.
In other business
. Fire Chief Goettl reported that the Lutsen and Grand Marais fire departments were working together to offer Firefighter I and Firefighter II training, starting in October. Goettl said several firefighters need refresher training and there are two new firefighters.
. Goettl said there was one fire in the last month. The Lutsen Fire Department was called to the scene of a tree on a powerline that had caught on fire. He said as is often the case the fire burned itself out before the fire department got there.
. Lutsen EMS Chief Fred Schmidt said there were 14 emergency calls in the last three months, which is below average. “That’s good,” he added.
. Schmidt said the EMS crew had met with Dr. Sandy Stover regarding some changes in EMS protocols.
Leave a Reply