January 23, 2017 - Fire/EMS Finance meeting

Fire/EMS Finance Committee Meeting
January 23, 2017
6:30pm
 
Members Present:
Mike Schwab, Mayor              Tom Hilliard, Council              Chuck Hawk, Council
Dale Fox, Council                    Paul Mackey, Council              Steven Tharp, Jr
 
Brewster Village Officials Present:
Kris King, Clerk-Treasurer       Mike Miller, Village Administrator
Chris Colucy, Fire Chief (arrived at 7:10)
 
Sugarcreek Township Trustees Present:
Robert Wentling         Patrick Bucher             Tim Regula
 
Beach City Fire Department:
Nick Schlabach, Fire Chief
Aaron Black
 
Meeting opened at 6:30 P.M.
 
Meeting opened by Mayor Mike Schwab stating Chief Colucy would be late.  He had another meeting in Willard he had to attend prior to this meeting.  In the meantime, the mayor told the Trustees that the Village has safety meetings for employees and invited the Township employees to participate.  The meetings are held every other month and are presented by AMP.  The clerk gave the trustees a copy of the training schedule for 2017.
 
The Fire Levy in the township was discussed.  Trustee Wentling stated that all the tax money received from the county is distributed to the three fire departments.  The levy expires in 2018 and the Township needs to look at whether to renew, replace, or ask for additional money.  He stated that the residents realize how lucky they are to have such good fire departments to serve them.  All three respond to fires.
 
Trustee Tim Regula stated there are around 6,500 residents in the Township and asked if the combined departments have the right equipment for the amount of residents.  Aaron Black of the Wilmot Fire Department talked about the engines, tankers, and ambulances and how many everyone has and how many are needed.  He stated there was a recent accident that required eight ambulances.  Mr. Regula asked about manpower.  Mr. Black stated it is sometimes rough during the day because many of the firefighters work the day shift.  Mayor Schwab stated that Brewster has 84 hours manned for ambulance calls and is able to assist the other departments when they are short on manpower.  Mr. Black stated that the other departments assist Brewster when Brewster is on another call.  The departments help each other.   Mr. Black stated that Wilmot runs a strictly volunteer department, no pay per call or any other pay.  He doesn’t understand why Brewster doesn’t have enough money.  Trustee Regula asked if Mr. Black had a forecast of personnel volunteering.  Mr. Black stated volunteerism is going down.  Mr. Black went on to discuss working together on grants.  Wilmot Fire Department worked with Massillon and Jackson Fire Departments and received a grant for new radios. 
 
Councilman Mackey stated it was time to discuss the elephant in the room.  He said everything is okay for now but we need to look into the future.  Beach City and Wilmot are okay but Brewster is hemorrhaging.  Councilman Mackey brought up redundant equipment and a central building.  Is there something we can do with the three Village and Township?  It is not about the productivity, it’s about the financing.  He stated we need to start looking at long term survival.  He thinks we should start thinking about Township first responders.  Start thinking about a co-operative effort financially.
 
Chief Colucy arrived and stated that everyone needs to stop thinking about combining fire departments.  Brewster voters stepped up to the plate and raised the fire levy.  Tuscarawas Township stated they will propose an increase.  He would like to see Sugarcreek Township do the same.  Chief Colucy stated the tankers and grass trucks at each of the three departments only serve the townships.  He asked how long it had been since Sugarcreek had requested an increase to the voters?  Trustee Wentling said it had been a good while.  He also stated the last time the levy passed it was for a replacement tax.  He also stated they were looking into it.  He would have to contact the County Auditor to see how much each option would produce.  He also isn’t sure how the pipeline would affect revenues.  Chief Colucy stated that Brewster Volunteer Fire Department needs a new tanker, ambulance, hose, and turnout gear and would appreciate Sugarcreek Township looking into increasing their levy.  Councilman Mackey stated Brewster can’t maintain this kind of spending with the amount of revenue coming in.  He stated that everything has been let go for so many years that he is now playing catch up.  Mr. Black stated that the Wilmot volunteers will not participate in a fire district.  Councilman Tharp said to stop distracting the conversation by discussing combining the departments and concentrate on taking care of what we need.  He suggested that the Chief look for ways to stop the hemorrhaging.  Chief Colucy stated he came into the position trying to fix everything that was neglected in the past.  He is trying to do the necessary things to get everything caught up.  He stated you have to fix these things in order to have an operational fire department.
 
Mayor Schwab stated that all this will do is be a stop gap.  In five to ten years we will be right back here.  Trustee Regula stated there will be an impact by increasing the tax rate but is not sure how much.  He is concerned that lack of personnel will be the next issue the departments will be facing.  Councilman Mackey stated the volunteers are down in everything.  We are going to have to do more with less people.  He stated a fire district doesn’t mean we have to close building and build a new one, it doesn’t have to be a sword we fall on.  He wants it to be three departments working together with funding.  Trustee Regula stated we need to start thinking about the future and that things are going to have to change eventually.  Mr. Black stated the Volunteers are Wilmot will not go along with this and will all quit.  Councilman Hilliard asked why.  Mr. Black replied dealing with this is exactly why.  Having to go through a Council to get things done.  Chief Colucy stated there would be about sixty members on the departments and people are never going to get to go on the calls.  It would be the same people all the time and the ones that show up on standby would quit coming then the ones running the call would get burnt out.  Then they would quit coming and pretty soon it would all just fall apart.  People would get frustrated taking all the training and not getting to use it.
 
Mr. Black stated that Wilmot has run the numbers and they could provide all of Sugarcreek Township 24/7 services for the total amount of the contract between Beach City, Brewster, and Wilmot.  He stated he would not do that but it could be done.  The departments work will together.  Trustee Wentling stated that as long as things continue the way they are, we should keep things the way they are.  The departments work well together and he would like to continue to see this.  He stated the township will do what they can.
 
Chief Colucy stated that if the fire district keeps being brought it will continue to keep everyone on edge.  Mr. Black stated that is why he and Chief Schlabach attended.  He knew it would turn into a discussion on a fire district.  Councilman Mackey stated that as a Councilman he feels it is his responsibility to look at all options.  Chief Colucy stated he understands and appreciates that but at the end of the day, there is the same amount of money.  Mr. Black stated that a big part of being a fire department is pride.  Changing into a fire district would be like taking away what the firefighters had worked so hard to create.
 
Meeting adjourned at 8:17 P.M.
 

 Respectfully,
 
 K. Kris King