Joe Cazier, left, Turkey Creek Township Trustee, discusses a capital improvement plan with township advisors Matt Dunithan and Dennis Darr. Photo by Lauren Zeugner

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE —  The Turkey Creek Township Advisory Board held a special meeting to discuss capital improvement projects for the next few years. The meeting was held Tuesday night, Aug. 26.

Joe Cazier, township trustee, explained House Bill 1461 allows the state to take 30% of a township’s general fund and rainy day fund for road work, unless the township has a plan for the money. Cazier must also come up with a road plan.

Cazier told the advisory board the township has approximately $184,506 in the general fund and $140,698 in the rainy day fund.

“We can spend every dollar,” he said. “We can go heavy with plans for the next three years. We can go out 10 years. Mickey (Scott, fire chief) does a great job of that.”

He recommended spending the $140,698 in the rainy day fund on rehabilitating the township’s cemeteries.

Cazier noted he put more money in his budget for cleaning the annex building next to station one as he’s moving the trustee’s office there.

Matt Dunithan, president of the advisory board, asked if there were any other projects the township wanted to undertake. Cazier said not at the present time.

Dunithan reported he met with representatives of all three shifts for the fire department seeking recommendations for equipment or projects the funds could be allocated to. The firefighters provided a list with approximate costs.

Those ideas included fencing around the new training facility at station two. Deputy Chief Hunter Quinn suggested seeking one fencing company to install fencing at the cemeteries and the training facility in the hopes of getting a price break.

Scott received two quotes for fencing the training facility. One was for $66,000, while the other was for $28,000. He suggested the township advisory board budget $35,000 for fencing since costs will probably go up next year.

Other ideas the firefighters suggested were:

• An SBA Compressor for air bottles, $65,000 to $85,000. The current compressor is over 20 years old.

• Updated workout equipment at station two, $15,000 to $20,000. All the equipment, except a treadmill and elliptical machine, were donated years ago. The firefighters would like equipment similar to what station one has.

• A new gear extractor and dryer, $25,000 to $40,000. Dunithan explained this machine removes carcinogens from turnout gear when the firefighters return from a fire.

• Additional props and add-ons for the training center, $50,000.

Dunithan stressed the need to look at big-ticket items, which could benefit the fire territory 20 to 30 years in the future. Quinn said one suggestion is an additional building at the training center for classrooms, as well as space for a reserve engine, the extractor and drier and the SBA compressor. The cost for the additional building is estimated at $250,000 to $300,000.

Quinn pointed out there have been discussions between Wawasee Community Schools and the fire territory about a firefighter/first responder program. Currently, the issue the school has is no classroom space for the program. Students wanting to learn firefighting are currently going to Columbia City or Goshen, which means they are being bused.

“If we can come up with a focus and look at 10 years (in the future), can we look 30 years when none of us are here?” Quinn asked.

Dennis Darr, advisory board member, suggested purchasing homes behind station one as they come up for sale since that building will eventually need to be expanded.

As the conversation progressed, Scott stressed the need for reserve funds in case a truck is damaged or destroyed while out on a call. He pointed out insurance can take six months before cutting a check and it takes three years from ordering a truck to taking delivery.

“We have fantastic equipment … Our personal are well trained but what we’re asked to protect, we don’t have enough training, we don’t have enough people and equipment to do the job, “ Dunithan said.

“This is a great start and we can put more things on (the list),” Cazier said.

Dunithan asked Darr about grain bin rescue equipment. Quinn said he has a firefighter, who is putting together a technical equipment list, such as that used in grain bin rescue.

Another suggestion was looking at the sleeping arrangements at both station one and two. Scott guessed the cost of expanding the bunk area would be between $25,000 to $50,000.

A special meeting will be held later this month to approve the capital improvement plan.