Committee wonders whether Boyceville fire station should stay or move

by LeAnn R. Ralph

BOYCEVILLE — Should the Boyceville fire station stay on the existing lot or move to a new location?

Rich Monn, chair of the Town of Stanton and chair of the Boyceville Fire District’s five-year capital improvement plan committee, posed the question at the fire district’s June 11 meeting.

The committee met recently to discuss capital improvement projects for the Boyceville Fire Department.

 “If we are going to develop a thorough plan, we need to know all of the options,” Monn said.

The capital improvement committee needs to know whether the Boyceville Village Board is interested in moving the fire station or whether village trustees would prefer that the fire station remain in its existing location, he said.

Developing a thorough capital improvement plan would involve exploring all options, both for the existing site and for a new site, Monn said.

“What is Boyceville’s feeling about expanding and remodeling to use the whole building or is that not an option?” he asked.

Gilbert Krueger, chair of the fire district and Boyceville village president, wondered if there is room at the existing fire station to expand the building.

“Not really. There’s not enough depth to the lot,” said Brian Marlette, Boyceville fire chief.

“If we add on, then there’s no parking area,” he said, noting that even now, firefighters have to park across the street.

After the capital improvement committee has received some direction from the village board, then committee members will know whether they need to find another site for the fire station or whether they should be focusing on the present location, Monn said.

Krueger said the village board would discuss the issue “to see what the feelings are.”

“We need to know how to proceed — there or alternate sites,” Monn said.

The five year capital improvements committee plans to meet next on July 25.

Bremer grant

Marlette reported to the fire district board that he had met with a representative of the Bremer Foundation about the Boyceville Fire Department’s application for a $40,000 grant to purchase new Jaws of Life equipment.

“I am optimistic that it will go through,” Marlette said.

On June 22, Boyceville’s application will proceed to the next step for consideration, he said.

“On June 26, they will know for sure, and they will call either way on the 27th,” Marlette said.

The representative for the Bremer Foundation indicated that Boyceville’s grant application was for a small amount of money, he noted.

Marlette said he thought that $40,000 was substantial amount of money.

The Bremer representative pointed out, however, that the foundation receives applications for much higher amounts from fire departments in urban areas for purchasing items like new fire trucks, Marlette said.

“They apply because they want new trucks. For us, (this is) a need. Not a want,” Marlette said.

Other business

In other business, the Boyceville Fire District Board:

• Learned that the fire district has $211,245.59 cash on hand in addition to a certificate of deposit for $100,000 at a half a percent interest. The CD matures in November of this year.

• Learned that the Boyceville Fire Department has gone on 31 runs so far this year.

• Learned that new high output lights have been installed in the fire station. “Now you can see at night in there. It does make a difference,” Marlette said.

• Set the next meeting for July 10 at 6:30 p.m. .