The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Change in district raises hackles
Leaders disagree over whether change violates fire pact
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 12, 2007
Political posturing and wrangling over York Township's recent decision to realign its fire district boundaries, effectively shifting responsibility for the site of the new Toyota Technical Center away from the Milan Area Fire Department to the Saline Area Fire Department, heated up last week in an exchange of letters.
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"The City Council of the city of Milan was greatly distressed to hear about the unilateral decision by the York Township Board to alter the fire district boundaries in direct violation of the fire board agreement," wrote Milan City Administrator Dan Bishop in a letter dated March 30 to York Township Supervisor Joe Zurawski.
Bishop charged that York Township's change in the fire district boundaries was without approval of the Milan Area Fire District Executive Board and places an additional financial burden on the other members. The fire board is made up of two representatives from the city of Milan, York Township, London Township and Milan Township.
Bishop warned that York Township's decision could be "construed as a withdrawal from the fire district."
Zurawski fired back on April 5, saying that York Township's shifting of its fire district boundaries does not violate the existing fire agreement, which expires June 30. A subcommittee of the Fire Board, consisting of one representative from each municipality, has been working on a successor agreement for two years, Zurawski wrote. The new boundaries were included in a draft of the proposed successor agreement before it was sent out for legal review.
"I would like to know by what reasoning this can be construed as being in violation of any agreement," he wrote.
He also pointed out that the Toyota site at the corner of Platt and Willis Roads is approximately one-half section, which would reduce the MAFD's coverage area from approximately 24 sections in York Township to 23.5 sections. The change in boundaries, he said, will result in less than 1 percent of the township's share of the fire district's costs, totaling a reduction of $220 in a budget of around $500,000.
This is the latest in a series of rifts between York Township and the city of Milan. The municipalities have been divided in the past over use of Milan's wastewater treatment plant.
In a work session following its regular meeting Monday night, the Milan City Council discussed proposals to change the formula for how the MAFD is reimbursed and debated the possibility of pulling out of the fire district all together.
"We lost control of our fire department when we entered this consortium," said Council Trustee Doug Gilson.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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