Friday, January 28, 2000
Monroe plans to study fire status
Company might become city's own
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MONROE — A study this year will help officials decide whether the private fire department that has served Monroe more than 50 years should become a city department.
And the city will search for more land to develop into parks to serve the 7,000 residents in this growing community that straddles the Butler and Warren county lines.
Those goals for the year are part of a long list discussed this week.
City Manager Don Whitman said 1999 was a busy, productive year, and many goals were accomplished, including getting the new municipal building finished; hiring a city engineer; and starting the process to bring utility billing, payroll and income tax collection in-house.
Mayor Elbert Tannreuther said he has asked City Manager Don Whitman and Finance Director Dave Collins to audit the fire department during the first half of the year.
“We're trying to determine if it's economically feasible to make it a part of the city, or should we continue dealing with the private department,” Mr. Tannreuther said.
Monroe now spends about $1.5 million annually to contract for fire and emergency medical services with the private company, the mayor said. Cost estimates are not ready, but he said it could cost less than $250,000 extra each year to have the fire service in-house, which would give the city “control and stability.”
The city is “losing people because of the benefits package we didn't have in place,” Mr. Tannreuther said. “When we train these people, we need to make sure we're training them for Monroe, not Union Township, Middletown or Franklin.”
The Monroe Fire Department is a private company owned by the Monroe Fire Association, which was formed by volunteers in 1947, said Mark Neu, fire chief 21 years. The association is run by a five-member board of direc tors. The department has 29 full-time and 12 pay-per-call firefighters.
Chief Neu said the firefighters, members of the International Association of Firefighters, have a new contract with a good retirement plan and improved benefits to help entice them to stay.
After the meeting, Chief Neu said he wants more time to study the matter before discussing specifics. But he added: “All I care about is to make sure everyone is covered, that they're taken care of.”
Mr. Tannreuther said proceeds from a 2-mill, five-year fire levy on the March 7 ballot will be used for a new firehouse downtown and for a new fire pumper.
As for the parks, Mr. Whitman said goals include adding a hiking, walking and exercise path in the rear of Monroe Community Park on Main Street.
The city is looking for land to create more baseball, softball, football and soccer fields, and may create a small neighborhood park on the old Whispering Oaks Swim Club property, which was donated to the city last year.
Other goals are:
• Determine whether an increase in water rates is needed to help cover costs, including sharing a new water tower with Middletown.
• Improve streets, including widening Salzman Road; a Yankee Road project; and preliminary work on widening Ohio 63 near Interstate 75.
• Explore the possibility of a downtown streetscape, and continue the downtown sidewalk improvement project.
• Consider expanding the two city cemeteries, look for grant money to build a mausoleum and review cemetery rates.
• Buy a diesel-powered back-up generator for the water plant.
• Continue efforts to have the police and fire radio system upgraded to an 800-megahertz system.
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