Brownsville council approves letter seeking township contributions to replace 1990 pumper; freezes excess public safety funds

The Brownsville City Council voted to approve a letter from the Brownsville Fire Department to Brownsville Township and Crooked Creek Township proposing a shared payment plan to replace the department’s 1990 Ford L9000 pumper truck. The letter outlines the proposed contributions as Brownsville City 58.7% ($52,360), Brownsville Township 33.1% ($28,962) and Crooked Creek Township 9.7% ($8,487). The motion to approve the letter carried; Councilmember Tim Klug recorded a vote against it, saying he would prefer more funding for life‑saving equipment rather than structure‑saving equipment.

Fire Department representative Ben Novak reported that the Taylor Family Farms Foundation has approved a grant of $6,305 that would require matching funds. The council discussed using approximately $6,000 in excess Public Safety Aid to match the grant but did not immediately accept the grant; instead the council voted to freeze the excess Public Safety Aid until repairs to the fire department well are completed and to transfer any remaining excess to the Fire Department after the repair. The council also voted to transfer any fire department budget overruns to the department’s 4M Capital Savings Fund.

The minutes note that Gary's Pump and Well is waiting for a custom pump head to complete the well repair. The Fire Department also welcomed new member Lindsey Rohrer. The council did not specify a timetable for when the letter will be mailed to townships or when township responses are expected.