Dover council approves $22,000 for fire radios, accepts new firefighter and OKs facility repairs

The Dover City Council on Feb. 6 authorized $22,000 from remaining public-safety funds to buy new radios for the Dover Fire Department, accepted a new department member and approved multiple facility repairs and a Fire Relief Association bylaw change.

Council Member Jodi Nicklay moved to allocate $22,000 of public-safety money for new radios; Council Member Chelsie Kiekbusch seconded the motion, which carried. The minutes record that the fire department has taken quotes and that the estimated cost for eight radios is approximately $29,000, leaving an apparent funding shortfall of about $7,000 based on the figures reported at the meeting.

Also during the meeting, the council approved accepting Anthony Wegman as a member of the Dover Fire Department (motion by Council Member Jodi Nicklay, seconded by Council Member Jaime Putzier) and approved a resolution to change the Dover Fire Relief Association bylaws; that bylaw resolution passed with three yes votes and two abstentions.

On facilities, the council approved a quote from Schwickert’s to repair the community center roof for not more than $6,335, noting the repair will fix the roof drain and make the roof one piece. The council also approved replacing a panel in the Fire Hall exhaust system to restore automatic operation; the estimated cost for that panel is $1,380.

Resident John Bushman used the citizen-items portion of the meeting to request that the city repair a larger portion of the alley by his house when the city does the next round of alley patching. Sergeant Adam Weletzki told the council he had no new police updates.

The minutes do not record a plan to close the $7,000 shortfall for radios during the meeting; the council did not specify additional funding sources or a timeline to purchase the remaining radios. The council adjourned at 8:15 PM.