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Lowry City fire chief outlines grant options, raises possibility of tax-based fire district
Summary
Fire Chief Justin Norris reported fleet repair needs and said he is researching grants that could cover 100% of new trucks or acquiring used apparatus; he also said he is exploring formation of a tax-based fire district and is awaiting clarification from the St. Clair County Clerk.
Fire Chief Justin Norris told the Lowry City Board of Aldermen on April 15 that the department has ongoing repair needs and is exploring funding options for replacement apparatus, including grants that would cover 100% of a purchase or obtaining used trucks from neighboring departments.
Norris said repairs on fleet vehicles have included work on brakes and ball joints and that he will provide more detailed estimates at the next meeting. He reported he had previously requested board approval to explore forming a tax-based fire district to appear on a future ballot and that he is waiting for a call back from St. Clair County Clerk Holley Fletcher to determine whether a district already exists; if a district does not exist a public vote would be required to create one.
Norris also requested the clerk provide car wash tokens to the fire department as needed to maintain vehicles; the board agreed the tokens could be provided. He noted construction on the fire department meeting room is about 75% complete and described that storm sirens are activated manually or via a telephone code, explaining a recent storm event where he sounded the sirens after the warning shifted into the city’s area.
The board did not take formal action on grant applications or on placing a district question on the ballot; Norris will report back to the board after further information from county officials and as grant research progresses.
