Residents urge Eldridge to fund fire services and limit pole barns in neighborhoods

Several residents used the July 6 public-comment period to press the Eldridge City Council on fire funding and on residential pole barns. Patricia Howe said she pays taxes for fire service and asked why volunteer fire personnel have not received pay increases in 10 years, urging the city to send a written response if officials could not answer that night.

Chris Meyer, a 42-year resident, urged council action to change the building code to prevent new pole-barn structures inside the city’s residential limits. Meyer said the structures reduce property resale value, described neighbors who have left because of nearby pole barns, and asked the council to ‘‘change the building codes to not allow any more pole buildings to be built in the city of Eldridge proper.’’

Judith Gilbert, who said she supports the fire department funding request, told the council she would rather see tax dollars go to the fire department than toward a proposed $33,000,000 facility expansion that she felt had not been justified.

Chris Elmsweiser urged that if the city is moving toward a paid, full-time fire chief and is committing $500,000–$750,000 of taxpayer funds, the department must be held to the same oversight, transparency and budgetary processes as other city departments, including standard procurement and audit practices.

Council members thanked speakers, noted the items will move through staff review and committee discussion, and invited residents to the special committee meeting set for July 13 for further discussion. No ordinance changes or votes on code amendments occurred at the meeting.