Galesburg council approves amended fire board agreement after mediation with Charleston Township

The Galesburg City Council voted unanimously July 6 to approve an amended joint fire department agreement with Charleston Township that spells out which party is responsible for costs tied to the fire station facility.

Mayor Linda Marble told the council a mediator helped settle differences between the two jurisdictions earlier this year, and that attorneys drafted a first amended agreement to reflect the mediation outcome. Marble said Charleston Township submitted additions and edits that specified, in item 16, that the township would not share costs related to the parking lot or grounds maintenance at the existing fire station.

"The fire board responsibilities include liability insurance, security system for the fire department, utilities and maintenance repair, roof, furnace, air conditioning for the fire department facility," Marble said, summarizing the agreement’s covered items and the corrections the council asked staff to incorporate.

Council member Stanley Chovanec pressed for clarity on who would oversee building systems and protect taxpayers if maintenance issues arise. Marble responded that the city administrator and the DPW would oversee proper maintenance and response for the building.

Anthony Tipken moved to approve the fire board agreement with corrections; Ryan Harnden seconded. On a roll-call vote the council recorded all members present as "Aye": Glen Hawes, Ryan Harnden, Stanley Chovanec, Carol Wortinger, Anthony Tipken, Roger Frazee and Linda Marble. No members voted "Nay." The motion carried unanimously.

The agreement follows mediation meetings held in January and February to resolve disputes between the city and the township; the council’s approval sends the corrected agreement back for final execution and implementation steps outlined in the document.