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Manteno board approves fire‑brigade MOU with Goshen requiring 18 certified firefighters
Summary
The Manteno Village Board approved an MOU with Goshen/New Energy requiring an 18‑member level‑1 fire brigade and minimum on‑site staffing; the agreement includes training, equipment responsibilities and penalties including possible occupancy‑permit revocation if staffing standards lapse.
The Manteno Village Board voted to approve a memorandum of understanding with Goshen, Illinois New Energy Inc., and Kankakee County to establish fire‑brigade staffing and emergency response procedures for operations at 333 South Spruce Street.
Trustee Baird, who presented the agreement, said the company signed the final document and must have 18 certified level‑1 firefighters in place by Aug. 31. "Now we have a legal binding agreement to hold them to the fire," Baird said, describing reporting, training and staffing requirements that the village and the fire department will review. The MOU requires Goshen to maintain six firefighters on duty 24/7 and to notify the fire chief and village administrator if staffing falls short, creating a written record the village can use to enforce compliance.
Supporters said the agreement spells out standards stricter than state minimums and gives the village ‘‘teeth’’ to act if Goshen fails to meet benchmarks. Questions from trustees focused on related agreements — a separate host community agreement for long‑term municipal fees, decommissioning and remediation language, and whether state permitting and environmental remediation remain the state’s responsibility. Trustee Boudreaux asked whether environmental remediation language was included; Baird said remediation is linked to later permitting and therefore largely governed by state processes.
After discussion and a roll call, the motion to approve the MOU carried. The board’s action formalizes conditions under which the village may pull an occupancy permit if staffing or training standards are not met, and assigns responsibility for brigade equipment and firefighter certification to Goshen under the MOU.
