UPDATE: The Town of Brookfield says, Send a formal contract. So, why move station #3, Mr. Speaker?

Town of Brookfield supervisors on Monday made another step toward cooperation with the City of Brookfield, as far as their fire station goes.

If you remember, the Town made an offer to the city: We offer our services to you.
The city made an offer to the Town: You pay us $875,000 next year, and we will man your station.
Now the Town said, send us a formal contract.

The situation is looking much more hopeful than it was a few months ago.

Aldermen Franz and Balzer were very reluctant to give their approval to the EMS/Fire Station Task Force’s recommendation at the HRPS meeting. Neither one of them wanted to move station #3 if cooperation with the Town could be achieved. The mood at that meeting was that cooperation would not take place, but now we see a glimmer of hope that it will.

But, here is the puzzler: Mayor Speaker still thinks the Moorland station should be moved 1 mile closer to the Town of Brookfield’s fire station!

What? His reasoning was that there were no guarantees that the Town would continue to allow the city to use its fire station, the JS Online article reported.

Well, that is true. We don’t know if the Town will continue to allow us to man and use their station.

BUT, it is equally true, that moving station #3 1 mile further west toward the Town’s fire station MAKES NO SENSE.

Station #3 is already in an equitable position to both the southeast side and southwest side. Moving that station 1 mile to the west will forever cause the southeast side to have much longer response times than the west side. Factor in the additional aid and proximity from the Town station, and to me, that move cannot be justified.

I would hope in light of this potential cooperation, the aldermen would decide to postpone the vote on the EMS/Fire Station Task Force recommendation.

If we ever do add that additional EMS station in the northwest corner, then our entire city would have fairly even emergency response times. Moving the stations all in a row, will never allow us that equitable distribution.

UPDATE: I missed this important detail, but a reader did not. The City only gave the Town the formal contract offer, but they only gave the Town DAYS TO ACCEPT IT.

The reader had this to say: I think the fact that Speaker sends a contract to the Town and gives them
only TEN days to sign it, and there will be no further discussion unless they sign it, just shows the absolute arrogance of Speaker... They don't really expect the Town to be able to sign in TEN days, so they can pretend that they were in fact willing to discuss the matter when the Town doesn't sign.

Time will tell what comes of the formal contract and 10 day deadline.

Robert Flessas', City Taxpayers won't be laughing now posting gives further insight into this Check: Check-mate negotiating between Town and City.


Is that your final offer?
Fire station #3 already IS in the right place!
The HRPS report: All 5 vote Yes, not all enthusiastic about the recommendation



LINKS: Betterbrookfield, Brookfieldnow, Practically Speaking, Votenoapril3.com