(April 28, 2016) Each year, during budget season, the town of Berlin holds separate workshops for the main part of budget, the general fund, and for the utilities portion of its fiscal year plan.
Now, it appears the Berlin Fire Company will also get a separate budget work session, Monday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
Fire Company President David Fitzgerald, Chief Jim Corron and EMS Capt. Rona Schneck addressed the mayor and council on Monday, discussing reasons for an apparent increase in the annual town grant, while mostly shying away from specific dollar amounts.
Last year, Fitzgerald said 42 percent of calls to the fire company came from within town limits. Mandates from the National Fire Protection Association, and others, require costly upkeep and maintenance of equipment, including replacing pieces of apparatus every 10 years.
The fire company has a new ladder truck on order that costs $800,000, and still needs close to $500,000 to pay it off.
Station three, a new fire station, is also about $500,000 behind in funding. Located on Ocean Gateway near Stephen Decatur High School, Fitzgerald said the entire project would cost about $3.5 million.
“Our fire company is very, very reserved in what they want out there. We don’t want anything that we don’t need,” he said. “The consensus, so far, is just a basic station with several bays tall enough that we can work on our equipment.”
He said the new station could help reduce response time, and would serve an expanding Berlin that will soon include a major new apartment complex in that area.
On the EMS side, Fitzgerald said salary costs were escalating, and estimated they would be $1.4 million during the next fiscal year.
“This is a nationwide trend,” he said, adding that BFC had to restructure its pay scale in May. “We were losing people to Ocean Pines [and] Ocean City. We’re pleased to say, since we did that, we don’t feel that our employees are out shopping for pay, or benefits.”
Overall, Fitzgerald said the budget spreadsheet was “still fluid,” because the county commissioners also had yet to rule on the funding request.
Mayor Gee Williams said he still had questions, and suggested the fire company schedule a separate budget workshop.
“The numbers are getting significant, regardless of the size of the community,” he said. “We just think that, with this kind of money being requested that [a work session] would be the way to go.”
Also on Monday, the council unanimously approved a special permit for a fire company fundraiser, from 4-10 p.m. on May 14, at the firehouse on 214 North Main Street.
Tickets for the “Clam Bake and Pig Pickin” are $30, and include pork barbeque, clams and five beer tickets.
For tickets or details, visit www.berlinfire.com.
Now, it appears the Berlin Fire Company will also get a separate budget work session, Monday, May 2, at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall.
Fire Company President David Fitzgerald, Chief Jim Corron and EMS Capt. Rona Schneck addressed the mayor and council on Monday, discussing reasons for an apparent increase in the annual town grant, while mostly shying away from specific dollar amounts.
Last year, Fitzgerald said 42 percent of calls to the fire company came from within town limits. Mandates from the National Fire Protection Association, and others, require costly upkeep and maintenance of equipment, including replacing pieces of apparatus every 10 years.
The fire company has a new ladder truck on order that costs $800,000, and still needs close to $500,000 to pay it off.
Station three, a new fire station, is also about $500,000 behind in funding. Located on Ocean Gateway near Stephen Decatur High School, Fitzgerald said the entire project would cost about $3.5 million.
“Our fire company is very, very reserved in what they want out there. We don’t want anything that we don’t need,” he said. “The consensus, so far, is just a basic station with several bays tall enough that we can work on our equipment.”
He said the new station could help reduce response time, and would serve an expanding Berlin that will soon include a major new apartment complex in that area.
On the EMS side, Fitzgerald said salary costs were escalating, and estimated they would be $1.4 million during the next fiscal year.
“This is a nationwide trend,” he said, adding that BFC had to restructure its pay scale in May. “We were losing people to Ocean Pines [and] Ocean City. We’re pleased to say, since we did that, we don’t feel that our employees are out shopping for pay, or benefits.”
Overall, Fitzgerald said the budget spreadsheet was “still fluid,” because the county commissioners also had yet to rule on the funding request.
Mayor Gee Williams said he still had questions, and suggested the fire company schedule a separate budget workshop.
“The numbers are getting significant, regardless of the size of the community,” he said. “We just think that, with this kind of money being requested that [a work session] would be the way to go.”
Also on Monday, the council unanimously approved a special permit for a fire company fundraiser, from 4-10 p.m. on May 14, at the firehouse on 214 North Main Street.
Tickets for the “Clam Bake and Pig Pickin” are $30, and include pork barbeque, clams and five beer tickets.
For tickets or details, visit www.berlinfire.com.