Paddock Lake received an extension on its fire and emergency medical services contract with Salem Fire/Rescue this week.
The village will now have until March 1 to complete negotiations on a new contract with Salem.
Paddock Lake, which does not have its own fire department, has long contracted with Salem for fire and emergency medical services.
The current contract expired as of the end of the year. A hang-up in coming to an agreement by now is likely the town’s effort to charge the village more for the service.
Salem town administrator Patrick Casey said the village paid about $161,000 in 2010 for fire and emergency medical services.
Interim Paddock Lake village administrator Tim Popanda said that works out to about 62 cents per thousand of assessed value for village property owners.
Salem property owners pay about 79 cents per thousand of assessed value for fire protection. The town would like village residents to pay a fee closer to what town residents pay, Casey said.
Basing the fee on a per thousand of assessed value approach is different than what the village has faced in the past, Popanda said.
“Straight fee is what we have done for years,” Popanda said.
In the interim, village residents should not be concerned about fire and medical services. Popanda said. Salem Fire/Rescue will continue to provide full service to the village during the extension, he said. And village officials are working to finalize a new contract acceptable to both sides.
“As a village we have to settle this,” Popanda said.
Linda Valentine has been talking about this for years. The old guard has always just rubber stamped the agreement without ever looking for parity. Now they are. I wonder why?
Tof S should take advantage of this opportunity by charging PL 2x what T of S taxpayers are paying, thus lowering the rate for T of S.
Not sure why the current and hopefully outgoing T of S board can’t understand when you have something somebody wants you can charge a premium.
TofS electors need to get out and vote to remove all the jokers besides Linda
Do you know for a fact that the old guard just rubber stamped it or is that what you were told by Ms. Valentine?
Have you talked to the fire chief and asked him about this?
The last joker I heard from was when Ms. Valentine was running for office the first time and we were told we were going to be forced off our wells and onto town water.
I think it could be said that the OLD GUARD rubber stamped it to continue as it was by not making any changes to it for years.
For years the townpeople has talked about the contract without any changes being made. I cant remember when it HASNT BEEN discussed, before and after my election.
At the budget meetings of 2009 for 2010, I asked about the monies from VoPL to which was said they could not be changed – you might have to check the minutes regarding which supervisor made that statement,
As it turns out, it was too late to even discuss the charges because the cutoff date of July for automatic renewal had passed! 2010 continued as before…with VofPL paying less than the 79.5 cents that the townspeople had been paying for a very long time. People must remeber that until 2010 budget, a specific amount of each dollar was allocated to Fire/EMS. If you remember there was quite a discussion on this for some time in Octoboer/November. At present, by the breakdown of the budget, I believe that the amount is closer to 81.5 cents – greater than before and reflective of population, activities within the townlands and lake as well as the needs for training required now of our volunteers. IT is not a hard set 81.5 cents tho for 2010 and by statute, for 2011, cannot be less than 2010 for operational costs.
Yes, I made an issue of it at the time, and had asked AT THAT TIME for copies of the other contracts that the town has… It has been since then that I have been waiting for contract copies… still havent received them..A surprise to me as it should be to you!
Anyone presenting my words above to the Chief will get confirmation.
Now, we are in negotiations. More cannot be said.
About the well/s..
If people will recall in late January of 2009, SEWRPC made a presentation at the COunty Center at a Public Hearing. It was well attended. Many of the townspeople were there. THe biggest concern at that time was the over 13 deep wells inside the town of Salem that were being projected.
As we know, a deep well costs a LOT of money. We were all concerned and I was concerned about being the provider of water to people outside the area of TOS. I was concerned that the good well that I have would be relegated to providing water for my lawn and a new municipal well to be forced upon me and others.
The SEWRPC came tot he TOS board for a hearing in February 2009 (was supposed to be before the board per their own schedule in NOVEMBER!!) where there were some people, including some who are running for office believeing that the wells would be a good thing! I dont happen to agree with the overall concept of municipal wells in our ‘rural’ community as an UTILITY for which I will have to pay for the drilling and the on going maintenance.
I do however, feel that since the new building is in place and we have in process a new tower, all to MUNICIPAL QUALITY, that we will be able to use this attribute to bring some businesses to the area along HWY C, east of the tracks in an area already zoned for some light business. I personally would like to see this as a nursing home, assisted living and senior living as we move from the Fire Highway Building to the East. This will bring in jobs and be renewable jobs for you nursing students, healthcare professionals and all the services that are required to support a building. And, we in the TOS would not have to travel to Burlington(15 miles one way), or to the NOrth Side of Kenosha (25miles one way) to get nursing home services.
I will say that one supervisor at that Feb hearing did state that no deep wells were planned. I take issue with that comment. The deep well was planned just as the new building was being planned. It was an inappropriate comment, misleading and was not at all factual. Check the audio of the meeting.
Please do not confuse the time when the property around the town hall was being considered for development. Two developer entities were considering a deep well for their two communities. The board was willing to advance that – some I believe felt it could be used in other areas of the town. I did not hear and have not heard since, that that well would have been sufficient to support any more than the two subdivisions involved. Since those two have discontinued with the drop in new development, i dont see much happening along those lines. Still, People should be deligent when they hear of any development in the town – this area and others – with regard to what developers are planning, That means, attend the planning meetings, voice questions, gather information and be INVOLVED.
As a confirmation, no one is being forced to tie into any new water tower utility. Thenew tower will be an asset to any new business. We have lacked the water source. We have it now. We should exploit it for the benefit of all the taxpayers.
There is no plan to insist that anyone in the town attach to this well and to cease suing their own well.
When SEWRPC came to the TOS, the many many wells was reduced to a lower number. Imagine that! And the presentation centered around the numerous questions I presented at the JANUARY meeting. IMAGINE that as well!
I was an audience member. It was a hearing if I recall.
The Board didnt know as much as we did with the exception of Josephine Weidman who WAS AT THE COUNTY BUILDING HEARING IN JANUARY!
None of the four on the board today were present.
We found out about it in the newspaper.
That, by the way is how we used to have to find out about town meetings – in the printed newspaper.
to concerned taxpayers comment regarding the wells-
About the well/s..
If people will recall in late January of 2009, SEWRPC made a presentation at the COunty Center at a Public Hearing. It was well attended. Many of the townspeople were there. THe biggest concern at that time was the over 13 deep wells inside the town of Salem that were being projected.
As we know, a deep well costs a LOT of money. We were all concerned and I was concerned about being the provider of water to people outside the area of TOS. I was concerned that the good well that I have would be relegated to providing water for my lawn and a new municipal well to be forced upon me and others.
The SEWRPC came tot he TOS board for a hearing in February 2009 (was supposed to be before the board per their own schedule in NOVEMBER!!) where there were some people, including some who are running for office believeing that the wells would be a good thing! I dont happen to agree with the overall concept of municipal wells in our ‘rural’ community as an UTILITY for which I will have to pay for the drilling and the on going maintenance.
I do however, feel that since the new building is in place and we have in process a new tower, all to MUNICIPAL QUALITY, that we will be able to use this attribute to bring some businesses to the area along HWY C, east of the tracks in an area already zoned for some light business. I personally would like to see this as a nursing home, assisted living and senior living as we move from the Fire Highway Building to the East. This will bring in jobs and be renewable jobs for you nursing students, healthcare professionals and all the services that are required to support a building. And, we in the TOS would not have to travel to Burlington(15 miles one way), or to the NOrth Side of Kenosha (25miles one way) to get nursing home services.
I will say that one supervisor at that Feb hearing did state that no deep wells were planned. I take issue with that comment. The deep well was planned just as the new building was being planned. It was an inappropriate comment, misleading and was not at all factual. Check the audio of the meeting.
Please do not confuse the time when the property around the town hall was being considered for development. Two developer entities were considering a deep well for their two communities. The board was willing to advance that – some I believe felt it could be used in other areas of the town. I did not hear and have not heard since, that that well would have been sufficient to support any more than the two subdivisions involved. Since those two have discontinued with the drop in new development, i dont see much happening along those lines. Still, People should be deligent when they hear of any development in the town – this area and others – with regard to what developers are planning, That means, attend the planning meetings, voice questions, gather information and be INVOLVED.
As a confirmation, no one is being forced to tie into any new water tower utility. Thenew tower will be an asset to any new business. We have lacked the water source. We have it now. We should exploit it for the benefit of all the taxpayers.
There is no plan to insist that anyone in the town attach to this well and to cease suing their own well.
When SEWRPC came to the TOS, the many many wells was reduced to a lower number – that number itself still in question.. 13 comes to mind! Imagine that! And the presentation centered around the numerous questions I presented at the JANUARY meeting oinstead of the presentation we all got at the county building. IMAGINE that as well!
I was an audience member. It was a hearing if I recall.
The Board didnt know as much as we did with the exception of Josephine Weidman who WAS AT THE COUNTY BUILDING HEARING IN JANUARY!
None of the four on the board today were present.
We found out about it in the newspaper.
That, by the way is how we used to have to find out about town meetings – in the printed newspaper.
ME, ME, ME, ME, I, I, I,I. When will it be for WE, THE PEOPLE?
Valentine doesn’t represent us, only herself and a small group.
Remember this when you vote.
CT – What would YOU rather be done?
About the Fire/Ems Services?
And about the wells?
I’m listening.