Pierceton, Township Discuss Services

PIERCETON - Town and township officials met in a special joint meeting Thursday to discuss shared services.

Both entities pay for the park and the fire department. The township contracts with Pierceton EMS for emergency medical services. The town provides telephone service and two lease-free ambulance bays for the EMS on the north side of the senior center building.

In addition to town council members Jerry Kreger, Mandy Espinoza and Robert Tenney, Washington Township Trustee-Assessor Dean Rhoades and township advisory board members John Camden, James Craig and Tony Huff were present.

"Several years ago the town and township met regularly to discuss joint ventures and we shared costs," said Kreger to open the discussion. "We got away from that. We're a small community and have to work together to meet goals."

Kreger reminded everyone that there was a miscommunication in December when grant writer Bob Murphy appeared at a council meeting to begin a fire station planning grant. The town council was surprised by the notion. Rhoades attended that meeting, too, saying he had originally contacted Murphy and Associates.

Although emergency medical services were the last issue discussed, it was very much on the town council's mind because of rumors and gossip flying through town.

"We understand you're strongly looking at a contract with Multi-Township EMS and that you haven't signed a 2006 contract with Pierceton EMS," Kreger said.

"We're housing two ambulances and paying for telephone service. Quite frankly, the five-year agreement with the EMS is up and we'd like to move the police department over there."

Rhoades said, "In the very near future you'll have an answer."

Pierceton EMS has been in business 25 years. Annie Espinoza, Mandy Espinoza's wife, is president of the organization. There were no Pierceton EMS representatives at the meeting.

"There are a lot of dual responses. Multi-Township has been responding consistently for two years," Rhoades said.

Pierceton EMS, a volunteer service, is to provide ambulance service from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Multi-Township ambulances, with their paramedics are automatically called out for suspected heart attack, unconscious people and to all traffic accidents.

Pierceton EMS has six emergency medical technicians and three drivers.

Multi-Township answers all daytime calls and usually finds a Pierceton Fire Department first responder at the scene offering basic medical care.

Espinoza said he heard residents in Silver Lake, where the town and township contracted Multi-Township, saw their ambulance fees double.

Rhoades said hypothetically, Multi-Township can double their fees.

Espinoza said he heard Multi-Township was taking over the Leesburg-Plain Township EMS facility, too.

"The first responder program was never intended to put the EMS out of business," said Fire Chief Gordon Baker. "It began because someone needed certification to operate a defibrillator."

Baker attended the meeting to present a list of the firefighters' needs and wants.

He said the department could use a large station, with sleeping quarters, a training room, exercise room, and the like, but that project was three to five years away.

The fire department is funded by the town and township money and by Pierceton Firefighters Inc., the volunteer group that makes the runs and raises funds for equipment.

"We're not going to see a reduction in the number of runs. We had 108 in 2004 and 289 in 2005," Baker said. "A feasibility study could reveal more opportunities."

Both the town and the township own vehicles used by the department. Equipment is purchased by all three groups.

Baker said the county is looking at installing a county-wide repeater system to enhance communications. Short of a county system, the PFD would like a repeater so communications don't dissapate in certain places.

Baker said North Webster would be interested in funding the project.

The department would like 10 additional non-firefighting first responders. They have just one now.

He asked that the town and the township each chip in $1,000 to cover some training costs.

The department roster can be as high as 30. There are 24 firemen in the department, three additional volunteers are in training.

The township pays $6,975 and owns four fire trucks. The town pays $15,350 and owns two trucks, pays hydrant rental and maintains the building and grounds.

The town also pays more for the park maintenance, $12,000 per year, compared to the township's contribution of $4,800.

Park board director Bryan Bidwell updated both boards about the youth league, saying the old league was disbanded two weeks ago. The parks board will direct the league now with a lot of checks and balances.

"If the youth league needs something they have to come to us for it," Bidwell said. He was appointed by the township along with Frank Rhoades, Dean Rhoades' brother. Town representatives are Chip Hill and Paula Smith. The school district representative is Georgia Tenney, Robert Tenney's wife.

"People want to know where their money is going, now they'll know," Bidwell said. He said the former youth league misused money. The concession stand is now leased out to a separate group.

Park projects include resurfacing the tennis courts and replacing the tennis court fence.

"We have to plan for improvements three to five years out," Bidwell said.

Huff said the park and diamonds have gone downhill over the last several years. "There are hundreds of people who go to the park, we should clean it up and paint it."

Hill said it cost $16,000 a year to run the youth league and that Warsaw's program is cheaper. "We used to have 450 kids, now we're down to 300 kids."

Town Clerk-Treasurer Janet Castle said the town and township used to split costs. The rules changed and the park has to have a separate levy. She's budgeted $7,000 for the park this year.

Rhoades said he had a separate levy for recreation, too. '

"Well, the town residents are paying twice," Castle said of the town and township tax.

Rhoades said he would see what he could do to contribute more money, but it would be 2007, not 2006.

The Washington Township budget was published Aug. 5 and 12. The recreation budget is $5,200; EMS, $10,400; and $53,350 for fire fighting.

Expenditures for 2005 will be published by the end of this month.