Rushford hears annual reports from Fire and Ambulance

The swift Monday, January 23 Rushford Council meeting saw discussion of several items in the both the consent agenda and general business, but all was good for the city.
First up for business were annual reports from Fire Department Chief Paul Corcoran. During the department’s annual meeting, two weeks prior, officers for 2017 were nominated for council approval. They were Corcoran as chief, Chad Rasmussen as first assistant chief, and James Dailey as second assistant chief. Rounding out the leadership are Dennis Overland and Rich Smith as training/safety officers, Brent Johnson and Craig Hanson as maintenance/safety officers, and Michael Evenson as secretary/finance officer.

Serving three-year terms for Relief Board Association, staggered to end between 2017 and 2019, are President Nick Smith, Vice President Nathan Peterson, Treasurer Jordan Brand, Secretary Tim Diepenbrock, Trustees Mark Honsey and Wayne Exe, and Ex-Officio Members, Corcoran, Mayor Chris Hallum, and City Clerk Kathy Zacher.

The department scheduled several events for the year, including a Retired Fireman & Fireman’s Dinner in June, Rushford Days in July, an open house and fundraiser this fall, and an annual dinner in November. Additionally, a mill rate meeting with townships served by the Rushford Fire Department will be held in August. On-going training, seminars, workshops, and inter-agency gatherings were also discussed. All items were approved unanimously by the council.

Corcoran also brought forth plans to replace an antenna in the city that served the department’s local fire service on radios, but was on a tower taken down. An antenna will be placed on the fire station to provide the radio service.

The department will be purchasing a new $350,000 pumper to replace the current pumper. It appears there’s a solid offer to purchase the old unit, but the department won’t know for certain until the following week. Funds for the pumper are in place.

The tanker has also been remodeled with a new tank to replace the unit that was leaking. The 2002 truck has just 6,000-8,000 miles on it, so it was prudent to replace just the tank, not the truck at this time. “There’s no reason to throw it away,” noted Corcoran. The cost to replace the tank was $150,000.

Lastly, the department is looking at $70,000 for 30 new sets of boots, coats, and pants for its firemen. Helmets were recently replaced. The intention is that the cost will be split between fire department funds from the city and the mill rate paid by the other townships. However, Chief Corcoran indicated that he’s hoping for a grant to cover the costs. A grant funding application has been done, but the department hasn’t been notified of any grant award to date. Additionally, the department has heard nothing from FEMA on the matter.

Corcoran, a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the Rushford Ambulance Service, provided their annual update for the council. Ambulance Director Lynn Humble will continue in the lead role for the service, with Dennis Overland filling the position as assistant ambulance director. Corcoran will serve as training officer, Curt Courrier as maintenance officer, and Overland as financial officer. Volunteer EMTs include Marie Chase, Ellen Eliason, Evan Meier, Kasey Nelson, Karen Rislov, and Humble, Corcoran, Courrier, and Overland. Emergency Medical Responder-Drivers include Jordan Brand, Isaiah Bunke, Donny Chase, James Dailey, Dave Lombard, Chad Rasmussen, Nick Smith, and Rich Smith.

Corcoran also noted it had been a busy month for the service with 50 calls in 35 days, six of which were last Monday alone.

A request from the city’s legal representation to set up an account through Minnesota’s Government Access (MGA) has been received and approved. The system allows government agencies to access court information through the State Court Administrator. “This system would assist attorney Dwight Luhmann in prosecuting crime in Rushford; helping him know how to charge certain crimes (based on an individual’s criminal history); and help with negotiating plea agreements and making sentencing recommendations.” The city has a similar setup with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

According to Clerk Zacher, “It’s just another tool to be able to do the prosecution; the job he needs to be able to do. It’s a state document.” The agreement does not appear to need renewal and is per attorney. The city can, with the proper steps, rescind the option to utilize the system if it so chooses. “Everything is electronic through the court system. It’s gotten a lot more complicated than it used to be,” she continued.

The city has also received notification from ISO, who has been evaluating building code enforcement departments throughout the United States. A effectiveness grading schedule was developed and may be used by insurance firms in determining premium credits for municipalities. The assessment classifies each entity between one and ten, representing code enforcement and adoption efforts.

Analysis of the city has given the city a Class 4 grading for commercial, industrial, and residential properties within the city. Clerk Zacher stated that it is essentially impossible for a city of Rushford’s size to attain a classification much better than Class 4. There is nothing listed in Minnesota with a Class 1 or 2, according to Zacher.
It’s unclear whether or not the system is searchable or what type of parameters are used in determining class. It is possible that insurance rates for the city may be better with a higher classification. The notification regarding classification was for information purposes only.

The next regularly scheduled council meeting is Monday, February 13, at 6:30 p.m., at city hall. The public is encouraged to attend.