City, township agree on fire contract

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Fire protection for the residents of Greencastle Township has been secured for yet another year.

Last week, city and township officials met and approved the annual contract that ensures protection for residents living outside the city limits for 2007.

Township Trustee Thelma Bumgardner said the contract is unchanged from last year and she was pleased that city and township officials were able to come to an agreement.

Last year, officials were at odds over the last paragraph of the contract which required the township trustee to set aside $20,000 each year for the purchase of fire equipment for the Greencastle Fire Department.

Bumgardner said she reduced the amount to $5,000 last year after she was told by the state to reduce her budget.

Both sides agreed to remove the language in the contract requiring a specific amount of money for the fund, however, Bumgardner is still required to maintain a fund for fire equipment.

She said last week that she has again budgeted $5,000 for equipment in the 2007 contract. The total fund stands at more than $100,000.

Mayor Nancy Michael said the township recently purchased nine sets of gear for firefighters in addition to the contract.

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