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By MARGARET L. WILLIS The Burns Harbor Town Council agreed Wednesday to look at setting up a non-reverting fund for the fire department and allow billing for certain fire department services, such as industrial and commercial fires and non-resident accidents. The intent is not to bill residents and homeowners for emergency response, council members said. The billing would be handled by Emergency Service Billing, which currently handles the billing for hazardous material clean-ups, for which the department already seeks reimbursement. The council directed town attorney Robert Welsh to draft an ordinance on the issue for consideration at next month’s meeting. With the Circuit Breaker law recently passed by the state legislature, municipalities will have to pursue new avenues for revenue generation, said council member Mike Perrine. The Fire Department won an increase in their disability coverage Wednesday. Council members voted unanimously, with Louis Bain absent, to increase the insurance coverage for the volunteers. If they are injured at the scene of a fire call, they will be entitled to disability pay of $600 per week, the same as a town department head. “The guys appreciate it,” Fire Chief Bill Arney said. The added insurance will increase the annual disability insurance premium by $1,675 to a total of $5,185. The Fire Department volunteers put in 132 man hours of training, 142 man hours in response to 11 emergency calls in April. The department provided five assists to EMS, responded to two vehicle accidents, provided mutual aid to Portage twice and one each an investigation and a dive call. Fire fighters spent nine hours and 32 minutes at call scenes, Arney reported. Department vehicles traveled a total of 599 miles. ‘It’s been a fairly quiet month,” Arney said. Lack of response on the initial CPR class will not prevent future offerings, Arney said. The department volunteers will participate in the Relay for Life event to raise money for cancer research. Due to time constraints, council member Mike Perrine asked that he be relieved of his appointments to the Plan Commission and the Northern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, where he serves on the Economic Development and the Environmental Committees. Perrine asked his fellow council members to appoint Cliff Fleming to take his spots on those boards and that he be given single liaisonship to the Fire Department in replacement. He had previously shared the Fire Department liaisonship with Fleming. The council unanimously agreed to the changes. Next meeting June 18 June’s Town Council meeting will be rescheduled to June 18, due to Clerk-treasurer Jane Jordan’s attendance at a State Board of Accounts meeting June 8-12. Jordan also plans to attend a Porter County League of Councils meeting May 27 for a question and answer session on the new tax structure. The final tax receipts of 2007 have been received and deposited in the bank, Jordan reported. The council instructed attorney Robert Welsh to have ordinances addressing a frost law and building code violation fines ready for consideration at next month’s meeting. Town police will begin special patrols immediately pledged Police Chief Jerry Price, in response to resident Marsha Watkins’ information that moped riders are using her yard and an adjacent field for sport riding. The town of Burns Harbor will celebrate Municipal Government Day on August 23 and plans are underway for activities all day long, including tours of departments and a picnic in the park.
Posted 5/23/2008
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