Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Friday

FIRE COMMITTEE TO MEET AUG. 14

From staff reports

The discussion about combining Traverse City fire services with Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department will continue at an upcoming meeting.

A committee made up of Mayor Michael Estes and commissioners Jody Bergman and Michael Gillman will meet Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. at the Governmental Center. The group last month posed a host of questions to Metro about response times, maintaining both city fire stations and other service details. Estes hopes to get answers to those questions and discuss the city's options.

Garfield Supervisor Chuck Korn, who serves on the Metro authority board, said Metro is prepared to answer most of the city's questions but Metro members also have their own concerns.

"We're going to get into some specifics — making sure that they understand that we are not going to subsidize the city operation and not going to reduce our ability to respond to our own needs," he said.

August 10, 2012

Firefighters upset by no-trucks-at-picnic decision

By Vanessa McCray vmccray@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — City firefighters can't bring on-duty workers and equipment to a picnic organized by firefighters and their supporters.

That's the decision of city administrators who denied a request to display trucks and equipment at an Aug. 18 picnic at F&M Park in Traverse City.

Assistant City Manager Makayla Vitous said the city's personnel policy doesn't allow staff time or equipment to be used "when it's not a city-sponsored event or city-endorsed."

"You could end up with all sorts of employee use of city assets if you didn't have such a policy," she said.

The decision upset firefighters, whose union members and supporters organized the first-time picnic as a "way to meet the firefighters," said Traverse City Firefighters Association President Chad Rueckert.

Now, Commissioner Jim Carruthers is trying to find two commissioners to support his request to hold a special meeting Monday to consider overturning the decision. A special meeting can be held at the request of three commissioners.

The picnic, and the political sparring, comes as the city pursues a possible pact with Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department. A potential result of those discussions could be the elimination of the city fire department.

"It is our opinion that the city is purposely making it difficult for you the public to receive information about the potential dismantling of your city fire department," stated a release from the firefighters association about the picnic decision.

"It's a shame," Rueckert said.

He said picnic organizers wanted to bring five to six on-duty fire fighters to the park along with fire and rescue trucks and other equipment.

"They would still be on duty and respond," Rueckert said, adding he sees no difference between the picnic and similar community events involving fire fighters and equipment such as the National Cherry Festival.

Vitous said the fire fighters' activity at the cherry festival is different because the festival is approved by the city commission and involves city staff.

City administrators are following policy, Carruthers said, but he thinks the picnic is a worthwhile event.

"The firefighters are part of our community, and I think having them be visible and out there in the public it gives people a better idea for who they are," he said.

The picnic will take place Aug. 18 from noon to 3 p.m., even if fire fighters can't bring equipment. Rueckert said the event is free, open to the public and includes food and games.

Text Only