The Manhattan Fire Protection District’s first monthly meeting of the new year was brief but highlighted positive updates for the District.
The January meeting had been canceled following the untimely passing of Trustee Bill Osborne.
During the meeting, the Board somberly and respectfully discussed the need to fill the vacancy on the Board of Trustees left by Osborne. Fire Chief Steve Malone explained that since the consolidation, they have made it a point to include members from Peotone on the Board. Since Osborne had been a Peotone Trustee, it made sense for the new member to be of Peotone.
Malone reported that Mike Shivers, a retired firefighter who previously served on the Peotone Board of Trustees, was asked if he would be interested in serving again, which he had said he would.
The Board agreed that he would be a good choice and voted unanimously in approval. The Will County Board has discernment over all Board members of the Fire Protection District, so once the County Board approves Shivers, he can begin serving on the Board of Trustees.
Regarding the Fire Protection District’s Board of Commissioners, the District’s Attorney, John Motylinski, formally swore in Anton “Tony” Brncich to the Fire District’s Board of Commissioners. Brncich had been approved at the December meeting but could not attend.
“He’s going to be a great addition to our commission,” Malone said of Brncich.
In another positive move, the District promoted Firefighter Lou Helis to Lieutenant. Helis was the top candidate with the highest test score out of those who tested for the position.
Accountant James Howard reported monthly financials, which indicated the District had collected about $390,000 toward the budget, of which 64% was from a $250,000 grant the District received. The 2023 audit was completed, and a presentation is anticipated to be given to the Board at the next meeting.
Furthermore, Howard noted that this was the “Best start we’ve had in the last three years” regarding the District’s finances.
Malone and Batallion Chief Bruce Boyle provided an update on Ambulance 83, which had been involved in a wreck in December. The other party accepted full responsibility, but their insurance policy had a $100,000 limit, which forced the District to utilize their insurance to cover the remaining costs.
The chassis re-mount alone cost approximately $210,000, which the Board approved. Boyle said he was told it would take approximately 160 days to complete, though that is subject to change.
Boyle also reported Fire Marshal Dave Kolosh has been doing well in his new position, which has allowed Boyle to be more proactive and responsive with the Villages as needed. He also said they are keeping an eye on potential solar developments, which seem to be more heavily concentrated on the east side of the District.
Malone reported that the District is making significant progress toward the construction of the new Fire Station, which will be located at Eastern and Smith Roads in Manhattan. All approvals from the Village have been completed, and they are having regular, weekly meetings with the project engineer and architect.
They are also evaluating the potential use of a construction manager, and the District will investigate its potential benefits. Howard reported some trade-offs but said that many clients have been leaning toward using construction managers, though the benefits depend on the project. He said that it would be worth investigating the use of one for the construction of the new station.
Malone anticipates they should be able to break ground with a formal ribbon-cutting in June or July. Although this timeline is aggressive, he advises that it is doable.
In other news, Deputy Chief Dave Piper advised that he is finalizing the year-end report, which should be available at the next meeting. He shared some highlights, including that the District’s response times have improved — they were able to shave off 10 seconds from the 90th percentile response time.
Piper reported that through their work with Laraway Communications Center, they’ve also improved their call response times, which helps the District as a whole. Piper will have more to share at the next Board of Trustees meeting.
Piper also informed the Board that he is working on a grant proposal that could bring up to $350,000 to the District. Malone added that they received five letters of support for the District to receive the grant from local legislators.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.
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