OWC Fire District receives donation, to stay in Curtiss
The Owen-Withee-Curtiss Fire District commission accepted a proposal to pay the village of Curtiss $66,000 over the next three years in rental payments for the use of the Curtiss Fire Hall. The proposal included $20,000 each year out of the district’s budget with a donation from Fred and Linda Schindler covering the other $6,000.
At the last commission meeting, the commissioners decided to send Curtiss an offer of $20,000/year for three years to rent the fire hall. The village of Curtiss countered, giving the district three options: 1. Rent on a yearly contract for $20,000. 2. Rent on a multiyear contract for $20,000 in 2024, $22,000 in 2025, $24,000 in 2026 and $26,000 for 2027 - 2029. 3. Buy the property outright for $750,000.
The commission discussed the options and were in agreement that they did not want to pay the village over $20,000 for renting the hall unless they got some sort of equity in the building. That proposal was shot down by the village of Curtiss at the village’s last board meeting on September 5.
With the two sides at a standstill, Fred Schindler offered his help to smooth things over. He said he would pay the difference of $6,000 which would allow the district to pay its proposal of $20,000/year for three years while the village of Curtiss would still get its first three years of its multi-year agreement.
Curtiss public works director Larry Swarr was in attendance and was confident that the village board would accept the proposal.
Some of the fire district commissioners did not know how to feel about accepting private funds for the renting of a fire hall. However, fire chief Travis Serocki said the district had accepted donations for capital improvements in the past, citing a recent purchase of a ladder truck that was made using donations from public entities.
Commissioner Tom Wilcox was one of the voices who was for the proposal saying the three-year contract would allow the district to better explore its options for the future whether that be the Curtiss fire hall or housing them in a different building.
All commissioners agreed that they did not want to see the district pull out of Curtiss. They instead wanted to work out an agreement.
A motion by Wilcox to accept the donation from the Schindlers and pay the village of Curtiss $20,000/year in district funds was approved by a vote of 6-2 with town of Hoard Chairman Dan Goessl and town of Longwood Chairman Art Petke Jr. voting “no” to the proposal.
