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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, May 24, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 23, 2005 Jacksonville proposes new fire station location By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE — Now that the legal firestorm over the city’s hotly contested public safety surcharge has cooled down, plans for a new fire station are moving to the front burner. "We need to proceed," said City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen. The City Council approved funds for a feasibility study last week. The city hopes to relocate the fire department from its outdated and inadequate station to a new location at the west end of C Street, Wyntergreen said. The proposed site has two advantages. "It has adequate parking and we already own the land," said Wyntergreen. Advertisement Earlier interest in locating the new station at Cascade Christian High School died after school officials notified the city they may retain ownership of the property as a potential satellite school, he said. Fire Chief Tracy Shaw said the current location, at 180 N. Third St., is not suitable for a new building. Already built to the property line, the site is too small to accommodate increases in equipment or personnel. "We could only go up," said Shaw. "But that would not be structurally sound." Shaw said the current station has "major structural cracks" and is built on unstable ground. "This was once an old stable," said Shaw. " We had a cave-in in the front of one of the truck bays in the early ’90s. One of the trucks went through the (concrete) apron." Wyntergreen said the station’s inherent flaws make it unlikely to function well as the city’s nerve center in the event of an emergency such as an earthquake. "That structure is not what we would want for an emergency center," said Wyntergreen. Shaw said, in addition to acquiring a new ladder fire truck, funds from the safety surcharge will provide for four new employees. New personnel will include one 40-hour employee who will work directly with Shaw and three shift officers working 24-hour shifts with three additional interns each shift, Shaw said. "That will give us four people during the day, and two people plus the volunteers at night," said Shaw. "Our daytime volunteers have always been very limited." Wyntergreen and Shaw are looking forward to increasing the number of personnel at the station. "We’re going to staff up here when we get all the proceeds of our public safety surcharge," said Wyntergreen. Wyntergreen said the political heat generated from a lawsuit filed by a dozen residents who argued the city had implemented an "unconstitutional" surcharge in June 2003 has died down. Oregon Tax Court decisions have favored the city’s defense of the public safety fee, he said. "All the decisions have been made and are primarily favorable to the city," said Wyntergreen. With the legal challenge’s major points resolved, all that remains is receipt of the final written judgment, and waiting out the obligatory 30-day appeals period, he said. "Last I heard, the judgment should be issued soon," said Wyntergreen. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s