MORAN — Consolidation of Moran with Osage and Marmaton township fire departments, in the works for months, came about Monday evening by unanimous vote of Moran City Council members.
Bill McAdam, Moran, gave enabling information when he told council members Marmaton Township was willing to provide $15,000 for a new truck and also contribute $5,000 a year for operation of the merged departments. Osage Township officials earlier pledged $12,000 upfront and agreed to $5,000 in operating capital.
Mayor Phil Merkel — also Moran fire chief — noted not all of the $10,000 in operating funds from the townships likely would be needed most years, and that excess could be deposited in reserve for the day when a new fire truck was needed.
He predicted a truck’s purchase would occur in two or three years.
Funds raised by the two townships come from a property tax levy in each.
Council members also agreed for LaHarpe Communications to have access to the top of Moran’s water tower to install electronic equipment to permit better Internet service to Moran and nearby residents.
A sticking point, resolved during three consecutive 10-minute executive sessions, was the duration of the contract. LaHarpe Communications sought 15 years, Moran council members originally thought five years was aplenty. The two sides compromised on 10 years.
LaHarpe Communications will pay $50 a month for the water tower’s use.
Harry Lee, a principal of the company, likened the project to when rural electrification first reached into rural areas in the 1930s, which “was quite a boon to farmers. Now it’s the Internet that we’re making available to rural areas that have difficulty with access.”
FOLLOWING a hearing, during which no one spoke in favor or opposition, council members approved the town’s 2015 budget.
Moran will have authority to spend $1.577 million in 2015, much of which is in utility purchases and sales, compared to $1.15 million this year. The supporting property levy for 2015 will be 33.427 mills, an increase of a little less than 3 mills. This year’s levy as 30.598 mills.
The increase was triggered by a loss of 3.6 percent of the city’s assessed valuation. This year’s valuation was $1,558,112; 2015’s is $1,502,728.
IN OTHER NEWS, council members:
— Put off discussion of a digital sign to carry public information for a couple of months. Cost is estimated between $8,000 and $10,000. If erected, the sign would be outside City Hall.
— Will decide at their Sept. 1 meeting new playground equipment for the city park. Councilman Jim Mueller promised to have price information then.
— Learned that with Allen County’s assistance 32 blocks of city streets would be chip-sealed later this month.
