City Council Votes To Pay Fire Chief

The Glasgow City Council decided to follow the recommendation of an appointed committee and pay the fire chief $500 a quarter, beginning Jan. 1.

“I was a fire chief once. The chief does a lot of work at the fire hall and spends time in meetings and training. This probably doesn’t cover expenses for gas, time and wear and tear on his vehicle,” said Councilman Neil Chouinard. “The fate of the fire department really depends on the chief.”

City Clerk Stacey Amundson surveyed other towns and found that some pay their chief, while others don’t. The city’s auditor, Doris Leader at CHMS, said it is not a problem to pay the chief of a volunteer fire department.

Fire Chief Brandon Brunelle did not ask to be paid a wage.

“I do it because I enjoy it,” Brunelle said.

In other business, the Council authorized Director of Public Works Bob Kompel to bid up to $10,500 on a used MDU truck for the Water Department. The 1995 truck has what the department needs: a lift gate, four-wheel drive and a toolbox. Kompel will post bids on the Internet auction that runs from Dec. 6 to 12.

Kompel told the Council that leaks in the fire hall roof have been patched and someone would arrive on Wednesday to look at the roof for replacement. He said one quote has been received from a certified contractor about removing asbestos upstairs in the Civic Center and another quote is coming. The asbestos was in spray used in texturing the walls.

The sewer lagoon project is pretty close to being wrapped up, Kompel said. The tests are coming back good.

Responses are coming in from residents on Ayr Street about establishing a lighting district. A yes vote from a majority of the 18 households is required to create the district. There are currently 28 lighting districts in Glasgow, and the charges vary according to the square footage of each lot.

Because City Attorney Dave Gorton has a conflict regarding the prosecution of a case coming up in City Court, the Council agreed to appoint two attorneys from Chinook as special assistant city attorneys to prosecute the case.

The city is cutting trees on the levee, starting with those in a park, said Street and Parks Department chief Johnnie Peterson. This is a requirement of the Corps of Engineers, which said the levee failed its standards. The city is in a two-year trial program to regain certification.

“We decided to start with ours so people can’t complain,” Peterson said.