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Posts Tagged Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District

Mount Prospect Fire Department news

Mar 17

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, FIre Stations | 6 Comments

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Mount Prospect will spend more than $1.7 million to remodel the former Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District station for use by village firefighters. Funding for the work will come from the village’s capital budget and interest earned on general operations funds. The village board is expected to approve the spending on Tuesday.

Officials said the estimated price tag does not include village labor costs for public works employees who will be working on the project.

The Mount Prospect Fire Department expects to have the building at 1415 E. Algonquin Road staffed in July as the department has begun providing fire protection and emergency services to the area previously served by the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District, which ceased operations in October.

The station, which has had two additions since it was built in 1982 does not a layout conducive to today’s needs.

Village staff initially considered hiring a Mount Prospect-based construction management firm to lead the project, but was concerned that it would could cost as much as $2.7 million. Instead they  decided to use public works employees and contractors. The management firm will still receive $120,000 for producing initial plans used in determining an estimated cost.

The public works director said the final cost estimate, developed by the buildings foreman and a fire department battalion chief, did not include in-house labor costs. 

thanks Rob

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Elk Grove Township Fire Department news (more)

Oct 1

Posted by Admin in Fire Department History, Fire Department News | 2 Comments

From Elk Grove Township Fire Department on Facebook:

1979-2023: As of 0730 today we have closed the doors to the firehouse, but this isn’t just a firehouse this IS are home and has been for many others throughout the years. We may be closed but our members will move on to serve other communities as this is more than just a job to us. We are very grateful to have gotten to serve our community for all these years. Thank you to all our members and our district for everything you’ve done day in and day out. Township companies in quarters and OOS….

#chicagoareafire.com; #ElkGroveTownshipFD; #FDclosing;

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Elk Grove Township Fire Department news (more)

Sep 30

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 4 Comments

Excerpts from the journal-topics.com:

Petitions to file for a referendum in one of the necessary steps to dissolve the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District have been collected and are stored in the offices of the fire district’s attorneys. 

Those petitions, could be filed with a judge who could then order a referendum be placed on an upcoming ballot allowing voters to dissolve the district. Collecting petitions was a preliminary action to be prepared for the district’s dissolving, but said no action beyond that has been taken. Fire district trustees acknowledge funding is unsustainable as annexations have shrunk the boundaries of the fire district and with that, shrunk available property tax revenue. 

Another step in the dissolution process, which the fire district took at its Aug. 17 meeting, was to declare district assets as surplus and able to be sold, specifically the fire station itself. On Aug. 19 the fire district ran a legal notice in an area newspaper declaring the fire station as surplus and setting the valuation for the building at $850,000.

An item on the fire district’s Thursday, Sept. 21 meeting agenda was to declare additional fire district assets including vehicles as surplus, able to be sold, but no vote to do that was taken at the Sept. 21 meeting. Fire district trustees also voted to engage a surveyor or engineer to create or confirm a boundary and territory description.

Also filed in the Chancery Division of the Cook County Circuit Court on Sept. 21, in the hours before the fire district meeting, was an amended motion by attorneys for the village of Mount Prospect and Elk Grove Township, separate governmental entities from the fire district, seeking a preliminary temporary restraining order to prevent the fire district from declaring any further assets as surplus. A court date is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 3 on the requested restraining order in Cook County Chancery Division. The village and township filed for an initial temporary restraining order on Sept. 11 to stop the fire district from selling its assets after the August vote declaring the fire station surplus property. 

The village and township attorneys contend that any assets of the fire district should be transferred to the municipal government taking over firefighting responsibilities for the district. Additionally, Stream Data Centers was recently granted annexation of the Roppolo Subdivision in unincorporated Elk Grove Township, into the village of Elk Grove Village, which would become effective in early 2024. To be annexed into Elk Grove Village, Stream had to have all 55 homes in the subdivision under contract. Stream and Elk Grove Village officials said closings on those 55 homes would happen in two phases with the first round of closings beginning next month.

All of the fire district trustees live in the Roppolo Subdivision. The fire district board could function with a quorum of three trustees. Fewer trustees than that would fail to reach a quorum and would not be able to conduct fire district business in a public meeting.

Attempts have been made for several years to secure an agreement between the fire district and surrounding municipalities to dissolve the district and keep a continuity in fire fighting and emergency medical response, but a recent effort involving Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, and Mount Prospect failed. Mount Prospect village officials have proposed a special service area, which would allow Mount Prospect to take over the entire Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District coverage area. A public hearing is scheduled by Mount Prospect in early November. 

Also at the Sept. 21 meeting, fire district trustees adopted a calendar year 2024 budget and set a property tax levy without discussion.

thanks Martin

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Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District news (more)

Dec 21

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 3 Comments

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Talks could resume this week between Mount Prospect and the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District to resolve an impasse over fire and emergency medical service within the district’s service area.

Under a proposed agreement recently approved by Mount Prospect trustees, Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village, and Des Plaines would take over the duties of the fire district, which would dissolve and yield its fire station and equipment. Three new special taxing districts would provide the funding for the municipalities.

Mount Prospect officials say the fire district is running a structural deficit because of a shrinking tax base stemming from annexations, but the fire district has not signed off on the agreement. District officials take issue with the legality of the proposed dissolution, as well as the village’s cost-benefit analysis.

“We don’t believe at this moment that the (agreement) is fair enough to our constituents,” fire district board president Carlos Maldonado said. “However, we want to make sure that we can negotiate something, not just with Mount Prospect, but with the municipalities together.”

A fire protection district trustee accused Mount Prospect of trying to shove an agreement down the district’s throat that is going to take full advantage of them, and said that Mount Prospect still owes the fire district more than $260,000 from a previous agreement.

When asked about the money last week, the Mount Prospect village manager responded, “Why would we pay them, if we’re about to take over those services?”

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Elk Grove Township FPD news

Apr 13

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

The tiny Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District would be dissolved and its responsibilities taken over by the Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village, and Des Plaines fire departments, under a proposal the three municipalities are considering.

The plan calls for a shared services partnership between the three communities and a November 2022 referendum to formally authorize the fire district’s dissolution. Mount Prospect, Elk Grove, and Des Plaines would create a taxing district known as special service area to provide $1 million in initial funding. The money would be divided by the three communities based on expected call volumes to be handled by each.

After approval of the special service area, the fire protection district would stop levying a property tax and liquidate its assets. Under the proposal, the district’s fire station and tanker would be deeded to Mount Prospect.

Mount Prospect village trustees will discuss the proposal Tuesday and the fire district’s board is scheduled to vote on it Thursday. Des Plaines council members and Elk Grove trustees have not voted on the plan.

The fire district has been shrinking over the years as unincorporated areas in its jurisdiction have been annexed by surrounding municipalities. The district now covers only about one square mile, including three manufactured home communities, the Roppolo subdivision northeast of Elk Grove, and several manufacturing areas.

According to a Mount Prospect financial analysis, the fire district is underfunded and will run out of operating cash next year. The fire district recently extended its contract with American Fire and Rescue to provide fire and EMS services through June and then, on a monthly basis, through December.

thanks Keith

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Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District news

Nov 9

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the Dailyherald.com:

Voters in the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District have again refused to trim the size of the district’s governing board to five members from seven. According to unofficial results from Tuesday’s election, a referendum proposing the change failed by a vote of 200 to 142.

Advocates have been trying for years to get voters to approve a smaller board for the tiny fire district, which covers just one square mile. Voters have consistently rejected the proposal, turning it back in 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Supporters say that the board’s meetings tend to have a light agenda and attract little attention from the public, and add that it’s difficult to find enough interested, knowledgeable trustees to fill all seven positions on the board.

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Local ballot initiatives

Nov 5

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | Comments off

Excerpts from nbcchicago.com: – local ballot initiatives 

Elk Grove Rural Fire Prot. District

– Shall the number of trustees of the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District be decreased from 7 to 5 members?

North Palos Fire Protection District

– Shall the extension limitation under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the North Palos Fire Protection District, Cook County, Illinois be increased from the lesser of 5% or the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index over the prior levy year to 20% for levy year 2018?” For the 2018 levy year, the approximate amount of the additional tax extendable against property containing a single-family residence and having a fair market value at the time of the referendum of $100,000 is estimated to be $52.20.

Riverside Lawn Fire Protection District

– Shall the Riverside Lawn Fire Protection District be dissolved and discontinued?

Shall the Gardner Fire Protection District levy a special tax at a rate not to exceed 0.10% of the value of all taxable property within the District as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue for the purposes of providing funds to pay for the costs of emergency and rescue crews and equipment? – Shall the Maximum Allowable Tax Rate for the Gardner Fire Protection District be increased from 0.30% to 0.40% of the value of all taxable property within the District as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue? 

thanks Martin

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Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District news

Feb 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Mount Prospect has agreed to pay the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District nearly $2 million over the next three years.

The state requires the village to pay the fire protection district a five-year prorated tax levy payment for newly annexed properties formerly served by the district.

But trustees on Tuesday agreed an accelerated three-year plan presented to the board by Fire Chief Brian Lambel, under which the village would provide payments of $665,000 to the district for each of three years. The agreement, which has also been approved by the fire district’s board, precludes court proceedings between the village and the district.

Last year, Mount Prospect annexed the Lynn Court, Addison Court, Busse Road, East of Creek, Malmo Drive, Nordic Road and Carboy Road territories, as well as the United Airlines property. Before to the annexation, the fire district contracted with American Fire and Rescue to provide emergency services.

“This provides financial stability to the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District to be able to operate for the next three years,” Lambel said.

Under the agreement, the Mount Prospect Fire Department still will provide continuing education to Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District paramedics, while the district will continue to provide mutual aid to Mount Prospect. In addition, both parties agreed to establish a long-term plan for fire protection services to the unincorporated areas.

For several years, the fire protection district expressed concerns over Mount Prospect’s annexations, warning that they would erode the district’s tax base to the point where it would eventually face extinction. Lambel said the village has been in discussions with district Chief Michael Nelson and two members of the district’s board.

“Our goal,” he said, “is to provide options for the district on the future of the incorporated areas and the fire department as a whole.”

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