I got responses to my request for additional information from both Kelly DeMotto and Kathy Novack. Both indicated that there is no additional information at this time on either topic. The only information provided to the Council on the Ken Weber Condition Use Permit is the original permit as a reference point. Kelly stated that this item will be handled by Stan Riffle and she was not sure if he would have a handout or not.

A reader sent my this link to a 2002 LCR article about a joint venture between the City and Village. This shows the issue being discussed since 2002. Kathy Novack indicated that in a conversation with City Administrator Tammy LaBorde, Tammy stated the Common Council may have already basically approved the WCTC site. Yet Kathy could find no specifics in any of the meeting minutes from the past several years. Is it possible that the Council approved the site when they approved the 2005 Budget which included the money borrowed for a Fire Station? That was suggested by someone I have been in contact with. It appears that just having a line item in or out of the budget is enough public notice under State Statute. An example of that is Fire Protection Service fee that was on the tax role, was left out of the budget and ended up on the water bill. How many residents knew about that before it happened? Not many. Even Margaret Farrow indicated that she was surprised by the FPS fee, but that is another story all together.

Back to the fire station. I sincerely hope that the discussion about this fire station is just that, a discussion about the current situation. Then the Council can give direction as to how to proceed. Kathy, after indicating she had done research into the history of the fire station issue, had this to say:

I feel STRONGLY that any discussion Monday, especially in view of a lack of any handouts, etc., will be more discussion-oriented than decision-based.

I truly hope she is right.