WOOD Radio Local News

WOOD Radio Local News

WOOD Radio Local News

 

Gaines Twp to consider possible committee to discuss Cutlerville Fire Dept.

GAINES TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Gaines Township Supervisor Rob DeWard and Township Manager Rod Weersing say they're considering the possibility of establishing a fire committee to discuss the Byron Township board's recent decision to discontinue its joint ownership of the Cutlerville Fire Department.

The Gaines Township Board will bring up the committee idea at a meeting in September.

DeWard explained what the proposed committee might discuss.

"It would combine concerns about the fire department, as well as our sheriff (department). Just long-range planning for the next 10 years, five years and in the next three years," he said.

Gaines and Byron townships have shared in funding the Cutlerville Fire Department for 73 years, but the Byron board voted last month to give Gaines Township one year's advance notice that it is breaking off the partnership. The notice is required under an inter-governmental agreement.

Byron Township cited the rapidly growing population in Byron Township as the need to form its own fire department in Cutlerville.

One of the two townships is likely to build its own fire station in Cutlerville in a couple years.

"Either way, it's going to be costly to both townships," DeWard said.

Weersing tells WOOD Radio that the township board will discuss the potential fire committee at a meeting in September.

DeWard said all options have to be taken into consideration by Gaines Township.

"We've got to look out for the best interest of our citizens. Not only coverage-wise, but we've got to be good stewards of their dollars," he said.

The only other fire station that serves Gaines Township directly is the Dutton Fire Department, 3471 - 68th St. SE. That is about 4-1/2 miles from the Cutlerville station and is owned by Gaines Township.

 The Cutlerville Fire Department covers a 13.6 square-mile area. Cutlerville is an unincorporated area that rests in both Byron and Gaines townships, the two fastest-growing municipalities in Kent County.

The 68th Street corridor is a high-density commercial and residential area in both townships. But fire officials estimate that about 22 percent of the calls for service in Cutlerville occur within a one-square-mile area on the Gaines Township side, between Division and Eastern avenues, and between 60th and 68th streets.

The 1978-built Cutlerville Fire Station building underwent major repairs and an expansion about a decade ago. It has six full-time firefighters and 13 paid on-call firefighters, and responds to nearly 2,500 incidents per year.

Byron and Gaines townships had decided several months ago to share equally in paying the $1.75 million cost to buy a new platform fire truck for the Cutlerville Fire Department.

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The Gaines Township Board met in August to discuss the Cutlerville Fire Department. Photo: Photos taken by: James Gemmell


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