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Linwood fire training contines
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Wednesday, 16 January 2008
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Alice Pickering
Linwood Area Reporter
The Linwood Fire Department joined six other area fire departments for a live burn training drill on Saturday, Jan. 11. Instructors from Pine Technical College conducted the instruction burn, according to Fire Chief Joe Dolphy.
Pine Technical College is the training institution for the department during 2008. Firefighter II curriculum is a 40-hour program; 10 sessions on one Wednesday a month. After training, firefighters may chose to take the certification exam.
During March firefighters will take refresher courses for EMT and First Responder. The training is required to maintain state certification.
All the training is designed to be in agreement with the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System. This means all emergency organizations are working under the same organization.
From the Office of Domestic Preparedness Assistance to firefighters the fire department has been awarded a grant of $58,159. With the Linwood’s five percent matching funds, the department intends to use the money to purchase an additional thermal imaging camera and 26 sets of turnout gear.
This will be enough to outfit all active firefighters. Cost of each set is about $2000.
The department has been applying for one of these grants since 2001 and Dolphy credited Tom Lukkonen and other members of the department for their efforts in writing the applications.
The department has been replacing three sets of gear a year. The new gear has better thermal protection but also breathes so the firefighters do not become as overheated as they work.
Constitutional updates have been completed by the wage and compensation committee and the committee is working on administrative standard operating procedures. These will be re-submitted to the town board and the attorney for review.
At the Jan. 8 Linwood Town Board meeting, Dolphy asked if the proposal for warning sirens is being considered in the 2009 budget.
Dolphy reported 13 emergency responses in December. Seven were for fires and six were medical responses.
Other topics
Budget work is being finalized.
Supervisor Phil Osterhus told the board that the original 16 percent budget increase for the road and bridge department has been whittled down to about an eight percent increase. The cuts came out of construction and improvement. This means some maintenance and improvements on roads will be postponed.
The status of the liquor license for the Country Store is unchanged. At the meeting Nov. 27, Attorney Gerald Randall told owner Jeff Hansen the township must get statements from the Anoka County Sheriff and Anoka County Attorney before the township gives approval for the license.
The discussion was much the same on Dec. 11. Hansen said Anoka officials told him that they need an OK from the township.
According to Clerk Judy Hanna, Hansen believes that Randall is not giving him correct information. “I read the law to him,” was Randall’s comment. He suggested Hansen have the Anoka County officials call him directly.
The Linwood Cemetery Committee was originally created as a group to beautify the cemetery and provide water. Supervisor Howard Holm said it has evolved into a group which is now verifying cemetery records.
The group is trying to set up guidelines and define responsibilities. More than half the records have been checked and verified from using the clerk’s book of certificates of burial and the sexton’s field book.The board approved variances for Tom and Kathryn Green to allow them to build a house at 22833 West Martin Lake Drive. Variance requests were related to three setbacks. The septic system proposed is accepted as a standard system. Supervisor Holm said on small lots, care had to be taken not to put another building on a secondary septic site.
Rudi McCurdy asked if the board should not consider reviewing the section of the building code (99B) related to site to take into account the number of variances granted for people to build on small lots. “Wouldn’t it make sense to change the ordinance to conform to what the board is doing?” he asked.
His observation was that three variances were granted on the one lot. Holm agreed.
McCurdy also said that the ordinance stipulate that on the small lots a new home could be built on a substandard lot, if no variances are required. Town Board Chair Mike Parker suggested having planning and zoning review Ordinance 99B and propose changes in it.
Randall proposed language for the “dangerous dog ordinance” which defines a dangerous dog, consequences of violation, notification of owner, etc. Supervisor Osterhus said he wanted a broader definition of who can stop an attack with a weapon; not limiting it to law enforcement.
Although not a land-use ordinance, Randall recommended it go back to the planning and zoning for review.
A resident has approached the township about the donation or sale of a 40-acre parcel contiguous with the Linwood Community and School Forest. Consideration is being given to a sale, land exchange, or donation for tax purposes. An appraisal of the land will be necessary, but who will pay for that needs to be determined.
Other business
In other business, the town board:
•Scheduled a budget workshop for 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 11. The goal is to get the last work completed so copies of the budget and levy proposed for 2009 are out to residents before the annual meeting, 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 12. Town residents will vote on the 2009 tax levy at the meeting.
•Learned that the township usually goes through an employment agency to hire a warming-house attendant. While there has been ice on the rink, there has not been consistently cold weather to hire an attendant.
•Approved the re-appointment of Linwood Community and School Forest members Alan Hurtley, Diane Mahonen and Diane Selz.
•Learned from Building Inspector Dave Thompson, that the number of building permits issued during 2007 was lower that those issued in the previous year.
•Learned that carp will be harvested in Martin Lake during the fall. Bullheads will be taken from Martin and Typo Lakes in October and November. Estimated cost of the work is $9500.
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