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Last updated on Monday, February 22, 2016
(BLOOMINGTON) - On Tuesday evening, township officials will host the first of three public hearings to discuss the establishment of the proposed Northern Monroe County Fire Protection Territory.
The Herald Times reports that it's an idea officials in Bloomington, Benton and Washington townships have discussed for several years.
A second public hearing will be held on March 8 and the third is scheduled for March 29. The boards of the three townships plan to vote on the proposal immediately after the third public hearing. Township officials have a deadline of March 31 to get all of their application materials for the proposed fire territory to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.
The plan is to have three fire stations - a headquarters at the existing Bloomington Township fire station, at 5081 N. Old Ind. 37, the existing Benton Township fire station in Unionville and a new fire station in Washington Township, hopefully in the area of Sample Road. In the future satellite station would be created north of Lake Lemon.
The hope is to staff the stations with three shifts of four firefighters at each station - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A team of 36 firefighters and six administrators would all be paid, full-time positions.
The plan would be funded through increased property tax levies for property owners in Bloomington, Benton and Washington townships.
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