MONROE The Monroe Times has been getting e-mails and phone calls and online comments questioning who is responsible for the costs of fighting the Jan. 19 fire at the Badger State Ethanol plant in Monroe.
See Ethanol plant fire fight cost $14,000 1/26/2009
See Case for new station? Reflex time long, costs high in Monroe ethanol plant fire 1/23/2009
The answer is, the city pays for it, via the taxes it collects. In other words, the taxpayers pay for it.
Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins verified that today (Jan. 27).
It is part of the normal operational budget, Heins said.
Badger State Ethanol pays property taxes, as does every other property owner in the city. Part of the city taxes includes fire protection for the citys residences and businesses.
Badger State will pay $223,918 for 2008 real estate property taxes, and $119,580 for personal property taxes, which includes items such as equipment.
The amounts include city, county, school and Blackhawk Technical College taxes. The exact city taxes portion of the bill were not available at the time of this writing.
For 2007 taxes, Badger State paid more than $216,000 in total taxes.
The plant is located on the citys west side, at 820 West 17th Street, more than one mile inside the citys boundaries.
When the City of Monroe Fire Department is called to a fire outside the city limits, the department charges the township where the fire was located, which in turn usually passes the charges on to the property owner.
The Monroe Fire Department is a member of MABAS, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System.
The City of Monroe Common Council approved the agreement in April 2008. (Link to MABAS Web site below)
As a MABAS member agency, every community has the same agreement as the other communities all agreeing to send predetermined resources, without reservation (but always as available), to assist a stricken community. Without a formal written mutual aid agreement (such as MABAS), a request for mutual aid assistance becomes a voluntary act, putting the fire chief and his employing community who might send the resources at great risk should equipment be damaged, or if a firefighter is injured or killed in the line of duty.
To become a MABAS Division/agency, all that is required is a resolution or ordinance being enacted by the governing body and signing the MABAS contract.
There is no cost to join MABAS and dues are self-imposed by and at the control of each individual MABAS division.
Tere Dunlap covers Monroe city government for The Monroe Times.
See Ethanol plant fire fight cost $14,000 1/26/2009
See Case for new station? Reflex time long, costs high in Monroe ethanol plant fire 1/23/2009
The answer is, the city pays for it, via the taxes it collects. In other words, the taxpayers pay for it.
Deputy Fire Chief Lane Heins verified that today (Jan. 27).
It is part of the normal operational budget, Heins said.
Badger State Ethanol pays property taxes, as does every other property owner in the city. Part of the city taxes includes fire protection for the citys residences and businesses.
Badger State will pay $223,918 for 2008 real estate property taxes, and $119,580 for personal property taxes, which includes items such as equipment.
The amounts include city, county, school and Blackhawk Technical College taxes. The exact city taxes portion of the bill were not available at the time of this writing.
For 2007 taxes, Badger State paid more than $216,000 in total taxes.
The plant is located on the citys west side, at 820 West 17th Street, more than one mile inside the citys boundaries.
When the City of Monroe Fire Department is called to a fire outside the city limits, the department charges the township where the fire was located, which in turn usually passes the charges on to the property owner.
The Monroe Fire Department is a member of MABAS, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System.
The City of Monroe Common Council approved the agreement in April 2008. (Link to MABAS Web site below)
As a MABAS member agency, every community has the same agreement as the other communities all agreeing to send predetermined resources, without reservation (but always as available), to assist a stricken community. Without a formal written mutual aid agreement (such as MABAS), a request for mutual aid assistance becomes a voluntary act, putting the fire chief and his employing community who might send the resources at great risk should equipment be damaged, or if a firefighter is injured or killed in the line of duty.
To become a MABAS Division/agency, all that is required is a resolution or ordinance being enacted by the governing body and signing the MABAS contract.
There is no cost to join MABAS and dues are self-imposed by and at the control of each individual MABAS division.
Tere Dunlap covers Monroe city government for The Monroe Times.
