City Turns Down Fire Department Grant

The will have to work with what they got.

City Manager Peter Graczykowski, did not endorse the  during last Wednesday's council meeting. According to the manager, if the city accepted the Homeland Security grant, they would be on the hook to hire a total of 12 full-time firefighters. The move did not fit into the five-year deficit plan, he said, noting pensions, health benefits and salaries would have to be paid out after the grant ended. 

"We can't afford to hire more staff," he said. "It would create a deficit."

Finance Director Ellen Eggeman said firefighter overtime costs are accounted for in the city's budget.

If the grant specified that five firefighters would be added to the roster, he would have accepted the grant as five full-timers are expected to retire within the next few years.