Bridgeport Township Building and Grounds Meeting December 9th, 2014

The meeting this evening was to discuss plans for the special assessment that was passed for the fire department.  They discussed current and long term plans and ideas.  The next Building and Grounds meeting will be held on January 13th, 2015.

At the special meeting that was held on November 17th to discuss the police and fire department special assessments, there were people who got up and spoke about their concerns and opposition to the assessments.  At tonight's meeting there were no Bridgeport residents there except myself, my elderly mother and several of the firefighters.
I would think that if any of our residents were seriously concerned about the assessments and the future of our police and fire departments, that they would have shown up at this meeting.  People can get up and talk about "hidden meetings", "I'm not blowing smoke" etc... etc... all they want, but if they really care about and want to work towards a better future for Bridgeport Township then maybe they should show up at meetings, keep informed about all events, and try working towards a better future.  Get involved in ways other than just putting up stupid signs and bitching about everything.
I am still working on trying to clean up trash in Lyle Park and could always use some help there.  Only in my Utopian Dreamworld would any of the complainers ever show up to help me clean up the trash.
I will keep posting video's of all the meetings that I can attend and hope that Bridgeport residents will watch them and get involved and I will keep picking up the trash in the river and parks.  I may not make much of a impact in our community but at least it is better than just being negative all the time.

Bridgeport Building and Grounds Meeting July 29th 2014 - Fire Department Safety Assessment

Bridgeport Fire Chief Pat Nelson gave a presentation about the Fire Department Special Assessment that will be placed before the Bridgeport voters.
They discussed two different options.
The first option is a $45.00 assessment that would cover only maintenance and repairs of the existing Fire Department Building and the maintenance of the fire apparatus and equipment.
The second option is for a $55.00 assessment that would cover a new building for the Fire Department and also the maintenance of the fire apparatus and equipment.
There is no new staffing included in the assessment and the assessment would be for a 10 year period.  Also important to note about the assessment is that none of this money is captured by the Bridgeport DDA Board.  Some residents seem to be concerned about that and that needs to be clear to the residents.  The residents also need to know that if things change: such as some of the repairs don't need to be made, the financial situations change, the fire department is able to get some grant money for some of these repairs or new equipment, then the assessment would be adjusted accordingly.  Translation - The township would adjust the assessment down to perhaps $40.00 instead of the $45.00.  It would be reevaluated on a yearly basis I believe and adjusted as needed.  I don't believe they can adjust it over the $45.00 assessment.  I know many people in our community won't believe that the township will adjust the assessment down but we will just have to have faith and trust them.

The Building and Grounds Board members voted to go with the $45.00 assessment and they will present that to the Township Board.  We really need a new fire department building but sadly there is little chance to get that $55.00 assessment passed by the voters.  They will look at possibly going with another option in the future for something like a bond to finance a new building.

This meeting was a little over a hour long and very informative.  Chief Nelson gave a very detailed report on the condition of the fire department building and the equipment, the upcoming needed repairs etc.  The current building was built in 1972 and is in need of some major repairs.  Are residents aware that the second story floor is separating from the wall?  Most residents have no idea how much fire apparatus and equipment is used by the department and the costs involved in maintaining it or replacing it.
There was some excellent  discussions in this meeting by Chief Nelson and the board members about the needs and problems faced by our fire department and our community.  Are residents aware that one of the old vehicles broke down on the way to a call for a cardiac arrest?  One of the members mentions a Bridgeport resident Joey Popp who is alive today because of our emergency services here.  I suspect most residents have no idea how often our fire and police departments are called into service.  You can see the statistics on the calls they respond to on the Bridgeport Township website and the calls are posted in the weekly Birch Run Bridgeport Herald newspaper.  When you look at the statistics they are just numbers to most people, until it is your house that is on fire, until it is you or one of your family that is having a heart attack, until it is your home that was just broken into.  Sadly it not until then that many people realize the importance of the services our fire and police departments provide.  I have heard talk from some in this community that we do not need a fire or police department -- Maybe in some utopian fantasy world that might be true, but it is not true in our present world here in Bridgeport.

There was some very honest and important discussion in this meeting.  The Bridgeport residents need to hear the information and understand it.  Then they need to make a decision, will they vote to support our Fire Department, and also our Police Department, and help to ensure the safety and quality of life for our community and it's residents?  I hope they do.

** Chief Nelson has stated on several occasions that if anyone would like to stop by the Fire Department and look around and talk with them they would be more than happy to show you around and answer your questions.

Bridgeport Township Building and Grounds Committee Meeting April 14th, 2014

The business discussed at tonight's meeting was the condition of our fire department building and the equipment that they use to perform their work.  The equipment they use to save lives and protect the lives of their personnel are all getting old, they take a lot of wear and tear, and it is expensive to replace.  That includes everything from their breathing apparatus to the fire engines.  The Fire Department building was built in 1972 and is in need of some major repairs,  in the video they do discuss the repairs needed and the various options.  We could just keep making repairs, but someday it will get to the point that the repairs are not enough, so why keep sinking money into the old building now when someday it will need to be replaced anyways.  I think the best option would be a new building; yes a new building would be very expensive but it would be worth the investment for our excellent Fire Department and for our community.  Maybe we can't get a new building right now, but we need to at least make sure they have the proper equipment right now.
I think we have a great Fire Chief in Patrick Nelson and I have always been proud of our Bridgeport Fire Department. They do so many different things:   Fire Suppression, Medical First Response, Hazardous Materials Response, Ice/Water Rescue, Technical Rescue, Public Education, Code Enforcement, Plan Review and Inspections.  I don't have the yearly total of how many calls they respond to,  but you can look at the list of weekly calls on the Bridgeport Township website http://www.bridgeportmi.org/

We expect them to be there to protect our lives and our property, and so the Bridgeport Township Government and the Bridgeport Township residents need to find a way to provide them with the funds they need to do that properly and safely.
Chief Nelson explains in excellent detail what the conditions are for the Fire Department and what their needs are.  Please take the time to watch the video and listen to his presentation.

The meeting minutes are now up on Bridgeports website.  They go into great detail of the things discussed. Building and Grounds Meeting Minutes